Detecting Web Attacks

Web attacks are among the most common ways attackers gain entry into target systems. Public-facing websites and web applications often sit in front of databases and other infrastructure, which are appealing targets for attackers. In this room, you’ll learn how to identify these threats using practical detection methods and industry-standard tools.

Objectives

• Learn common client-side and server-side attack types
• Understand the benefits and limitations of log-based detection
• Explore network traffic–based detection methods
• Understand how and why Web Application Firewalls are used
• Practice identifying common web attacks using the methods covered

Prerequisites

Web attacks encompass a wide range of techniques. In this room, you will cover a brief overview of several common attacks before learning how to detect them. To get the most out of the exercises, you should have a foundational understanding of these attack types and some familiarity with analyzing logs and packet captures.

• OWASP Top 10 covers the ten most critical web security risks
• Complete Intro to Log Analysis for an overview of logs and useful indicators
• Wireshark: The Basics provides a great introduction to packet capture analysis

Set up your virtual environment

To successfully complete this room, you'll need to set up your virtual environment. This involves starting the Target Machine, ensuring you're equipped with the necessary tools and access to tackle the challenges ahead.

Target machine

Status:Off

Start Machine