IMPROVING PROTECTION MECHANISMS AGAINST OWASP TOP 10 VULNERABILITIES IN WEB APPLICATIONS

Web applications play a critical role in delivering digital services across various sectors; however, their increasing complexity has made them highly vulnerable to cyberattacks. Among the most significant security threats are those identified in the OWASP Top 10, which represent the most common and impactful vulnerabilities affecting web applications. This study focuses on identifying OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities and evaluating methods for improving protection mechanisms against these risks. The research employed a combination of static and dynamic application security testing techniques, supported by manual verification, to assess the security posture of selected web applications. The effectiveness of existing protection mechanisms was analyzed, and comparative results were used to identify common weaknesses and strengths in current security implementations. The findings indicate that injection vulnerabilities, broken authentication, and security misconfigurations remain prevalent, primarily due to insufficient secure coding practices and lack of continuous security monitoring. The study demonstrates that integrating automated security testing, secure development lifecycle principles, and consistent protection mechanisms significantly reduces vulnerability exposure. The results provide practical recommendations for enhancing web application security and support the adoption of proactive strategies to mitigate OWASP Top 10 risks.