One of the most common misconceptions about file upload network security is that certain tools are “enough” on their own, but that’s not the case. In our latest white paper, OPSWAT CEO and Founder Benny Czarny takes a comprehensive look at how to prevent malware threats in today’s ever-evolving file upload security landscape. A big part of that is understanding where the pitfalls are and how to avoid them. .
The first step in the process is understanding that three common tools or solutions are not enough on their own. Let’s explore this concept and take a closer look at better solutions.
Understand the challenges
Modern web applications are complex, connecting IT systems using the Internet to interact with critical OT systems, and leveraging various cloud providers and protocols. All of these systems transmit and store highly sensitive and valuable data in government, healthcare, power, finance and other critical sectors around the world and pose threats that can cause serious damage.
Protecting file uploads to detect and prevent malware infiltration is critical. As threat vectors grow and attack surfaces expand, securing these sectors becomes critical. That’s why establishing and enforcing a solid and proven security strategy is critical moving forward.
tools of trade
One tool alone is not enough. Here are three commonly used tools that, when used alone to protect file uploads, do not provide adequate protection, and why this happens:
1. Anti-malware file scanning
everyone is familiar As with anti-malware, not all anti-malware engines or scan modes are the same. Interestingly, there is still a big confusion in efficiency when it comes to “always-on” real-time protection that monitors the entire system versus static file scanning strategies that need to be run manually or scheduled. The effectiveness of real-time scanning is close to 100%, while in comparison, the effectiveness of static scanning is significantly lower, ranging between 6-76%. To avoid a false sense of security, organizations must know exactly what to expect with each deployment model.
2. Web Application Firewall
Many experts believe that malicious file uploads can be prevented by installing a Web Application Firewall (WAF). This is not the case because web application firewalls primarily protect against application layer (OSI Layer 7) attacks. They are not specifically designed to prevent malware infections that may target other layers or spread through different channels, such as email attachments or removable media. Additionally, they struggle with encrypted traffic (such as https) and often rely on a single anti-malware solution for threat detection.
3. Sandbox
Sandboxing is a technology originally used to analyze malware by isolating and executing suspicious files in a controlled environment to understand their behavior and detect potential signs of malware. When used alone, sandboxes face limitations such as weaknesses in advanced time-based evasion techniques that obfuscate or delay malicious activity and environment-specific triggers in adaptive malware. They are resource-intensive, prone to false positives and negatives, and provide limited coverage against file-based malware.
Defense in depth network security
So, if you can’t rely on these methods alone, what’s the answer? This is one of the areas where OPSWAT has continued to innovate over the past 20 years. Our MetaDefender platform uses market-leading and globally trusted technology to form an easy-to-deploy, engineer-integrated, defense-in-depth network security strategy to ensure secure file uploads.
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| Multi-Scan: Utilizes over 30 of the world’s best antivirus engines to detect nearly 100% of threats |
Multiple scan
Since the effectiveness of a single anti-malware solution for static analysis ranges from 6% to 76%, we decided to integrate multiple commercial solutions into our solution and benefit from their combined power. With over 30 leading anti-malware engines working simultaneously, our efficiency is close to 100% while optimized for speed.
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| Deep Content Disassembly and Reconstruction: Clean, block, and delete archive objects and regenerate secure copies |
Deep Content Disarmament and Reconstruction (Deep CDR)
To further strengthen our defenses, we have pioneered a unique approach called Deep Content Disassembly and Reconstruction (Deep CDR). Won SE laboratory AAA, 100% protection rating, Our unique technology provides comprehensive prevention-based security for file uploads by neutralizing potential threats before they can cause damage. It evaluates and verifies file type and consistency, and validates file extensions to prevent masquerading and alerts organizations if they are under attack. It then separates the file into discrete components, removes potentially harmful objects and reconstructs usable files, rebuilding metadata and retaining all archive characteristics.
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| Proactive data loss prevention: Reduce alert fatigue by redacting sensitive data |
Proactive Data Loss Prevention (Proactive DLP)
OPSWAT’s Active Data Loss Prevention (DLP) module was developed to address the growing concerns about compliance and regulatory, data breaches, and risks associated with file uploads. Our solutions detect and protect sensitive information in a variety of file types, including text, images and video-based patterns.
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| Adaptive Sandbox: Adaptive threat analysis technology enables zero-day malware detection and captures more indicators of compromise. |
Instant adaptive sandbox
To overcome the limitations of traditional sandboxes, OPSWAT developed a unique simulation-based sandbox with adaptive threat analysis capabilities. By combining this with our multi-scan and deep CDR technology, it provides a comprehensive, multi-layered approach to malware detection and prevention. Our simulation-based approach can quickly deobfuscate and dissect the most complex, state-of-the-art, context-aware malware in under 15 seconds.
What’s next?
These are just some of the technologies that power the MetaDefender platform. As well as the mods detailed in this article, there are many more that are purpose-built to meet a variety of use cases and needs for critical infrastructure protection. Just like the threat landscape around us, we are driving innovation to address the latest threats and stay ahead of the curve.
We encourage you to read the entire white paper here, and when you’re ready to see why OPSWAT is a key benefit for file upload network security, contact one of our experts for a free demo.
