Until a few years ago, cyber security was mainly associated with the protection of networks and end devices. Today, the focus has clearly shifted. Business applications – customer portals, transaction systems, sales platforms or internal tools – have become the main target of cyber attacks. It is through the applications that data flows, business processes are executed and value is generated for the organization. For attackers, this means one thing: hitting an application often has a faster and greater effect than attacking the infrastructure.
Key findings
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Apps are the company’s direct point of contact with customers and data
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More and more attacks are bypassing classic network protections
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Application bugs are a more common problem than infrastructure vulnerabilities
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Protecting applications requires a different approach than a traditional firewall
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Application security has a direct impact on business continuity
Table of contents
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Why apps have become an attractive target for attackers
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Most common types of attacks targeting apps
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Why network security is not enough
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How the role of apps in business has changed
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What research says about attacks on apps
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Frequently asked questions
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Summary
Why apps have become an attractive target for attackers
Apps are at the heart of businesses today. It is through them that payments, user logins, personal data processing and customer service are carried out. An attack on an application allows cybercriminals to bypass multiple layers of security and reach directly into data or business processes.
In addition, applications are constantly being developed and updated, which increases the risk of bugs. Every new feature is a potential vulnerability that can be exploited.
Most common types of attacks targeting apps
Among the most common attacks on applications are attempts to take over user accounts, abuse of programming interfaces, service overload attacks and exploitation of business logic errors. These attacks often do not generate classic “suspicious” network traffic, making them difficult to detect.
Automated attacks carried out by bots that can mimic the behavior of real users are also increasingly observed.
Why network security is not enough
Traditional network security focuses on controlling traffic at the infrastructure boundary. Meanwhile, applications run in both on-premises and cloud environments, and users connect to them from different locations. This means that the firewall alone cannot recognize whether a given request to an application is legitimate or an attempted abuse.
Application security requires analyzing traffic at the level of the application itself and understanding its operation and business context.
How the role of apps in business has changed
For many companies today, apps are a key channel for sales and customer communication. Their inaccessibility or security breach can lead to financial losses, loss of trust and legal consequences. That’s why protecting applications has ceased to be a purely technical task and has become part of business strategy.
Solutions offered by F5 focus on securing applications and application traffic, helping organizations protect critical services without affecting performance.
What research says about attacks on apps
Cybersecurity research shows that most modern attacks focus precisely on the application layer. Experts indicate that the number of application abuse incidents is growing faster than attacks on network infrastructure. Organizations that invest in application security are much quicker to detect threats and mitigate their impact.
Frequently asked questions
Is every business application a target for attacks?
Yes, especially those that are accessible from the Internet and process user data.
Does securing the app slow it down?
Modern solutions minimize the impact on productivity.
Does application security only apply to large companies?
No, smaller organizations are just as often targeted.
Summary
Applications have become a prime target for cyber attacks, as they are the ones that store data and enable key business processes. The traditional approach to security, based solely on network protection, is no longer sufficient. An effective cyber security strategy must include application protection as one of its most important elements.
