Knowledge Share -

5. What are the most important steps you would recommend for securing a new web server? Web application?

Goal of question – Once again, there is no right or wrong answer, however we are interested in what the applicant views as important.

Web Server Security:
• Update/Patch the web server software
• Minimize the server functionality – disable extra modules
• Delete default data/scripts
• Increase logging verboseness
• Update Permissions/Ownership of files

Web Application Security:
• Make sure Input Validation is enforced within the code - Security QA testing
• Configured to display generic error messages
• Implement a software security policy
• Remove or protect hidden files and directories

Advanced Level Questions

1. Imagine that we are running an Apache reverse proxy server and one of the servers we are proxy for is a Windows IIS server. What does the log entry suggest has happened? What would you do in response to this entry?