Learn about SQL Injection Attacks and How to Prevent Them?

Posted by Neha Kumari on November 7th, 2019

Your website should not be the next victim of a SQL Injection Attack; here is a preventive guide to help the businesses. SQL Injection is a hacking process that came into existence 15 years back and still effective and considered as the best database security approach too. The SQL injection process has been used by top industries worldwide, and the list includes some popular names like Sony, Microsoft, Yahoo, CIA, PBS, Heartland Payment System, etc.

If there is some Company website or business apps driven by the SQL Database, it may suffer from SQL injection attacks that will allow hackers to make modifications to the most sensitive business data.

To attempt an SQL Injection attack, the hacker submits the false information to the website that results in misinterpretation of the data and executes the intended action. It has become vital preventing SQL injection attacks as it may pose serious security threats that are not acceptable by organizations at all.

It may result in deletion or modification of the personal details, unauthorized access to user accounts, and more. Moreover, it may affect the performance of the whole network, and your site may stop working in the worst cases. Even after such a long period of discovery, SQL injection attacks are still taken as vital security issues when working with an SQL database.

SQL Injection attack Examples

Do you know how to access a user account without knowing any particulars? Here is a quick example to help you out.

SELECT*FROM Users WHERE Username=’$username’ AND Password=’$password’

1’OR’1’ = ‘1 and 1’OR’1’ = ‘1

The normal SQL statement, when you know user credentials can be written as below.

SELECT*FROM Users WHERE Username=’joebloggs’ AND Password=’$password123’

So, how to write the same statement in the best possible way using SQL injection hacking technique.

SELECT*FROM Users WHERE Username=’1’ OR ‘1’ = ‘1’ AND Password=’1’ OR ‘1’ = ‘1’

With the help of this statement, you can access accounts of those users whose user ID and password are the same. So, it is a successful attempt to the SQL Injection attack. In the next section, we will jump to the actual discussion where we will explain to top tips to prevent SQL injection attacks. These tips are suitable for all types of attacks from normal to the complex level.

Top Tips to prevent SQL injection attacks

These are the best working solutions to deal with SQL Injection attacks. Let us see what they mean in the real-time.

• The data submission form needs to be robust so that it may accept valid data only. For example, the Phone number box should accept digits, not characters. Add filters so wisely that nonce can interrupt you anyhow.
• As soon as database security mechanisms are getting advanced, hackers are also trying their best to break the security breaches. The best idea is adding patches and update the data after this. Patch management tactics are high on demand these days. Also, database experts should try their best efforts to deal with SQL injection attacks smartly.
• As a database expert, you should avoid dynamic queries because they can be vulnerable. The effective solution is to focus on parameterized content more. You can use stored procedures too, but they cannot give protection again all attacks. So, you have to be a little more technical and knowledgeable when writing complex SQL queries. Follow a few best practices as discussed by experts.
• Whenever it comes to the security tricks, the discussion is not complete without firewalls. Add firewalls by practicing a chain of security rules to make it more effective. There are a few firewalls that are enough good for almost all types of apps. You can do a little research and find out the best solution that can work optimally for your business app.
• Add database features that are vital. If there is something not required by your app then remove it. More features you will add to your application, more chances of getting in trouble. With unnecessary tabs, hackers become more confident in accessing the data using unauthorized practices. In technical terms, you should reduce the stack surface and don’t give a chance to impact your app somehow.
• Keep in mind that your database should not be connected with an account having admin-level authority. You must be wondering why? If your app is hacked with admin-level authorities, he can do everything and destroy your content drastically. So, the connected account should be given limited permissions as needed. It will help you in protecting your database against security attacks, and data access are also restricted automatically.
• Don’t add the plain data that can be understood by anyone but add encryption tactics and protect your data even if it is hacked. Most of the attacks are the result of our carelessness. When we are overprotective at our end, it makes the app more secure automatically.
• Hackers can take great benefits from error messages. You should add the needed information to any database and make sure it is correct. Work on verbose errors closely. When hackers get nothing to destroy, your application is automatically safe from SQL Injection attacks.
• Writing SQL queries is not the ultimate goal but keep monitoring them from time to time. The continuous monitoring of queries will help in finding out vulnerable SQL statements. You can also use monitoring tools to make things easier.
• Each app connected with your database should be well tested, and it should be designed using the best security standards. Better software apps for your database will ultimately help in protecting it against unwanted attacks.

Final Words:

You must sure of what is SQL injection and how to protect your database against SQL Injection attacks. If you are new to the database world and not know how to implement these tactics practically, then you should join an online SQL Server Training course to get practical learning. It will give you a depth idea of SQL concepts, and you can add something solid to your resume that will attract recruiters quickly.

So, what are you waiting for?

Join hands with JanBask Training and take your career to new heights with our expert team of mentors and constant support. All the Best!