Inputs

Web Security Essentials: Preventing Common Attacks Web applications face many threats. Attackers look to steal data, disrupt services, or impersonate users. By understanding common tricks, you can design safer features from the start. Good security is a team effort, built into planning, development, and testing. Understanding common attacks SQL injection targets input that is used in database queries. Cross-site scripting (XSS) tricks the browser into running unsafe code. Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) uses a trusted user’s session to act on a site. Broken authentication and session management can let attackers pretend to be users. Insecure direct object references reveal data through predictable routes. Misconfigurations and weak defaults expose servers and data. Practical defenses you can apply Use parameterized queries and safe ORM methods to prevent SQL injection. Validate input and encode output, applying context-aware escaping for HTML, JavaScript, and URLs. Implement a strong Content Security Policy to limit where scripts come from. Prefer HttpOnly and Secure cookies; set SameSite to protect cookies from cross-site requests. Add anti-CSRF tokens to state-changing requests and verify them on the server. Enforce strong password policies and store hashes with modern algorithms like bcrypt or Argon2. Enable rate limiting and account lockout to slow brute-force attempts. Keep software, libraries, and plugins up to date; perform regular dependency checks. Use secure defaults and perform vulnerability testing as part of a secure development lifecycle. Safe development habits Include security reviews in code reviews and design discussions. Model threats during planning to spot risky features early. Automate security tests, including checks for input handling and session behavior. Avoid leaking debug information in production and log sensitive events safely. A quick scenario Imagine a login form. Use a real authentication flow, require strong passwords, rate-limit attempts, and store passwords with a strong hash. Validate inputs, protect cookies, and monitor for unusual activity. These steps make it much harder for attackers to succeed. ...

Secure Coding Practices for Developers Security should be built into software from the start. Small mistakes can create big gaps that attackers will try to use. By using clear, repeatable practices, you can make code safer without slowing your team. Validate and sanitize input Inputs come from users, devices, or other services. Validate them at the boundary and before processing. Use allowlists for type, length, format, and range. Reject data that does not meet the rules and provide safe defaults when needed. Normalize data early, then use it in later steps. For web-facing apps, encode output when you display it to prevent cross-site scripting. ...