What are security headers, and why does your business need them?

A website security header is a set of commands which are exchanged between a web browser and a webserver. These commands dictate security-related details of the HTTP communication and are an important component of the HTTP protocol.

These commands communicate what is allowed, or not allowed relating to communication with your website, helping ensure improved security, helping to mitigate browser based cyber threats.

Properly implemented security headers protect websites against some of the most common hacker attacks, including malware injections, clickjacking (user interface redress attack, malicious script injection, etc.)

This is accomplished by providing an additional security protection layer which helps restrict malicious activities between the web server and the web browser. It is important to note that security headers are not constant, they can change over time, due to code changes, and hacker advancements. Ongoing review of security headers should be an important component of your overall cyber security plan.

There are many options available to check your current security header implementation, and to view suggested changes with your website security headers. Some of these utilities are free, and some are fee based. A great place to begin is by using these free tools:

SecurityHeaders.com

The HTTP response headers that this site analyses provide huge levels of protection and it’s important that sites deploy them. The goal of this site is to provide an easy mechanism to assess website security headers, and to offer information on how to deploy missing headers, to increase usage of security-based headers across the web.

SecurityScorecard.com

SecurityScorecard uses a combination of data points collected organically or purchased from public and private sources and then applies its proprietary algorithms to articulate an organization’s security effectiveness into a quantifiable score.

Ensure your website is up to date with the latest security headers is an important component in your overall cyber security plan.

Is your business looking to mitigate risk, reduce the likelihood of a cyber breach, or to gain extra protection with a Cyber Insurance Policy? Reach out to our team for a no obligation consultation!