Let‘s have a real chat about locking down the security of your Drupal website.
With great flexibility comes great responsibility! Drupal‘s modular open source design allows phenomenal customization…it also opens the door to potential disaster if you don‘t proactively protect yourself.
Hackers take advantage of vulnerabilities to penetrate sites, inject malware, steal data and derail businesses. I‘ll show you the exact tools to hunt down weak spots so you can fix them ASAP.
Why Website Security Matters
Cybercrime inflicted $6 trillion in damages last year alone. Over 4 billion records were breached across thousands of attacks like these:
- Panera Bread – 37 million customer records stolen
- Facebook – Data scrape exposing info for 87 million users
- British Airways – 380,000 transactions compromised
And those only made headlines because they were massive corporations. Countless smaller sites face threats daily.
1 in 4 businesses lose customers after a breach. 60% go out of business within 6 months. You simply can‘t risk it in today‘s environment.
This is precisely why integrating a Drupal scanner into your technology stack is so crucial…
Vulnerabilities Abound in Drupal Sites
Drupal powers 1.4% of all websites with widespread use across:
- Media publishers – Warner Music, NBC Sports
- Universities – Harvard, Stanford, MIT
- Technology – Tesla, AMD, Intel
- Government agencies – WhiteHouse.gov, Data.gov
Its content management superpowers make building complex sites a breeze. But with added functionality comes security growing pains.
The most common Drupal threats include:
Outdated Modules
Contributed plugins expand capabilities exponentially. Doesn‘t help when they contain vulnerabilities allowing remote code execution, SQL injection and more.
And with over 44,000 free modules in the wild, keeping everything updated is nearly impossible without automation.
Misconfigurations
Improper error reporting, open permissions to sensitive files, and other config issues open backdoors for attackers.
Password Guessing
Using weak credentials or failing to lockdown admin login pages leads to brute force attacks.
Web Server Flaws
PHP settings, web server hardening and SSL implementation problems expose sites to injection and sniffing.
Themes / Custom Code
Hackers probe custom visual stylesheets, site templates and other business logic for logical vulnerabilities.
These lead to defacements, data theft, hiked hosting fees from resource overload…and plenty of other headaches.
The best offense is utilizing a Drupal vulnerability scanner so you know exactly where gaps exist.
Choosing the Right Drupal Security Scanner
With new threats constantly emerging, Drupal security requires vigilance. Automated scanners provide 24/7 watchdogs to catch issues proactively.
But not all scanners are created equal. Here are key factors to evaluate:
Detection Accuracy
Minimizing false positives and false negatives ensures you focus attention on real problems.
User-Friendliness
Prioritized findings, visual dashboards, and step-by-step fixes simplify remediation.
Custom Reporting
Cater scanning and alerts to particular vulnerabilities impacting your stack.
Breadth of Checks
Probe configurations, web apps, themes/modules, permissions, passwords, and more.
Up-to-Date Signatures
New Drupal threats emerge daily. Scanners must update accordingly.
I‘ll break down 6 scanners that meet the above criteria (and where they differentiate) so you can determine the best fit.
Top 6 Drupal Vulnerability Scanners
1. Pentest-Tools
Pentest-Tools offers one of the most comprehensive options specifically focused on Drupal.
It digs into plugins, configurations, web server settings – isolating missteps attackers could leverage to breach sites.
I like how findings get displayed based on severity levels for risk analysis. Reports outline practical steps to resolve issues based on best practices.
Top features:
- 4500+ vulnerability checks including latest exploits
- Scans backups for sensitive data exposure
- Unlimited rescans to confirm fix worked
- Integrates with DevOps and SDLC workflows
Pricing
| Plans | Sites Supported | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | Up to 5 | $99/month |
| Professional | Up to 20 | $199/month |
| Enterprise | Unlimited | Custom quote |
2. Sucuri
Sucuri takes an end-to-end approach beyond just scanning core Drupal code…
Their website firewall acts as the first line of defense evaluating all traffic behavioral patterns.
It blocks malicious requests like SQL injections before they even reach your stack. Machine learning instantly identifies emerging attack campaigns improving over time.
For anything that does slip through, run-time malware scanning provides the next layer catching stealthy additions like backdoors or credit card scrapers.
Sucuri also features activity audit trails, DDoS prevention, and auto IP blacklists to ban aggressive hosts.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Real-time threat alerting | Requires some domain configuration changes |
| Easy to deploy | No custom reporting capabilities |
| Free SiteCheck scanner | Limited detection of logical application flaws |
Pricing
Billed annually based on number of sites and specific protection needs
3. Astra
Astra takes an offensive perspective mimicking hacker behaviors to uncover logical Drupal vulnerabilities.
