6 best security practices for Laravel web development

One of the most used scripting languages of the 21^st century is PHP. It is used on the client-side server to build different kinds of static websites, application-based web interfaces, mobile applications, etc. However, PHP being a scripting language has several limitations like a limited in-built library, limited tools, complex snippets, etc. This is where the use of Laravel comes in.

Laravel is a framework based on the PHP language, which allows a developer to use several libraries and built-in tools for designing a web interface or website. Laravel, like other frameworks, has several advantages, one of which is building secured websites and applications.

Using this open-source framework-based platform, a front-end developer can design high-level security algorithms and programs that will increase the interface’s performance and allow businesses to store customer data safely.

As Laravel is growing in popularity and becoming more prominent, understanding the ways to secure the website and applications will be better. That’s why in this article, we will talk about the significant Laravel-based security trends you can incorporate in your PHP-designed website or application interface.

Hosting on the secured server

When you upload your website or application on a hosting server, you are putting all the sensitive data and confidential information into the server. Suppose the host server is not secured or does not consist of multiple authentication layers, it will be easier for the hackers to create a backdoor, enter your website without prior knowledge, and get access to all your business data and information.

For this reason, you need to choose a secured server that will help you secure all essential files when uploading the site on the host platform. For choosing such a host server, you might have to keep these things in mind:

Using secured internet connections
Using Secure Socket Layer configuration for safe data transfers
Using VPNs and secured private networks
Using Secure Shell, or SSH Authentication protocols
Using File Transfer Protocol Secure or FTPS

Best Laravel Development Companies provides you an option to host the website on a secured server.

Using updated PHP and Laravel versions

The PHP and Laravel platforms are being updated constantly. As a result of these up-gradations, the security algorithms and the tool performances are also changing with each update. If you are using an old version, neither will you have access to the updated security codes, nor will you use the high-end tools.

This is why before developing an application or website, you need to ensure that you are using the latest updated versions of both Laravel and PHP. In the beginning, it might seem to be more cumbersome. But, if you look at the bigger picture, you will realize that the updated versions’ security is paramount and absolute.

Updating packages, plugins, and modules

One of the best Laravel security practices that most developers should learn about is the timely up-gradation of the plugins and modules. The Laravel packages are constantly upgraded to allow new and trendy features to fit in. Several library functions are also changed as some are marked obsolete and deleted while other new processes are introduced.

Now, these changes might not be compatible with the plugins and modules you are using. If the compatibility level is zero or almost nil, your website will be exposed to cyber-attacks. As a result of this, high chances are there that either your business will suffer from data theft or the confidential information will be stolen or hacked.

As soon as the packages are updated, it would be best to upgrade the plugins and modules to make them compatible.

Using HTTPS

If the URL of your website or application consists of HTTP, all the information and data pieces will be transferred in plain texts. These texts are straightforward to read, and hence, a hacker can quickly get root access to any information transfer and know every confidential detail about your business.

So, the only way to protect your URL from unwanted interruptions is by migrating the legacy HTTP to HTTPS. This “S” used at the tail of HTTP signifies that the site is secured, and hence, no data transfer can be accessed by any outside IP. For doing this, you will need to have the SSL certification, and once done, you will be able to secure your Laravel website with ease.

Securing against SQL injection

When you are using the SQL database, you will have to use queries to access the schemas, views, tables, and other details. At the time of writing these queries, some values will be entered from the user side. Now, these values need to be finite and definite.

If abrupt values are entered, it will risk all your data stored in the SQL database, thereby leading to SQL injection. And unfortunately, SQL injection is one of the effective techniques by which hackers can access your server database.

This is where the Laravel security frameworks come in. With this technology, you will be able to prevent SQL injection by including a validating statement in your query. As a result, as soon as you will give a random input, you will be shown an error message. While writing the questions, using filter and validate statements is a great security practice to prevent hackers from accessing your database.

Invalidating unrequired PHP sessions

When you make significant changes in the PHP sessions, the previous frameworks and codes wouldn’t be in use any longer. However, if you are not logging out of those sessions and not deleting them permanently, hackers will gain access to your system through those redundant sessions.

This is why every developer must end the unrequired PHP and Laravel sessions as soon as they serve no purpose to the website and the application. This will further close the backdoors, thereby preventing the hackers from entering your system by any means.

Conclusion

Laravel might be the new technology’s face with the next-gen feature, but the web applications and interfaces based on this framework can become vulnerable from time to time. If you are not implementing some of these above-discussed security practices, it will be impossible for you to protect your business data and client information from hackers. So, make sure you understand the processes and the consequences of not going through them.