Security by Design
APIs are the backbone of modern web apps, and a prime target for attackers. Security cannot be an afterthought; it must be baked in.
Best Practices
1. Rate Limiting
Prevent DoS attacks and brute-forcing by limiting requests per IP using express-rate-limit.
2. Input Validation
Never trust user input. Use libraries like zod or joi to strictly validate payload schemas.
3. Helmet & Headers
Set secure HTTP headers (HSTS, CSP, X-Frame-Options) automatically with helmet.
4. JWT Handling
Don’t store sensitive data in JWTs. Use short-lived access tokens and secure, httpOnly cookies for refresh tokens.
Conclusion
Building secure APIs requires vigilance. By leveraging middleware and following standard protocols, we can significantly reduce the attack surface.