Assist_Design/SECURITY.md

🔒 Security Documentation

Overview

This document outlines the security measures implemented in the Customer Portal BFF (Backend for Frontend) application.

🛡️ Security Features Implemented

1. Authentication & Authorization

• JWT-based authentication with configurable expiration
• Password hashing using bcrypt with configurable rounds (12+ in production)
• Account lockout after 5 failed login attempts
• Role-based access control (RBAC) system with AdminGuard
• Token blacklisting for logout functionality
• All endpoints protected except health checks

2. Input Validation & Sanitization

• Global validation pipe with whitelist mode enabled
• DTO validation using class-validator decorators
• Input sanitization to prevent XSS and injection attacks
• Request size limits enforced by Helmet.js

3. Rate Limiting

• General rate limiting: 100 requests per minute
• Auth endpoint rate limiting: 3 attempts per 15 minutes
• IP-based tracking for rate limiting
• Configurable limits via environment variables
• Webhook endpoints with additional rate limiting

4. Security Headers

• Helmet.js for comprehensive security headers
• Content Security Policy (CSP) with strict directives
• X-Frame-Options: DENY
• X-Content-Type-Options: nosniff
• X-XSS-Protection: 1; mode=block
• Referrer-Policy: strict-origin-when-cross-origin
• Permissions-Policy: restrictive permissions

5. CORS Configuration

• Restrictive CORS policy
• Origin validation via environment variables
• Credential support for authenticated requests
• Method and header restrictions
• Configurable origins per environment

6. Error Handling

• Global exception filter with sanitized error messages
• Production-safe error logging (no sensitive data exposure)
• Client-safe error messages in production
• Structured logging with Pino

7. Webhook Security

• Signature verification using HMAC-SHA256
• Rate limiting on webhook endpoints
• Configurable secrets for each webhook provider
• Input validation for webhook payloads
• Secure error handling without data leakage

8. Database Security

• Parameterized queries via Prisma ORM
• Connection encryption (TLS/SSL)
• Environment-based configuration
• Audit logging for sensitive operations

9. Logging & Monitoring

• Structured logging with correlation IDs
• Sensitive data redaction in logs
• Audit trail for authentication events
• Production-safe logging levels

10. API Security

• All controllers protected with JWT authentication
• Admin endpoints with additional AdminGuard
• Swagger documentation with authentication
• API versioning and proper routing

🔧 Security Configuration

Environment Variables

# JWT Configuration
JWT_SECRET=your_secure_secret_minimum_32_chars
JWT_EXPIRES_IN=7d

# Password Security
BCRYPT_ROUNDS=12

# Rate Limiting
RATE_LIMIT_TTL=60000
RATE_LIMIT_LIMIT=100
AUTH_RATE_LIMIT_TTL=900000
AUTH_RATE_LIMIT_LIMIT=3

# CORS
CORS_ORIGIN=https://yourdomain.com

# Webhook Secrets
WHMCS_WEBHOOK_SECRET=your_whmcs_secret
SF_WEBHOOK_SECRET=your_salesforce_secret

Production Security Checklist

• Generate strong JWT secret (minimum 32 characters)
• Set BCRYPT_ROUNDS to 12 or higher
• Configure CORS_ORIGIN to your production domain
• Enable TRUST_PROXY if behind reverse proxy
• Set NODE_ENV to "production"
• Configure webhook secrets
• Use HTTPS for all external services
• Test rate limiting configuration
• Verify audit logging is working
• Review security headers in browser dev tools
• All endpoints protected with authentication
• Input validation implemented
• Security headers configured
• Error handling production-safe

🚨 Security Best Practices

1. Password Requirements

• Minimum 8 characters
• At least one uppercase letter
• At least one lowercase letter
• At least one number

2. API Security

• Always use HTTPS in production
• Implement proper authentication for all endpoints
• Validate and sanitize all inputs
• Use rate limiting to prevent abuse
• Log security events for monitoring

3. Data Protection

• Never log sensitive information (passwords, tokens, PII)
• Use environment variables for configuration
• Implement proper error handling
• Sanitize error messages in production

4. Monitoring & Alerting

• Monitor failed authentication attempts
• Track rate limit violations
• Monitor webhook signature failures
• Set up alerts for suspicious activity

🔍 Security Testing

Automated Tests

• Input validation tests
• Authentication flow tests
• Rate limiting tests
• Error handling tests

Manual Testing

• Penetration testing
• Security header verification
• CORS policy testing
• Authentication bypass attempts

Tools

• OWASP ZAP for security scanning
• Burp Suite for manual testing
• Nmap for port scanning
• SQLMap for SQL injection testing

📚 Security Resources

• OWASP Top 10
• NIST Cybersecurity Framework
• Node.js Security Best Practices
• NestJS Security

🆘 Incident Response

Security Breach Response

1. Immediate Actions

   • Isolate affected systems
   • Preserve evidence
   • Notify security team

2. Investigation

   • Analyze logs and audit trails
   • Identify attack vectors
   • Assess data exposure

3. Recovery

   • Patch vulnerabilities
   • Reset compromised credentials
   • Restore from clean backups

4. Post-Incident

   • Document lessons learned
   • Update security measures
   • Conduct security review

📞 Security Contacts

• Security Team: security@yourcompany.com
• Emergency: +1-XXX-XXX-XXXX
• Bug Bounty: security@yourcompany.com

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Last Updated: $(date) Version: 1.0.0 Maintainer: Security Team Status: ✅ Production Ready