OWASP Top 10

The OWASP Top 10 Security Risks

1. Broken Access Control

When users can act outside their intended permissions, accessing unauthorized data or functionality. This risk has moved to the #1 position, reflecting its prevalence and critical impact.

2. Cryptographic Failures

Previously known as "Sensitive Data Exposure," this category focuses on failures related to cryptography that often lead to exposure of sensitive data.

3. Injection

Attackers send malicious data to an interpreter as part of a command or query, including SQL, NoSQL, OS command, and LDAP injection.

4. Insecure Design

A new category focusing on risks related to design and architectural flaws, emphasizing the need for threat modeling and secure design patterns.

5. Security Misconfiguration

Improperly configured security settings, unnecessary features enabled, or default accounts and passwords still active.

6. Vulnerable and Outdated

Components Using components with known vulnerabilities, unsupported versions, or not regularly scanning and updating dependencies.

7. Identity and Authentication

Failures Weaknesses in authentication mechanisms that allow attackers to compromise passwords, keys, or session tokens.

8. Software & Data Integrity

Code and infrastructure that don't protect against integrity violations, including insecure CI/CD pipelines and auto-update mechanisms.

9. Security Logging & Monitoring

Failures Insufficient logging, monitoring, or incident response capabilities that prevent detection of breaches.

10. Server-Side Request Forgery

Flaws that allow attackers to force the application to send requests to unintended destinations, even when protected by firewalls or VPNs.

Why This Framework is Critical

The OWASP Top 10 addresses the most common and dangerous vulnerabilities in web applications—the primary interface between your organization and users. These vulnerabilities are actively exploited by attackers worldwide, leading to data breaches, financial fraud, and system compromises.

Financial Services

PCI DSS Compliance: OWASP Top 10 compliance is mandatory for PCI DSS certification required to process credit card payments and avoid card brand fines
Fraud Prevention: SQL injection and broken authentication vulnerabilities enable account takeover attacks leading to millions in fraud losses and customer compensation
Regulatory Penalties: Security failures trigger GLBA violations and state breach notification requirements costing millions in fines, legal fees, and remediation

Health

HIPAA Compliance: Broken access control and injection vulnerabilities expose protected health information, resulting in penalties up to $1.5 million per violation category annually
Patient Privacy: Unauthorized access to patient records triggers breach notification requirements, class action lawsuits, and loss of patient trust in healthcare providers
Audit Requirements: Insufficient logging and monitoring fails HIPAA Security Rule audit requirements, demonstrating inadequate safeguards for electronic PHI

Government

Election Security: Injection attacks against voter registration and election systems undermine democratic processes and public trust in government institutions
Citizen Data Protection: Broken access control in benefits systems exposes tax information, social security numbers, and sensitive personal data of millions
FISMA Compliance: OWASP vulnerabilities in government systems fail FISMA requirements for federal information security and risk management

Education

FERPA Compliance: Broken access control allowing unauthorized access to student grades and transcripts violates FERPA, risking federal funding for institutions
Student Privacy: Data breaches exposing student social security numbers, financial information, and personal data trigger notification requirements and lawsuits
Academic Integrity: Authentication failures enable unauthorized access to online exam systems, compromising academic integrity and institutional accreditation

Technology & Saas

Multi-Tenant Security: SQL injection and broken access control in multi-tenant applications expose all customer data, destroying business viability and causing contract breaches
Enterprise Sales: Security questionnaires and vendor assessments require OWASP Top 10 compliance to win enterprise deals and government contracts
Supply Chain Security: Insecure CI/CD pipelines enable supply chain attacks injecting backdoors into software updates delivered to thousands of customers

Manufacturing

Intellectual Property: Broken access control exposes product designs, manufacturing processes, and trade secrets to industrial espionage and competitive threats
Production Continuity: Injection attacks manipulate inventory data disrupting just-in-time manufacturing and causing production shutdowns costing millions per day
OT Security: SSRF attacks pivot from web applications to internal operational technology networks, enabling disruption of factory operations and equipment

AI ASSURANCE PLATFORM

How Trusys Helps You

Comprehensive Security Assessments

Our platform conducts thorough evaluations of your AI applications against the OWASP Top 10 framework, identifying vulnerabilities in your application before attackers do.

Real World Attack Simulation

Real-world attack simulations that uncover security weaknesses across all OWASP categories, providing actionable remediation guidance.

Continous Analysis & Monitoring

Ongoing security monitoring and vulnerability management to ensure your applications remain protected as new threats emerge.

Compliance Support

Navigate regulatory requirements with confidence as we help align your security practices with industry standards and the OWASP framework.