What is Power Pages?
Power pages can be described as a low-code SaaS (Software as a service) platform that is enterprise-grade to create, host, and administer rich external websites for businesses. Using the power pages, non-coders, as well as professionals from organizations or governments, can create customized external business web applications easily, quickly, and fluently. Such applications can be used by the organization’s partners, customers, internal users, and community users.
Power pages has three advantages: protection, control, and security. Due to this, makers can outspread the business process and data to external users firmly while ensuring compliance. Power pages is a low-code application platform that is trusted by several entities. All the business data is secure and safe with Microsoft Dataverse. Capabilities of Power Automate, Power Apps, Power BI, Power Virtual Agents, and Microsoft SharePoint can be easily integrated with Power Pages.
Why do Power Pages stand out?
The world is advancing into digital transformation at an extraordinary pace. Cloud solutions are the latest working module where all digital technologies merge. As cloud solutions are scaling, it is crucial that entities are more concerned about security, compliance, and governance. The most common concern that has arisen with cloud computing is the security of business data.
According to Gartner, by 2025; the chance of Security Breaches for Critical Infrastructure organizations is around 30%. Organizations are on the lookout for cloud-native, Defense-in-Depth (DiD) strategies in order to protect their applications and business data.
Low code application development and digital transformations with rapid enterprise deployment should not have to be at odds. Since Power Pages is built on Microsoft Azure and is part of Microsoft’s Power Platform, it can protect even the most sensitive data. It also has an integration of Microsoft 365’s most advanced information and compliance tools.
Power pages has a ‘Zero Trust’ security approach as it has the premonition that any activity on the platform, even by the trusted users could be the act of attempted breach of security. Therefore, every activity is explicitly verified with the help of a robust authorization model. Enterprises can entrust Power Pages with their most sensitive data as it allows the Least Privilege Access Model. Power Pages platform follows Defense-in-Depth, Secure by Design, and Secure by Default approach while building, deploying, and managing the application.
Some of the core challenges that Power pages address while delivering end-to-end protection:
- Authentication
- Authorization
- Data Storage
- Application Security
- Governance
In this blog, we will learn the Defense-in-depth approach that uses the best of Microsoft’s and Power Platform’s security stack that proffer end-to-end enterprise-level security, protection, and controls for its clients. Further, how Power Pages mitigates OWASP Top 10 security risks and its capabilities are also explained.
How Defense-in-Depth in Power Pages work?
The main goal of the defense-in-depth approach is to protect the data whilst restricting unauthorized access or threat. To prevent such actions, Power Pages’ Defense-in-Depth strategy combines the security of seven layers that can reduce the probability of security breaches. Creators and administrators can govern and control their data and sites with hardened security. Let’s check out the seven layers of protection that allow Power Page to act as a Defense-in-Depth platform.
1) Physical Security
As mentioned earlier, Power Pages operate on Azure App Service which is a cloud infrastructure to host applications. Azure App Service has arduous compliance and security levels. Azure data centers are managed by Microsoft itself which makes unauthorized personnel to have access to data nearly impossible.
2) Identity and Access
Power Pages has a security model set up on Authorization and Authentication mechanisms that can protect the identities and access of users. ‘Microsoft Identity Platform’ framework is used for authentication which can offer Identity-as-a-service and implements authorization and authentication as per the standard industry protocols. Web Roles, Table Permissions, and Page Permissions can be configured as per the access that is to be permitted.
3) Perimeter
To dodge the volumetric attacks, protocol attacks, and application attacks, Power Pages use Azure’s DDoS (Distributed denial of service) protection that includes always-on traffic and concurrent mitigation of basic network-level attacks.
4) Network
One distinguished feature offered by Power pages is that Web Application Firewall can be configured by admins. It will safeguard the system from potential exploits and vulnerabilities including the OWASP Top 10 security mitigations. It sits on the edge of the network while providing centralized protection. Power Pages also have Turnkey Configurations that can enable Azure WAF.
5) Compute
To protect the computing and infrastructure, Power Pages has in-built Azure Virtual Machines, storage, network connections, web frameworks, management, and integration features as it runs on the Azure App service. Microsoft Defender for Cloud is natively incorporated with Azure App Services and monitors threats from the fundamental resources.
6) Application
At the application layer, multiple controls and configurations are provided that empower makers as well as admins to strengthen security. Multiple options such as authorization/authentication, managed application identity, HTTPs only, and HTTP Security headers are applicable which can make the Power Pages, a robust platform.
