Many online applications, such as content management systems, insurance portals, healthcare portals and messaging apps, depend on the safe uploading and download of business-related files. Unrestricted uploads of files are the most common attack vector used by malicious actors to spread malware and get information.
A reputable file-uploading service should confirm that uploaded files comply with a list of acceptable file types and scan them for viruses prior to storage. This helps ensure that the clients‘ personal information isn’t exposed and adheres to compliance requirements such as HIPAA for health-related information and GDPR for EU citizens.
The ability of confirming file types is essential as attackers can often „mask“ malicious files by renaming them to allowable extensions, such as.jpg or.gif. Your solution might not be able to identify the actual file type, and this could let it go unnoticed. To avoid this, you’ll need an uploader system that verifies the file extension as well.
A secure encryption of all data both in flight and at rest is another way to safeguard yourself from attacks. This transforms files and messages into unreadable code that hackers can’t read even when they gain access to.
Additionally, you can create a file upload system which rejects files that do not match your namestamps. This will help you organize your team and prevent confidential information from being disclosed in name of the file.