(NIST: Gaithersburg, Maryland) -- The National Institute of Standards and Technology has released “Guidelines on Securing Public Web Servers,” which covers some of the latest threats to Web security, while reflecting general changes in Web technology that have taken place since the first version of the guide was published five years ago.

Web servers are the software programs that make information available over the Internet. They are often the most frequently targeted hosts on a computer network. Attackers gaining unauthorized access to a server may be able to change information on the site (e.g., defacing a Web page), access sensitive personal information, or install malicious software to launch further attacks. Recently emerging threats include “pharming,” in which people attempting to visit a Web site are redirected surreptitiously to a malicious site.

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