When building applications with Node.js, security should be a top priority. Below are key practices to secure your server and protect user data:

1. Input Validation 🔍

Always validate and sanitize user inputs to prevent attacks like XSS (Cross-Site Scripting) or SQL Injection.

Input Validation

Use libraries like express-validator or sanitize-html for robust validation.
[Learn more about secure coding practices → /en/tutorials/secure_coding_practices]

2. Secure HTTP Headers 📜

Set proper headers to mitigate common vulnerabilities:

  • Content-Security-Policy (CSP) to restrict resource loading
  • X-Content-Type-Options to prevent MIME-type sniffing
  • X-Frame-Options to avoid clickjacking attacks
Security Headers

3. Dependency Management 📦

Keep dependencies up-to-date to avoid known vulnerabilities:

  • Use npm audit to check for security issues
  • Automate updates with tools like npm-check
Dependency Management

4. HTTPS and SSL/TLS 🔒

Enforce HTTPS for all communications:

  • Use https module for secure connections
  • Regularly update SSL/TLS certificates
HTTPS Security

5. Error Handling 🚨

Avoid exposing sensitive information in error responses:

  • Use generic error messages in production
  • Log errors securely (e.g., to a database or external service)
Error Handling

For deeper insights, check our guide on Node.js security in production. 🌐