Modern Web Development Security Best Practices

@fredoyetayo|September 20, 2020 (5y ago)478 views

Security should never be an afterthought. In today's digital world, web developers must take security seriously from the very beginning of any project. With cyber threats increasing daily, the responsibility to build secure websites lies in the hands of developers.

I've been building websites and web apps for over 12 years. In that time, I've built and managed more than 130 websites across different content management systems (CMS), including WordPress, Drupal, Magento, and HubSpot. Having delivered so many projects and worked with teams across different industries, I can confidently say that security is the backbone of modern web development.

In this post, I want to share two key areas that every developer and agency should focus on if they want to build secure and trustworthy digital products.

1. How to Secure a CMS-Based Website (Especially WordPress)

WordPress powers over 40% of the web. It's flexible, powerful, and widely adopted. But with popularity comes risk. WordPress sites are some of the most frequently targeted by hackers. Fortunately, there are proven steps you can follow to reduce your risk and keep your website safe:

• Keep your core, themes and plugins up to date
  Updates often include security patches that fix known vulnerabilities. Always stay current.

• Be selective with plugins
  Only install plugins from reputable developers. Avoid bloated or abandoned plugins. Every plugin is a potential entry point.

• Use strong, unique passwords
  Enforce secure passwords for all users and admins. Add two-factor authentication (2FA) for an extra layer of protection.

• Set the right file permissions
  Make sure writable directories are locked down. Don't give the web server more access than it needs.

• Install a Web Application Firewall (WAF)
  Tools like Cloudflare, Sucuri, or Wordfence can block malicious traffic and detect threats before they cause damage.

• Disable unused features
  Turn off XML-RPC if you're not using it. Remove default themes and demo content.

• Automate backups and run regular scans
  Use off-site backups and test your recovery process. Run malware and vulnerability scans frequently.

These steps apply not just to WordPress, but to any CMS. Many developers skip some of them because they're in a rush or assume a site is "too small" to be targeted. But bots don't care. They'll hit anything that's online.

2. Secure Development Lifecycle and Ongoing Testing

Security doesn't end at launch. It should be part of your entire development workflow. From planning to deployment and maintenance, you need to think about security at every stage.

Here's what I recommend:

• Include security in your planning process
  Identify potential risks early and plan how to reduce them.

• Write secure code from the start
  Avoid common vulnerabilities like SQL injection, XSS and CSRF. Use frameworks and libraries that support secure practices.

• Do peer reviews and code audits
  Don't just look for bugs. Look for weak spots in authentication, data handling and API usage.

• Set up automated vulnerability scans
  Use tools that scan your codebase for known issues during development and CI/CD pipelines.

• Run regular penetration tests
  Manual testing by experienced professionals will catch things automated tools can't. Schedule them quarterly or after major updates.

• Stay updated on security trends
  Join security newsletters, follow security-focused devs, and stay current with threat reports from platforms like OWASP.

In my career, I've seen so many projects fall apart or suffer major reputational damage due to simple oversights. When security is part of your daily routine, those kinds of mistakes become rare.

Final Thoughts

With several years in web development and over 100 CMS websites launched across platforms like WordPress, Drupal, Magento, and HubSpot, I've seen how small security habits make a big difference.

Whether you're a solo developer, part of an agency, or leading a dev team, take security seriously. Secure your CMS from the start, build with best practices in mind, and never stop testing.

Security isn't a one-time task. It's a mindset.