• JWT-based authentication with secure token generation
• Rate limiting on API endpoints (100 requests/15min)
• Enhanced rate limiting for trading endpoints (10 requests/min)
• Token expiration (24 hours)

• Comprehensive input validation using Zod schemas
• XSS protection through input sanitization
• SQL injection prevention through parameterized queries
• File upload restrictions and validation

• Content Security Policy (CSP)
• X-Content-Type-Options: nosniff
• X-Frame-Options: DENY
• X-XSS-Protection: 1; mode=block
• Strict Transport Security (HSTS) in production
• Referrer Policy: strict-origin-when-cross-origin

• Whitelist-based origin validation
• Secure credential handling
• Preflight request support

• Required environment variables validation
• No hardcoded secrets in codebase
• Separate development/production configurations

• Structured logging with different levels
• Error tracking and monitoring
• Request/response logging for audit trails

CRITICAL: Never commit sensitive data to version control!

1. Use .env files for local development:

   # Copy the example file
   cp .env.example .env
   
   # Edit .env with your actual values
   nano .env

2. Required environment variables:

   # Database Configuration
   DATABASE_URL=postgresql://user:password@localhost:5432/aitradepro
   
   # Security Keys (minimum 32 characters)
   JWT_SECRET=your-super-secure-jwt-secret-key-change-this-in-production
   SESSION_SECRET=your-session-secret-key-change-this-too
   
   # Application Configuration
   NODE_ENV=production
   PORT=5000
   LOG_LEVEL=INFO

3. Best practices for secrets:

   • Use strong, randomly generated secrets (minimum 32 characters)
   • Use different secrets for development and production
   • Rotate secrets periodically (every 90 days recommended)
   • Never share secrets via email, chat, or documentation
   • Use a secure password manager for team secret sharing

• ✅ DO: Keep .env in .gitignore (already configured)
• ✅ DO: Use .env.example as a template with dummy values
• ✅ DO: Document all required variables in README.md
• ✅ DO: Use environment-specific files (.env.production, .env.development)
• ❌ DON'T: Commit .env files to version control
• ❌ DON'T: Include real secrets in code comments or documentation
• ❌ DON'T: Log sensitive environment variables
• ❌ DON'T: Expose environment variables in error messages

For production environments, use secure secret management:

• Cloud Providers: Use AWS Secrets Manager, Azure Key Vault, or Google Secret Manager
• Container Orchestration: Use Kubernetes Secrets or Docker Secrets
• CI/CD Platforms: Use GitHub Secrets, GitLab CI/CD Variables, etc.
• Environment Variables: Set directly in hosting platform (Heroku, Vercel, etc.)

We use multiple tools to ensure dependency security:

1. npm audit: Built-in vulnerability scanner
2. audit-ci: CI-friendly audit tool with configurable thresholds
3. GitHub Dependabot: Automated dependency updates and security alerts

# Run basic npm audit
npm audit

# Run audit with production dependencies only
npm audit --production

# Run audit with CI configuration
npm run audit

# Attempt automatic fixes
npm audit fix

# Force fixes (may include breaking changes)
npm audit fix --force

Our audit-ci.json configuration:

{
  "moderate": true,
  "high": true,
  "critical": true,
  "allowlist": []
}

This configuration:

• Fails on moderate, high, and critical vulnerabilities
• Allows you to allowlist specific advisories (use sparingly)
• Runs automatically in CI/CD pipeline

When vulnerabilities are detected:

1. Assess Severity:

   • Critical: Drop everything and fix immediately
   • High: Fix within 24-48 hours
   • Moderate: Fix within 1 week
   • Low: Fix when convenient or with next dependency update

2. Understand the Vulnerability:

   # Get detailed information
   npm audit
   
   # Check specific package
   npm audit --json | jq '.vulnerabilities.PACKAGE_NAME'

3. Fix Process:

   Option A - Automatic Fix:

   npm audit fix

   Option B - Manual Update:

   # Update specific package
   npm update package-name
   
   # Update to specific version
   npm install package-name@version

   Option C - Alternative Package:

