Security is critical for custom applications. Learn SOC 2 compliance, GDPR requirements, security best practices, and common vulnerabilities.
Security Requirements
Encryption: At rest (AES-256) and in transit (TLS 1.3). Protect sensitive data, user information, and API keys.
Authentication: OAuth 2.0, JWT tokens, multi-factor authentication, secure password storage (bcrypt, Argon2).
Authorization: Role-based access control (RBAC), principle of least privilege, API rate limiting, input validation.
Compliance Requirements
SOC 2 Type II: Security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, privacy. Annual audits required for B2B SaaS.
GDPR: Data protection for EU users, right to access/deletion, data portability, privacy by design, consent management.
HIPAA: Healthcare data protection, encryption requirements, access controls, audit logs, business associate agreements.
Security Best Practices
Input Validation: Validate and sanitize all inputs, use parameterized queries, prevent SQL injection, XSS protection.
Security Headers: Content-Security-Policy (CSP), Strict-Transport-Security (HSTS), X-Frame-Options, X-Content-Type-Options.
Regular Audits: Security audits quarterly, penetration testing annually, dependency scanning, vulnerability assessments.
Common Vulnerabilities
OWASP Top 10: Injection, broken authentication, sensitive data exposure, XML external entities, broken access control, security misconfiguration, XSS, insecure deserialization, using components with known vulnerabilities, insufficient logging.
Prevention: Input validation, secure authentication, encryption, proper access controls, security headers, regular updates.
Security by Default
Built-In: Security should be built-in from day one, not added later. Professional development includes security by default.
Cost: Adding security later costs 3-5x more than building it in initially. Security breaches cost millions.
Professional Development
Includes: Security from day one, SOC 2 compliance (Scale tier), GDPR compliance, regular security audits, penetration testing, security monitoring.