{"id":4639,"date":"2022-09-02T13:49:06","date_gmt":"2022-09-02T13:49:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/solutionsreview.com\/network-monitoring\/?p=4639"},"modified":"2022-09-02T14:15:47","modified_gmt":"2022-09-02T14:15:47","slug":"focus-on-the-edge-defending-against-file-upload-attacks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/solutionsreview.com\/network-monitoring\/focus-on-the-edge-defending-against-file-upload-attacks\/","title":{"rendered":"Focus on the Edge: Defending Against File Upload Attacks"},"content":{"rendered":"

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As part of Solutions Review\u2019s Premium Content Series\u2014a collection of contributed columns written by industry experts in maturing software categories\u2014 Alfred Chung of Akamai Technologies<\/a> introduces you to the threat of upload attacks, and how edge networking can protect your business.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\"SRIn case you missed it, there\u2019s a malware threat vector that\u2019s on the rise: file uploads to web applications. With web interactions becoming increasingly central to virtually every business, file uploads via web forms and APIs are ubiquitous. Job applicants uploading resumes to career sites, insurance claims, loan applications, mobile check deposits, wholesale orders to vendors\u2014the list of possible file uploads is endless. And every file carries the potential risk of delivering a malware payload that can detonate within your mission-critical systems. How big a problem are file upload attacks? According to one source, an estimated 20 percent of malware exploits are dropped from a web application or API. While some exploits are caused by innocent parties unknowingly passing along malware from an infected device, others are the work of malicious actors taking advantage of this crack in the online armor.<\/p>\n

Many businesses are taking notice of the threat. According to one report, 87 percent of organizations that use web applications for file uploads are very concerned about secure file transfers\u2014 and 82 percent report that their concern has increased over the past year. Failing to address the threat posed by file upload exploits could expose businesses to all manner of cyber-attacks, including ransomware or theft of critical consumer data. How can organizations mitigate the risk posed by malicious file uploads? There are a few possible approaches. Spoiler alert: The third option offers significant advantages both in terms of simplicity and effectiveness. But let\u2019s review all three.<\/p>\n

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Three Options Against Upload Attacks<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Option 1: ICAP virus scanning<\/strong><\/h3>\n

This approach typically involves a web application firewall (WAF) communicating with a separate antivirus scanner integrated using an Internet Content Adaptation Protocol (ICAP) interface in order to scan incoming files before they reach the destination server.<\/p>\n

This is an old-school approach with a number of drawbacks. It requires multiple pieces of technology from different vendors that must be installed, configured, integrated, and managed. To be effective, it must be set up to serve all of your applications\u2014that\u2019s a lot of infrastructures to deploy and maintain, including keeping virus definitions up to date. Most importantly, because this solution resides on your own network, any malware uploaded still lands on your infrastructure\u2014 a potential security weakness.<\/p>\n

Option 2: Cloud-based scanning<\/strong><\/h3>\n

This approach is a bit less labor-intensive than option 1, with less upfront capital cost. However, it requires some work to get the uploaded file to the cloud-based scanner. This likely involves writing a script that uploads files to an API for scanning, with additional scripting to dictate how suspect files are handled. More work for your application development and IT teams.<\/p>\n

Ongoing maintenance of the scanning functionality would be provided by the cloud vendor as a service. However, uploaded files would still land on the application server prior to being forwarded to the cloud, creating a potential point of vulnerability as in option 1.<\/p>\n

Option 3: Protection at the Edge<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The third option is using an edge-based solution to block malware closer to its origin\u2014and further from your web application. This represents a modern approach to protection, inspecting uploaded files and detecting and blocking malware at the edge before it enters your infrastructure.<\/p>\n

Scanning functionality is hosted on the edge network, so there is nothing for you to install, and no changes to the application code are required. This makes it easier to deploy and maintain than the ICAP-based or cloud-based approaches discussed. Most importantly, it isolates threats from the targeted applications, providing greater security.<\/p>\n

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Choosing the Right Edge Network<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The edge-based option offers clear advantages for mitigating the risk of malicious file uploads. But not all edge networks are optimized for this critical task. When formulating your edge security strategy, consider the following key factors:<\/p>\n