What are the primary defenses against injection techniques?

The primary defenses against injection techniques focus on preventing malicious input from being processed in a way that can compromise systems. Input validation ensures that any data being received by an application meets specific criteria, rejecting potentially harmful inputs that could exploit vulnerabilities. Secure coding practices involve adhering to guidelines that prevent the creation of code susceptible to injection attacks, such as SQL injection or cross-site scripting. Additionally, patching is crucial, as it involves updating applications and systems to fix known vulnerabilities that could be exploited through injection methods.

In contrast, encryption and decryption primarily protect the confidentiality of data rather than prevent injection attacks directly. Firewalls and VPNs serve as barriers to unauthorized access but do not specifically address the risks posed by potentially harmful inputs and code. User authentication protocols are important for verifying identities but do not prevent injection vulnerabilities in applications or databases. Therefore, focusing on input validation, secure coding practices, and patching is essential in mitigating the risk of injection techniques.