Protecting Sensitive Data in Frontend Development
As frontend developers, we know that managing secrets and credentials is crucial to preventing unauthorized access and potential security breaches. In this article, we’ll explore the best practices for securing API keys and secrets, and discuss the importance of proper storage and management.
Understanding API Types
There are two types of APIs: private and public. Private APIs are developed and hosted in-house, and are not shared or used by external developers. Since private APIs are restricted, there’s no need to include a key or secret before using the API. Public APIs, on the other hand, are services offered by third-party providers and are available for all developers to use. Examples of public APIs include Google Maps and weather APIs.
The Risks of Exposed Secrets
If API keys and credential secrets are not properly stored, they can cause financial, regulatory, or reputational damage. Exposed secrets can lead to unauthorized access, exceeding usage limits, and even loss of control over resources. Moreover, hackers may gain access to sensitive data, violating API provider terms of use.
Bad Practices to Avoid
Embedding credential secrets directly in code is a major no-no. This makes it easy for hackers to extract the secret using browser dev tools. Uploading codebases to Git or GitHub with secrets directly in the code is also a bad idea, as anyone can access the repository online. Finally, not setting restrictions on API keys or secrets can lead to unauthorized usage.
Good Practices to Follow
Setting restrictions on API keys is essential. Some service providers allow you to set limits on the number of requests per day and specify the URL from which the API can be accessed. This ensures that even if a hacker gets access to the key, it’s useless without the specified URL.
Concealing keys in an environment variable (.env) file is another good practice. This keeps secrets out of code and prevents them from being committed to GitHub. Secret scanning solutions like GitGuardian can also scan Git commits to detect and capture secrets that were accidentally committed.
Additional Security Measures
Do not share GitHub credentials with anyone outside of your development team, and revoke access for developers who no longer work on your team. Using secret scanning services to scan your repositories can also provide an extra layer of security.
Conclusion
Securing API keys and secrets is crucial in frontend development. By following good practices and avoiding bad ones, you can protect sensitive data and prevent security breaches. Remember to always set restrictions on your key, conceal keys in an environment variable (.env) file, and use secret scanning services to scan your repositories.