Cybersecurity Essentials for Developers
Security is Everyone's Responsibility
Security breaches can be devastating. Every developer needs to understand basic security principles to build safe applications.
Input Validation
Never trust user input. Validate and sanitize all data from users, APIs, and external sources to prevent injection attacks.
Authentication and Authorization
Use proven authentication libraries. Implement proper authorization checks. Don't roll your own crypto or authentication systems.
HTTPS Everywhere
Always use HTTPS for data transmission. Free certificates from Let's Encrypt make this easy and accessible.
Password Security
Use bcrypt or similar for password hashing. Implement multi-factor authentication. Enforce strong password policies.
SQL Injection Prevention
Use parameterized queries or ORMs. Never concatenate user input into SQL statements.
Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
Escape output when rendering user-generated content. Use Content Security Policy headers to limit script execution.
Dependency Management
Regularly update dependencies. Use tools like Snyk or Dependabot to identify vulnerable packages.
Sensitive Data
Never commit secrets to version control. Use environment variables or secret management tools like AWS Secrets Manager.
Security Headers
Implement security headers like X-Frame-Options, X-Content-Type-Options, and Strict-Transport-Security.
Regular Security Audits
Conduct regular security reviews and penetration testing. Stay informed about common vulnerabilities through OWASP.