Automatic HTTPS Redirect
"Automatic HTTPS Redirect" refers to automatically redirecting users accessing a website over the unsecured HTTP protocol to the secure HTTPS protocol. This redirection ensures that all communication between the user's browser and the website is encrypted, enhancing security.
Advantages of having automatic HTTPS redirect available include:
Data Encryption: HTTPS encrypts that data to prevent hostile actors from intercepting data between a user's browser and the website server. Sensitive data, including financial information, personal information, and login credentials, is protected by this encryption.
Data Integrity: HTTPS ensures that data transmitted between the user and the website remains unaltered during transit. It prevents attackers from tampering with the communication to inject malicious content or modify legitimate data.
Trust and Credibility: Websites that use HTTPS give users a sense of confidence and legitimacy. Users are more likely to feel comfortable sharing their information and interacting with the website when they see the padlock icon in their browser's address bar, indicating a secure connection.
SEO Benefits: Safe websites rank higher in search results on search engines like Google. By using HTTPS, a website's search engine rating can be raised, increasing traffic and visibility.
The ramifications of not having automatic HTTPS redirects available include:
Security Risks: Without HTTPS, sensitive information transmitted between the user and the website is vulnerable to interception by eavesdroppers. It puts users at risk of data theft, identity theft, and other malicious activities.
Loss of Trust: People are increasingly realizing how important internet security is. A website without HTTPS could be viewed as unreliable, damaging its reputation and resulting in a decline in visitors and sales.
Compliance Issues: Regulations may require HTTPS to secure user data depending on the country and sector. There may be financial penalties and legal repercussions for breaking these restrictions.
Negative SEO Impact: Search engines may penalize websites not using HTTPS, leading to lower search engine rankings and reduced visibility.
Automatic HTTPS redirect enhances security, builds user trust, improves search engine ranking, and helps comply with regulatory requirements. Not having this feature exposes users to security risks, undermines trust, and can lead to legal and SEO issues.
ThreatNG combines External Attack Surface Management (EASM), Digital Risk Protection (DRP), and Security Ratings with the capability to examine domains and subdomains for the presence of "Automatic HTTPS Redirect," which would provide several benefits to organizations:
Enhanced Security Posture: The organization can prioritize the security of these assets by determining which domains and subdomains do not have automatic HTTPS forwarding. Implementing HTTPS may lower the risk of unwanted access and data breaches and protect data confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity.
Improved Compliance: Many regulatory frameworks and industry standards mandate using HTTPS to protect sensitive data. The organization can mitigate compliance risks and avoid penalties by ensuring HTTPS compliance across all domains and subdomains.
Risk Mitigation: Identifying domains and subdomains without HTTPS redirects helps the organization understand its attack surface and potential vulnerabilities. By addressing these security gaps, the organization can reduce the risk of attacks such as man-in-the-middle (MITM) and data interception.
Enhanced Reputation: Using HTTPS on all domains and subdomains improves the company's standing and fosters confidence among stakeholders, partners, and clients. A secure website is more likely to gain users' trust and promote interaction, improving brand awareness and cultivating customer loyalty.
Complementary security solutions that would benefit from this capability include:
Web Application Firewalls (WAF): WAFs protect web applications from cyber threats, including OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities. By combining HTTPS redirection with WAFs, organizations can ensure that all incoming traffic is encrypted and filtered for malicious activities.
Security Information and Event Management (SIEM): SIEM systems gather, examine, and link security events around the company's IT architecture. By integrating HTTPS redirection data, SIEMs can recognize and address security incidents associated with unprotected domains and subdomains.
Vulnerability Management: Solutions identify and prioritize security vulnerabilities across the organization's IT assets. Organizations can prioritize fixing insecure configurations and strengthening their security posture by including HTTPS redirection as a vulnerability assessment criterion.
Threat Intelligence Platforms (TIP): TIPs provide real-time insights into emerging threats and cyber attack trends. Integration with HTTPS redirection data enables TIPs to identify threats targeting unsecured domains and subdomains, allowing organizations to defend against potential attacks proactively.
Examples of how these complementary security solutions would benefit from the capability to examine domains and subdomains for the presence of Automatic HTTPS Redirect include:
A WAF can enforce HTTPS redirection policies and block incoming traffic to unsecured domains and subdomains.
SIEMs can generate alerts and reports on security incidents related to insecure configurations and unauthorized access attempts.
Vulnerability management solutions can prioritize fixing vulnerabilities related to HTTPS misconfigurations and non-compliance with security best practices.
TIPs can correlate HTTPS redirection data with threat intelligence feeds to identify and mitigate threats targeting unsecured domains and subdomains.
