The most common cyber threats in web hosting

Whether you are a developer, agency or web hosting reseller, understanding the most common cyber attacks is the first step in protecting your digital infrastructure and your customers. AtZebraBytewe constantly observe these threats and know that preventing them is essential for online continuity.

Below you will find a clear overview of the main types of attacks targeting hosting environments, along with real examples and explanations of their impact.

Atacuri distribuite de tip Denial-of-Service (DDoS)

What is:

ADDoSattack aims to overload an application or a server through a huge volume of traffic from compromised devices (botnets).The result is usually a service blocking, reduced performance, or complete shutdown of the infrastructure.

Why Hosting is Important:

Even a few minutes of unavailability can affect SEO, reduce revenue and damage a company’s image. Shared servers and small VPSs are at risk if there are no effective mitigation mechanisms.

Example from the real world:

In 2016, a large-scale attack targeted DNS provider Dyn in the United States. The Mirai botnet, consisting of hundreds of thousands of compromised IoT devices, generated a huge volume of traffic that resulted in disruption of access to major platforms such as Twitter, Netflix,PayPal,GitHuband Amazon.

Injection of SQL (SQLi)

What is:

SQL Injection exploits unsecured entries in a web application to run malicious SQL commands on the database. This can allow attackers to view, modify or delete sensitive information and, in some situations, gain full access to the system.

Why Hosting is Important:

Web applications based on MySQL, PostgreSQL, or other database systems are often hosted alongside other sites on shared servers.

Example from the real world:

In 2015, telecommunications provider TalkTalk suffered a security breach caused by a SQLi attack, resulting in the personal data of over 150,000 customers being compromised. The company was fined £400,000 by the ICO for insufficient security measures.

Scripting between sites (XSS)

What is:

XSS allows the injection of malicious scripts into web pages visited by other users. This can lead to theft of cookies, redirect to fraudulent sites and compromise authentication sessions.

Why Hosting is Important:

CMS platforms, along with vulnerable plugins, are often entry points for XSS attacks. A compromised page can affect all site visitors and lead to IP penalization in reputable networks.

Example from the real world:

eBay has been repeatedly criticized for leaving XSS vulnerabilities stored unresolved in its listing system. Attackers injected malicious code into product descriptions, and users were redirected to phishing sites that mimicked the authentic login portal.

Atacuri de phishing

What is:

Phishing involves misleading users to provide sensitive data through fake websites, emails or forms that mimic legitimate platforms.

Why Hosting is Important:

Compromised sites are often used to host phishing kits. This can lead to IP blocking and low reputation for the hosting provider.

Example from the real world:

In 2021, GoDaddy revealed a security breach generated by compromising employee credentials through phishing techniques. Over 1.2 millionWordPressusers were affected, and attackers inserted malware and fake websites into compromised accounts.

Intoxication and DNS hijacking

What is:

DNS poisoning alters the DNS cache with false data, redirecting users to malicious sites. DNS hijacking involves effective modification of DNS records, usually by compromising the account of a registrar or DNS provider.

Why Hosting is Important:

If DNS records are modified, traffic can be redirected to phishing or malware pages. Many of these attacks do not occur on the host server and can be difficult to detect until the effects appear.

Example from the real world:

In 2019, the Sea Turtle campaign targeted DNS providers in the Middle East and North Africa, altering DNS records to perform man-in-the-middle attacks and collecting sensitive user data.

Concluzii ZebraByte

As online services expand, cyber attacks become more complex and more common. New vulnerabilities are constantly emerging, and protecting applications and data has become an absolute necessity.ZebraByteimplements advanced security measures to ensure the protection of customer infrastructure and provides detailed guidelines to support the adoption of best security practices.