Cybersecurity and web design: An Important Marriage
The digital economy has created a world where every action online leaves a trail of personal data. While this has led to a data pool that can greatly boost businesses, it has also resulted in heightened concerns about data security and privacy.
This also presents web designers with the conundrum of providing a pleasant, personalized experiences while housing it in a security-focused site. This article discusses cybersecurity, the types of cyberattacks, and how to integrate cybersecurity in web design.
What is cybersecurity?
Cybersecurity can be succinctly described as the practice of protecting systems, networks, and programs from cyberattacks. Ideally, a strong cybersecurity system should have multiple layers of protection spread across computers, networks, and programs. As technology has evolved, it has become increasingly challenging to implement effective cybersecurity measures – mainly because there are more devices than people, and attackers are continually becoming more innovative.
Types of cyberattacks
Usually, cyberattacks are aimed at accessing, manipulating, or destroying sensitive information to disrupt various processes. These can be used to extort money, damage businesses, as well as people’s personal and financial lives.
As alluded to earlier, the evolution of technologies has spawned different kinds of cyberattacks, but they mainly attack these three categories:
- Confidentiality – As with stealing personal identifying data and financial information. Typically, these information are sold on the dark web for others to use.
- Integrity – Often referred to as leaks, these are designed for personal or organizational sabotage. This was what occurred when the US Democratic National Convention’s (DNC) emails were leaked ahead of the 2016 Presidential Elections.
- Availability – This type of attack blocks users from accessing their own data. Access is typically returned after a ransom is paid.
Again, there are a myriad of cyberattacks that have been birthed as attackers have become more and more innovative. But expounding on the above categories, these can be generally defined as:
Social engineering
An attack on confidentiality, this entails psychologically manipulating people into performing actions or giving away information. The most common social engineering comes in the form of phishing. This is what happens when a deceptive email tells the user to change their password, ultimately giving the attackers access to all information that can be found in the email account.
Advanced Persistent Threats (ATPs)
An attack on integrity, this is where a network is infiltrated and the unauthorized user remains in the system for a period of time. In this type of attack, the aim is to steal sensitive data and not harm the network. Such attacks are most common in sectors with high-value information like national defense and the finance industry.
Malware
In this attack on availability, a malicious software gains access and damages a computer. These often come in the form of spyware, keyloggers, true viruses, and worms.
How to integrate cybersecurity in web design
Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has made the concept of “privacy by default” a legal requirement. While this adds layers of protection for consumers’ data, it also presents a unique challenge for web designers—determining how to collect and use data to provide personalized experiences, while simultaneously protecting the user.
Here are some tips on how to implement cybersecurity in web design:
Minimize data collection
Privacy by default entails only collecting data that’s relevant and necessary for a company’s services. This minimizes the risk of storing and analyzing excess data that can potentially be breached.
For example, if you’re a subscription company, don’t require a full address or contact number as an option in your form’s design. This reduces links to users’ real identities. As well, when processing and analyzing data, you can protect direct identifiability of user data by using anonymous IDs.
Implement clear data sharing notices
The largest volume of data collected by websites are obtained automatically (like tracking scripts and cookies). And over the past year, it has become standard practice to display UI elements (usually a banner or popup window) that inform users of the site’s data usage and provides options to either accept, refuse, or opt out.
Apart from banners and popup notices, you can also implement hyperlinks or collapsible information in-page to explain the different ways users’ data could be used (targeted advertising, SEO, improving UX, etc.). You should also inform users what happens to data once it’s collected – where it’s stored and for how long.
Obtain free and specific consent
Privacy by default also eliminates the use of pre-ticked checkboxes and automatic opt-ins by web designers. This allows users to play an active role in managing their own data by prompting them to provide clear and specific consent to data collection, storage, or disclosure.
Similarly, consent should not be automatically connected to different activity – as with the message, “By downloading, you agree to receive regular updates from the ecommerce store.” This ensures that users are always fully aware of the activities they’re agreeing to.
Manage your own security
It’s important for designers to remember that implementing a privacy-focused design is no use if there is user data privacy vulnerability elsewhere. This could be the case when working remotely or on a large public network. When doing so, make sure to use a reliable VPN to encrypt your connection.
Here are some of the things you should also be doing:
- Reinforce the website’s access control by creating unique usernames and passwords.
- Limit the number of login attempts within a specific time frame.
- Eliminate form auto-fills.
- Implement protocols for regularly updating passwords.
- Automatically end expired sessions.
- Regularly scan devices for malware.
Takeaway
As the value of user data and its privacy continues to rise to mainstream consciousness, adopting an integrated and transparent approach to web design not only boosts a company’s success commercially, it also builds trust with its customers.
This also promotes a two-fold accountability for the protection of user data, one where companies lay a secure foundation with their websites, and users are more knowledgeable about the information they divulge.
What security improvements can you implement in your web design? Sound off in the comments below.
Michie Victoriano
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