If you’re developing software, you know the importance of keeping users safe from malicious hackers and other threats. This includes customers who have entrusted you with sensitive data, as well as your employees whose personal information might be exposed to the world if you don’t adequately protect it. Of course, this level of security can also be important when you’re not concerned with users in general but only certain individuals, such as when it comes to various levels of company executives or corporate employees. No matter what kind of web application you’re creating, these tips from dev-academy.com will help keep it safe from hackers.

Start By Assessing Web Security Risks

Assessing your web security risks is a great first step in building your application’s defense. Once you know what types of attacks are possible, you can identify specific vulnerabilities and start mitigating them. That said, there are plenty of tools out there that aim to help with these steps. Many developers rely on open source libraries that were vetted by security professionals when writing their applications, which helps prevent issues at that level. There are also tons of options for web application firewalls (WAFs) that sit between applications and their users, filtering out bad requests before they get through. Those who work with third-party software might find value in data loss prevention (DLP) solutions designed specifically for cloud-based apps.

Stay Updated

One of your best defenses against hackers is to stay up-to-date on security news and vulnerabilities. If you don’t already have a Google Alert for [name of your app] security, you should start using one immediately. As soon as there are significant updates in a popular library, find out what they are and how they affect your application. If a vulnerability was just announced that could impact a key part of your application, schedule time during the next sprint or backlog grooming session to address it—or decide that fixing it doesn’t have enough impact or effort to be worth prioritizing in any given sprint. Find an approach that works for you and stick with it, but make sure you take action when necessary.

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Easy-to-guess passwords will get your application hacked. Developers need to ensure that they’re not using easy-to-guess passwords in their applications, or they’ll be opening themselves up for a serious security breach. The easiest way for developers and IT professionals to avoid such attacks is simply by ensuring their passwords are strong enough—at least 12 characters with upper and lower case letters, numbers, and symbols—and aren’t reused. Additionally, consider using a password manager like LastPass or Dashlane for added protection. You can then use these same strong passwords across all of your accounts and never have to worry about forgetting them again.

Every time you create a new account for a web service, be sure to use a strong password. Strong passwords include a mix of letters, numbers and symbols and aren’t easily guessed. Use an application such as 1Password or LastPass to generate secure passwords or check out Google’s guide on how to come up with great passwords. Never reuse passwords across multiple services—once hackers get your password from one site, they can try it on other sites until they get in. In some cases, simple phishing attacks allow hackers into accounts without even requiring any actual password cracking.

Use Two-Factor Authentication

While there are many ways to secure a web application, you should make sure two-factor authentication is turned on for any site that holds important information. Two-factor authentication adds another layer of security by making it much harder for hackers to break into your site, even if they’ve somehow figured out your password. The best part? Two-factor authentication is fairly easy and straightforward for users too. Be sure to turn it on!

Encrypt Sensitive Data

As a developer, you’re in a unique position to ensure your users’ personal information is protected. Just because you don’t see it doesn’t mean it isn’t there. Check your web application for unencrypted user data—things like credit card numbers and social security numbers—and make sure they are properly encrypted before being sent off or stored on a disk. If someone does get access to that information, you want them stuck decrypting it rather than browsing through your database searching for sensitive data they can sell on dark web markets.

More about the safety of web apps

Application security refers to a set of processes that seek to ensure that all of an application’s resources are both safe and accessible only by authorized individuals. With a little bit of extra time and effort, you can build a site that is secure from outside interference, inside attacks and malicious bots. So how do you make sure your web app is as safe as possible? Here are some tips for dev-ing with safety in mind. These steps will help protect your personal data and keep your users happy

Common types of web application hackers

A good place to start with web application security is by looking at common types of hackers and how they might try and break into your web app. For example, a white hat hacker might try their hand at taking apart your code to find bugs, but they will do so in a controlled environment and usually want to work with you so that these bugs can be fixed. On the other hand, if someone wants access for malicious reasons (say, they want your users’ personal information), they will try their best to get in without getting caught. Make sure you protect your users against all threats: know what problems each type of hacker is most likely going after and why and come up with different strategies for protecting yourself from each threat.

Conclusion

Companies want software solutions. Companies also want security. But oftentimes, these two things are at odds with each other. That’s where DevSecOps comes in. DevSecOps is a software development practice which focuses on making developers aware of security issues when they write code so that less vulnerabilities can slip through your system and end up in production. It’s an important practice for companies looking to stay secure while still leveraging new technologies like NodeJS and AngularJS.