One of the best resources for secure coding practices is the Open Web Application Security Project ([[Open Worldwide Application Security Project|OWASP]]). OWASP provides a *regularly updated list of proactive controls* that is useful to review not only as a set of useful best practices, but also as a way to see how web application security threats change from year to year. Here are OWASP’s top proactive controls with brief descriptions: - **Define Security Requirements** Implement security throughout the development process. - **Leverage Security Frameworks and Libraries** Preexisting security capabilities can make securing applications easier. - **Secure Database Access** Prebuilt SQL queries to prevent injection and configure databases for secure access. - **Encode and Escape Data** Remove special characters. - **Validate All Inputs** Treat user input as untrusted and filter appropriately. - **Implement Digital Identity** Use multi-factor authentication, secure password storage and recovery, and session handling. - **Enforce Access Controls** Require all requests to go through access control checks, deny by default, and apply the principle of least privilege. - **Protect Data Everywhere** Use encryption in transit and at rest. - **Implement Security Logging and Monitoring** This helps detect problems and allows investigation after the fact. - **Handle all Errors and Exceptions** Errors should not provide sensitive data, and applications should be tested to ensure that they handle problems gracefully.