A Study of the Landscape of Security Issues, Vulnerabilities, and Defense Mechanisms in Web Based Applications

web application is application software that runs on a web server, unlike computer-based software programs that are run locally on the operating system of the device. Web applications are accessed by the user through a web browser with an active network connection. Their existence has been enabled in the contemporary era of the multifaceted World Wide Web (WWW), whose advancement to incorporate varied components and technologies has affected the consistent development of web applications. Currently, 4.66 billion people are active Internet users as Worldometer stated. However, according to the latest data breach report by IBM, the cost of a data breach in 2021 is US$ 4.24 million per incident on average, this is a 10% rise from the average cost in 2019 which was $3.86 million per incident on average. This paper discusses the diverse security issues, vulnerabilities, and defense mechanisms associated with web applications. The paper illuminates a comprehensive landscape on evolving and emerging web application vulnerabilities and reveals ways to attack, evade, and detect pattern mechanisms within all crucial web threats.