• Change default database credentials in .env.prod
• Generate strong SECRET_KEY (use openssl rand -hex 32)
• Use production API keys (not development/test keys)
• Remove or secure .env files (never commit to git)
• Set proper CORS origins (no wildcards in production)
• Review all environment variables for sensitive data

• Strong PostgreSQL password (min 16 chars, mixed case, numbers, symbols)
• Database not exposed to internet (no port mapping in production)
• Regular backups configured
• Database user has minimal privileges

• HTTPS enabled with valid SSL certificates
• Security headers configured (HSTS, CSP, X-Frame-Options)
• Rate limiting enabled on API endpoints
• Input validation on all endpoints
• Authentication/Authorization properly implemented
• Error messages don't leak sensitive information

• Non-root users in all containers
• Minimal base images (alpine/slim variants)
• No unnecessary packages installed
• Container health checks configured
• Resource limits set for containers

• Internal Docker network configured
• Services not directly exposed (only through nginx)
• Firewall rules configured on host
• VPN/Private network for administrative access

The nginx configuration includes these security headers:

# Prevent clickjacking
add_header X-Frame-Options DENY always;

# Prevent MIME type sniffing
add_header X-Content-Type-Options nosniff always;

# XSS Protection
add_header X-XSS-Protection "1; mode=block" always;

# Referrer Policy
add_header Referrer-Policy "strict-origin-when-cross-origin" always;

# HSTS (when using HTTPS)
add_header Strict-Transport-Security "max-age=31536000; includeSubDomains" always;

# Content Security Policy
add_header Content-Security-Policy "default-src 'self'; script-src 'self' 'unsafe-inline' 'unsafe-eval'; style-src 'self' 'unsafe-inline'; img-src 'self' data: https:; font-src 'self' data:; connect-src 'self' https:; frame-ancestors 'none';" always;

Monitor these logs for security events:

• Failed authentication attempts
• Unusual API usage patterns
• Database connection errors
• Rate limit violations

• Service availability
• Response times
• Error rates
• Resource usage

• SSL Labs: Test SSL configuration
• OWASP ZAP: Security testing
• Docker Bench: Container security audit
• Trivy: Container vulnerability scanning

# Check for vulnerabilities in images
docker run --rm -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock aquasec/trivy image socialmediaflow_backend

# Check SSL configuration (if using HTTPS)
curl -I https://yourdomain.com

# Test security headers
curl -I http://yourdomain.com

• Review access logs
• Check for failed login attempts
• Monitor resource usage

• Update container images
• Review and rotate API keys
• Check SSL certificate expiry
• Security scan of containers

• Full security audit
• Penetration testing
• Review and update security policies
• Update dependencies

1. Hardcoded secrets in code
2. Default passwords in production
3. Overly permissive CORS settings
4. Exposing internal services directly
5. Running containers as root
6. Missing security headers
7. Unencrypted communication
8. Insufficient logging
9. No rate limiting
10. Outdated dependencies