Web application attacks target web-based applications in order to access sensitive data or use the application to launch attacks against users. Major types of web attacks include denial-of-service attacks which overload servers, web defacement which replaces websites, SSH brute force attacks to gain access credentials, cross-site scripting which injects malicious code, directory traversal outside protected areas, DNS hijacking which redirects to malicious sites, man-in-the-middle attacks which intercept connections, HTTP response splitting using protocol manipulation, ransomware which encrypts systems for payment, and SQL injection which passes malicious code to databases.