How do you secure your web applications before and after deployment?

1 Choose a secure framework

One of the first decisions you need to make is what framework or platform you will use to build your web application. Choosing a secure framework can save you time and effort, as it will provide you with built-in features and tools to handle common security issues, such as authentication, encryption, validation, and error handling. Some examples of secure frameworks are Django, Laravel, Express, and Rails. However, you still need to keep your framework updated and follow its documentation and guidelines.

2 Implement secure coding practices

It is essential to follow secure coding practices throughout the development process in order to avoid or fix vulnerabilities in your code. These techniques and standards include using parameterized queries or prepared statements to prevent SQL injection, escaping and sanitizing user input and output to prevent cross-site scripting, implementing strong and hashed passwords with multi-factor authentication to prevent broken authentication, using HTTPS and SSL/TLS certificates to encrypt data in transit and prevent man-in-the-middle attacks, validating and limiting file uploads and downloads to prevent malicious files and code execution, using secure libraries and dependencies and updating them regularly to prevent exploits, testing and debugging your code, as well as using tools such as scanners, analyzers, and linters to detect and fix vulnerabilities.

4 Maintain and update your application

The security of your web application does not end with deployment; you must maintain and update it regularly to keep it secure and functional. This includes performing backups, audits, patches, and upgrades as needed and staying abreast of the latest security trends and standards. To do this, you should back up your data and code frequently and store them in a secure location. Additionally, audit your application periodically to check for any vulnerabilities, errors, or changes. Patch your code and dependencies promptly when new updates or fixes become available, upgrade your framework, platform, server, and tools to the latest versions and features, and review your security policies and procedures to ensure they are up-to-date. By following these steps, you can secure your web applications before and after deployment while reducing the risk of cyberattacks and data breaches. Security is an ongoing process that requires constant attention and improvement; thus, you should always strive to learn more about web security best practices and apply them to your web development projects.