Input Validation definition in Cybersecurity

Input validation is a method to ensure that only properly formatted data may enter a workflow in an information system, guarding against malformed data and potentially malicious input.

Notable Incidents

1. The Heartbleed Bug, a serious vulnerability in the OpenSSL cryptographic software library, was indirectly related to improper input validation.
2. SQL injection attacks exploiting input validation flaws, such as the attack on TalkTalk in 2015.

How to Protect Your Network against Input Validation

1. Use a secure programming framework that automatically performs input validation.
2. Regularly update and patch all systems to protect against known vulnerabilities.