Best Practices for Application Security
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As part of the “Best Practices” series by Uplatz
Welcome to another essential installment of the Uplatz Best Practices series — securing the foundation of your digital business.
Today’s focus: Application Security — protecting applications from threats across the SDLC (Software Development Lifecycle).
🧱 What is Application Security?
Application Security involves identifying, fixing, and preventing vulnerabilities in application code, configurations, APIs, and deployment environments.
It spans:
- Secure coding practices
- Threat modeling
- Authentication and authorization
- Input validation
- Dependency management
- Runtime protection
✅ Best Practices for Application Security
Building secure applications means shifting left, automating protection, and instilling security into every line of code. Here’s how:
1. Shift Security Left
🔁 Integrate Security in Dev from Day One
🧪 Run Static Analysis (SAST) Early in CI/CD
🛠 Use Pre-commit Hooks for Secret Scanning
2. Follow Secure Coding Standards
📘 Adopt OWASP Top 10 and CWE Guidelines
🔐 Validate All Inputs — Never Trust the Client
🔒 Avoid Using Hardcoded Secrets or Tokens
3. Use Strong Authentication & Authorization
🔑 Implement Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
🛂 Use Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)
🔁 Apply Principle of Least Privilege in APIs and UIs
4. Secure Third-Party Dependencies
📦 Use Dependency Scanners (e.g., Snyk, OWASP Dependency-Check)
📅 Update Libraries Regularly
⚠️ Avoid Abandoned or Unmaintained Packages
5. Protect Against Injection Attacks
🚫 Use Prepared Statements for SQL Queries
🔍 Sanitize and Validate Inputs on Server Side
🧪 Test for Command Injection, XSS, CSRF, etc.
6. Secure API Endpoints
🔐 Use API Keys, OAuth2, or JWT for Auth
📏 Rate Limit and Throttle Endpoints
📜 Document APIs Clearly and Keep Private APIs Hidden
7. Encrypt Data Everywhere
🔒 Use TLS 1.2+ for All Data in Transit
🗄 Encrypt Sensitive Fields in Databases
🔐 Rotate Encryption Keys Periodically
8. Log and Monitor for Security Events
📋 Log Auth Failures, Input Errors, Access Patterns
📊 Use SIEM Tools or Cloud Monitoring (e.g., Datadog, Splunk)
🔔 Set Alerts for Suspicious Activity
9. Perform Regular Security Testing
🧪 Use Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST)
🏹 Conduct Penetration Testing at Least Quarterly
🧰 Simulate Attacks Using Bug Bounty Platforms or Red Teams
10. Keep Secrets Out of Code
🚫 Never Store Secrets in Git, Docker Images, or Logs
🔐 Use Secret Managers (e.g., HashiCorp Vault, AWS Secrets Manager)
🔁 Rotate Keys and Tokens Frequently
💡 Bonus Tip by Uplatz
The cost of a vulnerability multiplies as it moves down the SDLC.
Empower your dev teams with tools, knowledge, and ownership of security.
🔁 Follow Uplatz to get more best practices in upcoming posts:
- Secure API Design
- DevSecOps Pipelines
- Secure CI/CD Architectures
- Threat Modeling for Developers
- Zero Trust in Application Layers
…and 40+ more in software architecture, security, and cloud-native engineering.