6 Simple Ways to Secure Your PHP Web Application from Hackers

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FAUN — Developer Community 🐾

7 min readMay 3, 2022

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Hackers often attack PHP web applications by directly attacking the application itself or targeting the database where user information and passwords are stored.

If you’re hosting your PHP website on shared hosting, the host will take care of most security measures like firewalls and file permissions. Still, suppose you’re running a web application on your dedicated server. In that case, it’s essential to make sure that your web application is secure and protect your database with database security plugins.

To keep your PHP web application secure from hackers, follow the tips stated below.

1. Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)

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Injecting malicious code into a web application via an input field is known as cross-site scripting (XSS). It is one of the most common PHP Web Application Security vulnerabilities that websites face. This can be done using JavaScript, which may not seem like a big deal if you’re not familiar with programming.

However, when someone injects malicious code into your website or app, they have access to your user’s data, and everything on your website could potentially be modified. A single XSS attack can cost you thousands in lost business.

To protect your website against XSS attacks, you should use a WAF (web application firewall) or a web application firewall. These services block any potentially malicious code and make sure that nothing is executed on your site without being checked first.

There are many different kinds of WAFs available, so it’s important to find one that fits your needs.

One popular option is Cloudflare, which is free for personal use and offers enterprise-level protection at an affordable price. Cloudflare can help stop more than just XSS attacks — it also protects against DDoS attacks and can optimize how quickly content loads on your site.

Another great option is Sucuri Security, which offers both free and paid plans with varying levels of protection depending on what you need.

While working on PHP Web Application Security, you may face problems, but they can be easily resolved; for that, you have to be connected with the best PHP web development company to hire PHP programmers.

Also Read: Top 21 PHP Web App Development Companies in 2022

2. Encrypt Sensitive Data

Never place sensitive data such as passwords, credit card numbers, or other private information in your source code. There are several encryption methods that you can use to keep sensitive data away from those who don’t need it.

For example, you could simply hash input fields (using an algorithm such as md5() ) and store them in a database column instead of your code.

Also, consider using session variables instead of cookies to send information back and forth between users’ computers and your server. This way, anyone with access will only be able to see session information relevant to their own computer — and no one else’s.

Moreover, always use SSL encryption when transmitting sensitive data such as credit card numbers. This will prevent anyone who might be monitoring your traffic (ISP or a hacker) from seeing your data in plain text.

You can also encrypt entire files using a program like GPG or PGP, but keep in mind that you’ll need to send users their public key if they want to decrypt it.

If you’re working with large files, it’s probably better to store them on a secure server and send users their decryption key once they’ve paid for access.

3. Use HTTPS

Remember that HTTP is not encrypted, so it’s trivial for a hacker or malicious party to sniff your traffic as it travels over unsecured connections.

Since you don’t want strangers peeking into your site and stealing sensitive information, use HTTPS on every application page. Setting up an SSL certificate may be a bit of a hassle, but fortunately, most web hosts make that process straightforward.

You can also take advantage of free sites like Cloudflare if you don’t want to buy an SSL certificate or manage its installation on each server in your infrastructure.

Whatever route you choose, ensure that all communications between users and servers are secured with HTTPS encryption by default.

You can hire developers to resolve any error that usually occurs while working on the PHP Web Application Security part.

Also, Read Top Advanced PHP Tips and Tricks: Your PHP Developers Should Know

4. Session Hijacking

Hijacking cookies is one of the most popular methods for stealing session IDs and hijacking a user’s session.

The general idea behind session hijacking is that if an attacker can get hold of a valid cookie for a given website, they can then use that cookie to set up their own fake version of the said website and capture sensitive information submitted by users.

But here’s some good news: since cookies are just plain text files, you don’t need any special tricks or access to perform what amounts to simple data mining; as long as you have access to someone else’s cookies (which, in many cases, you do), it’s not hard at all to analyze them.

To prevent session hijacking, you need to use a secure cookie. This is simply a cookie that uses HTTPS (or SSL) and is set with an HttpOnly flag.

The HttpOnly flag prevents attackers from accessing your cookies via JavaScript, which makes it much harder for them to steal your session ID.

The downside of using an HttpOnly cookie is that it will not work on browsers that don’t support HTTPS, such as Internet Explorer 6.

5. Stop SQL Injection Attacks in Their Tracks

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Injection attacks work by inserting rogue SQL commands into your database. These commands can be used to damage or destroy your data, leaving you scrambling to clean up and rebuild.

While there are steps you can take to stop these attacks, they’re not always easy or convenient. The first step is educating yourself on SQL injection attacks so that you know what problems you’re looking for when testing your database PHP Web Application Security.

There are a few great resources out there. Still, we recommend checking out Security Warrior’s SQL Injection Cheat Sheet for a basic list of actions and responses (not all are applicable in every situation). Once you’ve got some information under your belt, it’s time to start testing!

6. Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF)

It’s more likely for a hacker to run cross-site request forgery (CSRF) than any other type of attack. This is because client-side security measures and user sessions do not usually prevent CSRF attacks.

Cross-site request forgery can be used to change account settings, install malicious software and/or access sensitive information like usernames, passwords, and credit card numbers.

Remember that users log in with their name and password; you should check if they have been changed without their consent when performing security reviews on your site or application.

In order to protect your site against CSRF attacks, you should include a random token or nonce in each form. You can generate one using a JavaScript library such as jQuery. Include it in all forms that have any sort of sensitive data.

This way, even if an attacker manages to steal your session ID, they won’t be able to use it without having access to that random token or nonce as well.

Also Read: PHP Is Incredibly Better Than Its Other Alternatives For Web Projects

Conclusion

There is no silver bullet when it comes to securing your web application. However, by following the tips in this article, you can significantly reduce the risk of being hacked.

Moreover, remember to keep your software up to date, as well as all the plugins and libraries you are using. Outdated software is one of the most ordinary ways for hackers to gain access to a system.

If in case you are encountering any issues while working on PHP Web Application Security, you can get connected with a reliable PHP web application development company to hire dedicated PHP developers. By doing so, you can get your work done in a hassle-free manner.

Keep these tips in mind, and you’ll be well on your way to building a secure PHP web application!

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