Their web app scanner crawls sites dynamically manipulating inputs to expose flaws like:
- SQL Injection
- Cross-Site Scripting
- Broken Authentication
- Sensitive Data Exposure
- Improper Access Controls
It launches over 1250 penetration style tests across plugins, themes, security misconfigurations – beyond just known CVEs.
A dashboard visualizes problem areas with action plans for confirming and resolving each weakness. Findings integrate into collaboration tools to align security into existing workflows.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Aligns with compliance standards (PCI DSS, HIPAA) | No defenses beyond scanning / need firewall too |
| Manual verification of critical bugs | Requires formal kickoff process |
| Ongoing management service available |
Pricing
Customized based on specific testing requirements
4. Detectify
Detectify focuses specifically on securing CMS platforms. Their scanner is purpose-built to address Drupal‘s common pitfalls.
It checks for things like:
- Outdated modules/core
- Weak passwords
- Misconfigurations
- Information leakage
- Authentication bypass
The scanner maintains mappings between ~1000 specific Drupal vulnerabilities and corresponding detection scans.
Alerts provide straightforward explanations of how to investigate findings plus recommended modules/versions for remediating.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Usage-based pricing | Limited coverage of logical flaws |
| Slack integration | |
| Bulk rescanning to confirm fixes |
Pricing
| Plans | Max Scans | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | 20 | $249/month |
| Business | 75 | $795/month |
Volume discounts available.
5. Snyk
Snyk focuses on securing development pipelines by scanning infrastructure as code templates and dependencies.
Their scanner integrates directly into CI/CD building security testing into deployments early on.
It detects issues like:
- Outdated Drupal core
- Vulnerable plugin dependencies
- Insecure configurations
- Information disclosure risks
- Password policy problems
Findings appear directly within the IDE with links to upgrades and recommended fixes.
Rules can automatically halt unsafe builds until security requirements are met. This prevents vulnerabilities ever reaching production.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Developer-first workflows | Limited assessments of running infrastructure |
| Free for open source projects | Light support for regulatory standards |
| Fix pull requests to resolve findings |
Pricing
Usage-based model starting around $1/month with volume discounts available.
6. HTTPCS
HTTPCS offers scanning compliant with security standards like ISO 27001 and GDPR. This helps satisfy regulations in government, healthcare and other highly regulated industries.
It combines automated detection of issues like XSS and SQLi with manual review by security analysts. Findings prioritize by potential business impact.
You can monitor stats like web traffic, bot attacks and blacklistings over time to measure security posture. Granular permissions enable delegating access across large teams.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Aligns with legal/compliance demands | Requires formal setup process |
| Infrastructure integrity checks | Limited API integrations |
| Data leakage protection |
Pricing
Scales based on number of sites, testing needs and specific compliance requirements.
I hope this breakdown gives clarity for picking the right scanner matching your use case!
Now I‘ll share pro tips for interpreting results and fixing what you uncover…
Tuning Your Security Scanner for Maximum Impact
Enabling a Drupal security scanner takes your protection to the next level. But don‘t expect a silver bullet solving all problems permanently.
You need to customize testing to your requirements and commit responding to findings responsibly.
Define Scope
Work with your vendor to focus checks on top risks based on your tech stack, regulations and data sensitivity rather than getting overwhelmed with endless vulnerabilities.
Integrate into Workflows
Structure your SDLC around acting upon scanner findings so they get handled similarly to defects/bugs instead of getting ignored.
Confirm Remediations
Rescan sites once you‘ve patched issues to double check they‘re properly fixed and no backdoors still exist.
Layer in Other Defenses
Scanning complements other measures like:
- Firewalls to filter malicious requests
- VPNs protecting remote access
- Limiting server/db permissions to least privilege
Beyond Scanning: Proactive Hardening
While vulnerability management is crucial, don‘t wait around for disasters before acting.
Here are proactive best practices reducing your exposure:
- Document hardware/software assets so you know exactly what needs patching
- Sunset outdated plugins/modules/themes to minimize attack surface
- Enforce password complexity standards avoiding guessable logins
- Install only well-maintained modules with limited functionality
- Follow configuration guides hardening file permissions, PHP settings, etc
Refer to the Drupal Security Checklist for comprehensive hardening guidance.
Staying vigilant around the latest threats and corresponding upgrades is invaluable for sustainable security.
It‘s Time to Lockdown Your Website
I hope this painted a clear picture of the protections a Drupal security scanner delivers.
Sites leverage incredible modules/themes granting superpowers way beyond vanilla templates like WordPress. Don‘t relinquish the expansive functionality for security‘s sake!
Using the right tooling provides ongoing oversight catching vulnerabilities at inception – before devastation hits.
Take advantage of free trials available across services featured to gauge which fits your requirements. Combining scanning with robust hardening will help you rest easy as you grow your presence.
What other steps are you taking to secure sites beyond the basics? Share your tips below to help peers strengthen their resilience!