   • Research alternative packages
   • Evaluate security, maintenance, and features
   • Replace the vulnerable dependency

4. Testing After Fixes:

   # Run all tests
   npm run test:run
   
   # Run linting
   npm run lint
   
   # Build the project
   npm run build
   
   # Test in development
   npm run dev

5. Document Exceptions:

   If a vulnerability cannot be fixed immediately:

   • Document the reason in your PR or issue
   • Add to allowlist in audit-ci.json with justification
   • Create a follow-up issue to track
   • Set a reminder to revisit

   Example allowlist entry:

   {
     "allowlist": [
       "GHSA-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx"  // Waiting for upstream fix, low impact
     ]
   }

Our CI pipeline automatically:

1. Runs npm audit during lint_typecheck job
2. Fails the build on moderate+ vulnerabilities
3. Reports security issues in PR checks
4. Blocks merge if security checks fail

Handling CI Security Failures:

# Reproduce locally
npm run audit

# Fix vulnerabilities
npm audit fix

# Verify fix
npm run audit

# Commit and push
git add package*.json
git commit -m "fix: resolve security vulnerabilities"
git push

Dependabot automatically:

• Scans dependencies daily
• Creates PRs for security updates
• Creates PRs for version updates (if configured)
• Provides detailed security advisories

Responding to Dependabot PRs:

1. Review the PR description and changelog
2. Check for breaking changes
3. Test locally if needed
4. Approve and merge if safe
5. Close and document if not applicable

1. Before Adding Dependencies:

   # Check package health
   npm view package-name
   
   # Check for known vulnerabilities
   npm install package-name
   npm audit

2. Regular Maintenance:

   • Run npm audit weekly
   • Review Dependabot PRs within 48 hours
   • Update dependencies monthly
   • Monitor security advisories

3. Development Practices:

   • Minimize dependencies
   • Prefer well-maintained packages
   • Check package licenses
   • Review package source code for critical dependencies

graph TD
    A[Dependency Change] --> B[Local npm audit]
    B --> C{Vulnerabilities?}
    C -->|Yes| D[Attempt npm audit fix]
    C -->|No| H[Commit Changes]
    D --> E{Fixed?}
    E -->|Yes| F[Test Thoroughly]
    E -->|No| G[Manual Update/Replace]
    G --> F
    F --> H
    H --> I[Push to GitHub]
    I --> J[CI Security Check]
    J --> K{Passed?}
    K -->|Yes| L[Merge Approved]
    K -->|No| M[Fix and Retry]
    M --> B

Before submitting a PR:

• No sensitive data (API keys, passwords, tokens) in code
• Environment variables used for all secrets
• .env file not committed
• npm audit passes with no critical/high vulnerabilities
• New dependencies scanned for vulnerabilities
• Security-related changes reviewed for best practices
• No credentials in logs or error messages
• Input validation implemented for new endpoints
• SQL queries use parameterized statements
• XSS prevention in place for user input

If you discover a security vulnerability, please follow these steps:

1. Do not create a public GitHub issue for the vulnerability
2. Email security details to: [security@yourcompany.com] (replace with actual email)
3. Include as much detail as possible:
   • Description of the vulnerability
   • Steps to reproduce
   • Potential impact
   • Suggested fix (if any)

• Set strong, unique JWT_SECRET in production
• Use secure database credentials
• Configure proper LOG_LEVEL for production
• Set secure SESSION_SECRET

• Use connection pooling with proper limits
• Enable database-level encryption
• Regular backups with encryption
• Principle of least privilege for database users

• Use HTTPS in production
• Configure proper firewall rules
• Use secure WebSocket connections (WSS)
• Consider using a reverse proxy (nginx, etc.)

• Set up log aggregation and monitoring
• Configure alerts for suspicious activities
• Regular security audits and dependency updates
• Monitor for failed authentication attempts

• Keep dependencies updated
• Regular security audits using npm audit
• Code reviews for security issues
• Automated security testing in CI/CD