Web Security Best Practices for Developers

Security should be a priority from day one. Here are essential practices every developer should follow.

Authentication & Authorization

Use Strong Password Policies

• Minimum length requirements
• Complexity requirements
• Password hashing (bcrypt, Argon2)

Implement Multi-Factor Authentication

Add an extra layer of security beyond passwords.

Secure Session Management

• Use secure, httpOnly cookies
• Implement proper session timeouts
• Regenerate session IDs after login

Data Protection

Encrypt Sensitive Data

• Use HTTPS everywhere
• Encrypt data at rest
• Secure API communications

Input Validation

• Validate all user inputs
• Sanitize data before processing
• Use parameterized queries

Prevent Common Attacks

• SQL Injection: Use prepared statements
• XSS: Escape output, use Content Security Policy
• CSRF: Implement tokens
• Clickjacking: Use X-Frame-Options

Infrastructure Security

Keep Dependencies Updated

Regularly update libraries and frameworks to patch vulnerabilities.