Core Principles
Zero Trust Architecture
Implement identity verification and authorization for every request. Even internal services should never trust network location or service identity implicitly.
Least Privilege by Default
Configure API permissions to follow the minimal access model. Treat every new feature as a potential security vector.
Threat Surface Reduction
// Authentication pipeline
app.use(passport.initialize())
passport.use(new BearerStrategy({ scope: 'api' }))
Always validate scopes and use JWT for access delegation. Consider using opaque tokens for microservices.
Input Validation
Apply schema-based validation on all endpoints. Reject invalid requests at the edge.
Rate Limiting
Implement per-client rate limiting with adaptive thresholds based on client credentials.
Audit Logging
Log all access decisions with sufficient detail for forensic analysis while preserving privacy.