Are My Files Safe if I Upload Them to a Website?
Tech experts estimate that there are over 455 million WordPress websites in the world. WordPress is a popular platform because of its versatility, regardless of tech knowledge. A small business could easily use one of the available templates to design a professional-looking website. On the other hand, designer teams can also build unique layouts on the platform. As such, WordPress is one of the most commonly used CMS. Unfortunately, WordPress’s accessibility is also a weakness when it comes to digital safety. Indeed, user-generated content platforms are more likely to experience vulnerabilities as users upload files. In fact, file upload is a significant cause of digital vulnerabilities for WordPress and social media platforms. How can businesses make sure they can safely upload their files online? We recommend working closely with an IT company to design a cybersecurity strategy that can:
- Identify hackers’ objectives
- Identify cyber weaknesses
- Patch vulnerabilities related to file upload
Prevent transferred files interception
File upload is a preferred method to share confidential data, such as uploading identity documents. Unfortunately, without appropriate file encryption, the process could put confidential data into the wrong hands. Therefore, it’s your priority to add encryption security.
Stop the DoS
Bandwidth attacks can make the file upload service unstable and vulnerable. Hackers can tackle your bandwidth with simultaneous uploads to crash the website. Using botnet or even Denial of Service (DoS) attacks, they can make the website inaccessible. However, companies can set up file upload a restriction and verification process to keep control. Using a two-step verification process, businesses can monitor upload users and also create size restrictions.
No more harmful extension
A popular hacking attack is to pass a malicious file under a common extension. Hackers manipulate file extensions, often transforming .exe files into harmless .jpeg. Companies that fail to implement two-step protection strategies become likely targets. Ideally, you want to potentially harmful file types before the upload and use a content verification feature to check uploaded files.
Don’t let files get overwritten for control
When hackers upload malicious files with the same name as an existing file, they can overwrite the original document for control. Once they have access to your system, there is no stopping them. To get to the root of the problem, the upload system needs to identify users to give them upload permission. Additionally, file upload systems also need to restrict access to the uploaded information with authenticated URLs. This will prevent anonymous upload and API key misuse.
Don’t let malicious files spread
Your file upload system must be able to deal with potentially harmful files. Indeed, hackers use a malware file to gain access to the system. But with an external storage feature, either via a third-party upload solution or an in-house uploading feature, the file can be localized and isolated before it affects your website.
In conclusion, a file upload process can make your platform vulnerable, affecting business and customers data. Companies that invest in IT security with the support of an IT expert are equipped to identify, prevent, and block threats that could spread via a malicious file upload.