The Security Aspects of Ajax

Security is an important part of Ajax that must be taken into consideration. While Ajax is the subject of a lot of hype, security is something that developers must look at carefully. This new technology is popular because of its ability to create pages which are highly dynamic and interactive. It has also been popularized because of its ability to generate pages that don’t need to be reloaded.

However, it has also been the subject of controversy due to its vulnerability to hackers. While the truth of this is up for debate, the issue of security is something that should be discussed, both by developers and companies that are interested in using Ajax for their web applications or websites.

The biggest problem with Ajax security is that it is hard to separate facts from myths. If this collection of technologies is to be successful on the web, myths must be replaced with facts. It should first be noted that Ajax is not the single most important factor in determining whether or not a website will be secure. However, you must have a knowledge of what it is responsible for. Ajax is a collection of technologies that are closely related to browsers. If a page is built with Ajax, the data in the background may be formatted with things such as XML or JavaScript. This information must be sent to the server. With applications such as Gmail, email messages which are new must be shown as they arrive instantly.

With applications such as Google Maps, the user may perform a mouse drag through street maps while not having to visit any more pages. The system which allows these data transfers to take place are software libraries that are embedded with objects that are called XMLHTTPRequest objects. It is this object that plays a role in a website truly using Ajax. Without it, the website can simply be called a fancy JavaScript site. As you read this, you may be wandering what it has to do with security. I mean after all, Ajax is supposed to make the web more interactive, correct? The answer to this question is yes. Nothing is altered on the web server, and this is where security is supposed to be present.

Now that you know this, you may be wandering what all the fuss is about. Many people have said that Ajax invites attacks, requests which are fake, and worst of all, a denial of service. However, it is important for people to realize that these issues existed long before the introduction of Ajax, and they will exist even if Ajax does not live up to all the hype. The most important security practices must be used whether you are utilizing Ajax or another technology. I’m primarily concerned with the issues that are the most important. All the evidence shows that Ajax is not responsible for large attack surfaces. The phrase "attack surface" is used to describe the process of analyzing the portions of the system that are most likely to be compromised.

In the case of software, these points are the places where data output and input can be altered by someone who is not authorized to do it. If your program has a small attack surface, it will be much easier to secure the system. If it has a large attack surface, it will be harder. With most web applications, the attack surface is heavily dependent on the programming that was used to create it. Whether or not the application uses Flash or Ajax is totally irrelevant.

Ajax is a technology that is closely related to web browsers. There is no need for it to be executed on the server. It should also be noted that many developers have said that Ajax is not more complicated than standard applications.

Believe it or not, Google Maps is much more simple that Craigslist, even though Google Maps is designed with Ajax. Just because something is designed with a new technology does not always mean it is more complex than existing technologies. In the case of web applications, this also doesn’t mean that it is less secure. Many Ajax applications are built on platforms that are much more secure than older technologies.