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These include relying on strict transport security, displaying content in frames, and preventing Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) type from changing. This conveys enough information for the user to make a correction without giving too much away.Īdd HTTP response headers: An HTTP response header adds security that forces the user’s browser to take various actions.
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Use a message like “Invalid Input” instead. It tells the hacker that the name supplied was valid and reduces the amount of work the hacker must perform to gain access to the system. Keep error messages generic: Error messages such as “Password Invalid” provide too much information. Using a specially configured library like dotenv makes it possible to load and store environment variables in a secure manner. Keep secrets secret: Storing sensitive information like database connection strings and API keys in code is a bad idea. Validate user inputs: Node.JS is vulnerable to injection-based attacks, so it’s essential to verify that the user is sending data, and not an executable script. In fact, NPM comes with a wealth of commands. Set package access levels: One of the reasons to install a package manager like NPM is to control who can access packages and how they do so.
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Basically, the reverse proxy receives the user request, vets it to ensure the request is valid, and only then passes it to the Node.JS application. Use a reverse proxy: A reverse proxy is a specialized kind of web server that makes it possible to do things like limit the number of requests a Node.JS application can receive. The best practice is to use a tool such as Okta or OAuth for authentication. Use strong authentication: The first line of defense for your application is to ensure that the user is not a hacker. Instead, run Node.JS with only the rights needed for the specific application in question. Running code as the root user means the hacker has a valuable resource to break everything else down. This list provides basic steps you can use to make your instance of Node.JS more secure:ĭo not run Node.JS as the root user: Assume that a hacker gains access to your system.
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Installing Node.JS without following best practices is an open invitation to hackers. Node.JS provides a powerful scripting engine that could be misused by others. You can find the procedure for working with NVM here. This is so it can test scripts using multiple Node.JS versions. The Node Version Manager supports multiple versions of Node.JS on a single system. The output should display version 9.5.1 or above.
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