Software is increasingly becoming an integral part of modern businesses. The increasing demand for software means that developers have to work incredibly hard to keep up. Businesses are requiring faster application delivery while web development grows more complicated. For instance, with tight deadlines, web developers have to build applications that can adapt to any device, integrate with other services, and port to any platform. On top of that, they must create applications that can withstand increasingly complex attacks. 

The problem is that with the growing demand and changing requirements, web developers often find it hard to keep up. Some development aspects tend to be overlooked, and security is a major culprit. While security is increasingly becoming an important part of development, most web developers are not following some basic security principles. Consequently, there are numerous applications with serious security vulnerabilities. This article seeks to outline important security guidelines every web developer should follow.

1. Implement security testing

With hackers inventing new techniques everyday, security testing is necessary to enhance the security of your web application. The objective of web application security testing is to find out how vulnerable an application may be and establish whether its resources and data are protected from potential attacks. Learn more about testing here. 

2. Know what you should protect

An important security principle every web developer should follow is only storing the data they need. To establish which data you should store, ask yourself how much it would hurt the company or the client if the data was compromised. There is really no need to store sensitive customer data such as their credit card numbers and addresses. 

3. Encrypt sensitive user data

If you must store any sensitive information in your database, ensure it is encrypted. Storing unencrypted data in your database can easily land you and your company in hot water. You don't want to lose customers' sensitive data because you kept it in plain text in your database. Encrypting sensitive data is even more crucial in shared hosting environments or large companies, since not everyone with access to the data can be trusted to not exploit it. 

4. Make use of a VPN

A reliable VPN connection can help to safeguard your clients' data as well as your assets. If a hacker gets hold of your IP address, they can easily hack your device or plant malware. This is a big risk for web developers, as they have a lot of assets to protect, including custom designs, applications, and frameworks among others. If they get into the wrong hands, they can compromise the integrity of the application you are building. A good VPN provides advanced encryption protocols to protect against this. 

Additionally, depending on the website you are working on, you may have access to crucial client data, which can be devastating if it's compromised. Schematics, financial information, patent information, and a lot more can get into the wrong hands if you're not careful with your security. Masking your IP using a VPN eliminates the risk that this data faces.

5. Keep your software updated

When trying to gain access to your database, a cybercriminal will always try to exploit the path with the least resistance. In most cases, the path of least resistance is found in insecure and outdated software. To minimize the risk of being hacked, be sure to thoroughly patch and update your application. 

Another important thing you must do is to disable unused software. It is common to find companies with software linked to their systems that are not in use. If left unchecked, unused software provides an easy pathway for hackers. 

6. Apply the principle of least privileges

Sometimes, external attackers are not the biggest threat to your data. It may be an ill-informed end-user with several system privileges. By reducing user privileges, you minimize the risk of security mistakes from uneducated end-users. 

In every IT system or web application, it's prudent to give users only the privileges they really need as opposed to giving all users the same access level. The principle of least privileges keeps your system more secure by eliminating the risk of abuse by unqualified users. It also eliminates unprivileged users from the blame in case of a breach. 

7. Use server-side and client-side validation

For enhanced security, be sure to perform both server-side and client-side validation. Server-side validation helps to prevent malicious input, such as someone planting their code into your database. Client-side validation helps to prevent user mistakes such as forgetting a field or entering data incorrectly. 

8. Sanitize user input

There should never be direct communication between user input and the database. It should be sanitized and validated to enhance data integrity and prevent common attacks such as SQL injection. 

Endnote

The massive expansion of the internet hugely depends on web development and design. Web developers and designers handle lots of clients' sensitive data, and they are major targets for cybercriminals. The above security tips can prevent your web application from being an easy target for hackers.