7) Data
The critical task of Power Pages is to protect data. It can be said that protecting data is a multi-layered process that involves pertinent data management. Microsoft Dataverse is used to store all business data where data is always encrypted at both ends.
OWASP Top 10 Risks: Mitigations in Power Pages
Open Web Application Security Project ®, also known as OWASP is a non-profit organization that works for the betterment of software security. It is a community-driven foundation that has hundreds of chapters globally with more than a million members. The OWASP Top 10 is a general awareness document that depicts the most critical security threats pertaining to web applications. It is important to note how Power Pages can mitigate OWASP Top 10 security risks by proffering key capabilities as well as control by default.
1) Broken Access Control
Broken Access Control leaves the web application susceptible to attackers. They could access, modify, or delete any data or content by unauthorized means. Even the administration of the web application could also be taken over by attackers. Power Pages use the Five layers of Application security to protect and control mechanisms.
- Least Privileges Access
- Governance Controls
- Secure by default
- Secure Access via Authentication
- Authorization and Access Control
2) Cryptographic Failures
Cryptographic breaches expose vital or confidential business data, making applications subject to data leak security vulnerabilities. Microsoft business cloud services and all its products use encryption to defend customer data. Power Pages with Microsoft Dataverse ensure that customer data either in transit or at rest is always encrypted with the means of the highest industry standard encryption procedures.
3) Injection
An injection is an attack in which the attacker attempts to send data to the application in a way that the meaning of the commands for the interpreter changes. To prevent injections, Power Pages use the best industry standard methodologies. The product development of Power Pages follows Microsoft’s standard SDLC patterns which consist of a full Software Development Cycle review every 6 months across the entire project.
4) Insecure Design
Insecure design is a vast category that involves multiple weaknesses that are in regard to missing or ineffective control design. Culture and methodology are two core principles on which Power Pages is built. Using Microsoft’s breakthrough Security Development Lifecycle (SDL) and Threat Modeling practices, culture and methodology are constantly reinforced. SDL frequently evaluates risks and makes sure that code is strongly designed and tested to dodge the attack strategies. The Threat Modeling review procedure ensures that risks identified during the design stage are mitigated as well as validated intermittently.
5) Security Misconfiguration
Security Misconfigurations happen when attackers try to exploit unpatched flaws and access default accounts, unprotected files and directories, unused pages, etc. to obtain unsolicited knowledge or access of the application. Power Pages uses multiple ways to be secure against Security Misconfigurations. Power Pages use the ‘Secure by Default’ approach to ensure that new feature or capability does not compromise the application security. Since Power Pages run on the Azure Platform as a Service (PaaS), Microsoft Defender protects the hosting architecture and monitors applications for a huge variety of attacks.
6) Vulnerable and Outdated Components
Microsoft’s SDL practices have been adapted by Power Pages. Therefore, it is able to manage open-source as well as third-party components/libraries. Maintaining the whole inventory, keeping libraries and components up-to-date, performing security analyses, and aligning all the components with tried and tested security measures.
7) Identification and Authentication Failures
To counter the attacks against the confirmation of users’ identity, session management, and authentication, Power Pages has the support of Microsoft’s Identity Platform that offers unique integration with Azure Active Directory (AD). Azure AD and Azure AD B2C allow Power Pages to permit security features for legitimate users.
8) Software and Data Integrity Failures
When the code and infrastructure integrity violations happen, it can be termed as Software and Data Integrity Failures. Using the power of Microsoft’s Component Governance process, managed repositories enforce robust configuration of package source files to retain the integrity of software.
9) Security Logging and Monitoring Failures
A crucial way to detect, escalate and respond to active security threats are logging and monitoring. Leverage Audit Logging capabilities of Power Pages so customers can avert Security logging failures. Use Azure Application Insights for advanced monitoring, performance insights, and diagnostics.
10) Server Side Request Forgery
Whenever any web application is fetching the remote resource without authenticating user supplied URL, SSRF flaw transpires. Power Page escape from such threats by:
- Imposing URL schema
- Authenticating and sanitizing user inputs and liquid request objects.
- Eluding sending raw response body from the server side to the client.
Conclusion
Power Pages provides a variety of security protocols and tools for developing safe externally facing apps. Its Defense-in-depth features secure application & business data across seven layers. Power Pages assists clients in mitigating OWASP Top 10 Web Security risks by offering fundamental security abilities and controls by default, as well as configurations and tools that administrators and developers may use to strengthen and reinforce security for their Power Pages sites.
To comprehend the competencies of Power Pages in depth, reach out to the DynaTech Systems team at sales@dynatechconsultancy.com now!
