Web Security Standards & Best Practices

Transport Layer Security (HTTPS/TLS)

HTTPS is Mandatory

All websites must use HTTPS encryption to protect user data in transit. HTTP-only sites are considered insecure by browsers and search engines.

TLS Certificate Requirements
  • TLS 1.2 minimum: TLS 1.3 recommended
  • Valid certificate: From trusted Certificate Authority
  • Proper configuration: No SSL/TLS vulnerabilities
  • Perfect Forward Secrecy: ECDHE key exchange
HTTPS Implementation
  • HSTS Headers: Enforce HTTPS connections
  • Redirect HTTP to HTTPS: Permanent redirects (301)
  • Secure cookies: Set Secure and SameSite flags
  • Mixed content: Eliminate HTTP resources

Essential Security Headers

HTTP security headers provide additional protection against common web attacks.

Content Security Policy (CSP)

Prevents XSS attacks by controlling which resources can be loaded:

Content-Security-Policy: default-src 'self'; script-src 'self' 'unsafe-inline'; style-src 'self' 'unsafe-inline'
HTTP Strict Transport Security

Forces HTTPS connections and prevents downgrade attacks:

Strict-Transport-Security: max-age=31536000; includeSubDomains
X-Frame-Options

Prevents clickjacking by controlling if page can be framed:

X-Frame-Options: DENY
X-Content-Type-Options

Prevents MIME sniffing attacks:

X-Content-Type-Options: nosniff
Security Header Testing

Use tools like SecurityHeaders.com or Mozilla Observatory to test your security header implementation.

Authentication & Authorization Security

Password Security Standards

NIST Guidelines
  • Minimum 8 characters for user passwords
  • 64+ character maximum to allow passphrases
  • No complexity requirements (multiple character types)
  • Check against breach databases (HaveIBeenPwned)
  • Salt and hash with bcrypt, scrypt, or Argon2
  • Rate limiting on login attempts

Multi-Factor Authentication

MFA Best Practices
  • TOTP preferred: Time-based one-time passwords
  • Hardware tokens: YubiKey, WebAuthn/FIDO2
  • App-based auth: Google Authenticator, Authy
  • SMS as fallback only: Vulnerable to SIM swapping
  • Recovery codes: Secure backup authentication
  • Risk-based auth: Device and location analysis

API Security Standards

API Protection Mechanisms

Authentication & Authorization
  • OAuth 2.0 / OpenID Connect: Industry standard for API access
  • JWT tokens: Stateless authentication with proper validation
  • API keys: Unique identifiers with proper rotation
  • Rate limiting: Prevent abuse and DoS attacks
Input Validation & Sanitization
  • Input validation: Validate all input parameters
  • SQL injection prevention: Parameterized queries
  • XSS prevention: Output encoding and CSP
  • CSRF protection: Anti-CSRF tokens
OWASP API Top 10
  1. Broken Object Level Authorization
  2. Broken User Authentication
  3. Excessive Data Exposure
  4. Lack of Resources & Rate Limiting
  5. Broken Function Level Authorization
  6. Mass Assignment
  7. Security Misconfiguration
  8. Injection
  9. Improper Assets Management
  10. Insufficient Logging & Monitoring

Data Protection & Encryption

Data at Rest
  • Database encryption: Encrypt sensitive data fields
  • File system encryption: Full disk encryption (LUKS, BitLocker)
  • Key management: Hardware Security Modules (HSM)
  • Backup encryption: Encrypt all backup data
Data in Transit
  • TLS 1.3: Latest encryption protocol
  • Certificate pinning: Prevent man-in-the-middle
  • VPN/IPSec: Secure internal communications
  • End-to-end encryption: For sensitive communications

Security Monitoring & Incident Response

Monitoring Requirements
  • Security logging: Authentication, authorization, data access
  • Intrusion detection: Monitor for attack patterns
  • Vulnerability scanning: Regular automated scans
  • Penetration testing: Annual third-party assessments
  • Security metrics: Track security KPIs
Incident Response
  • Response plan: Documented procedures
  • Notification requirements: Legal and regulatory
  • Forensic capabilities: Evidence collection and analysis
  • Recovery procedures: Business continuity planning
  • Post-incident review: Lessons learned and improvements
Security Implementation Checklist
Essential Security Controls
Advanced Security Measures

Strengthen Web Security Standards

Report security vulnerabilities and access resources to improve web security.

Report Security Issue Security Resources Standards Guide