Ethical Hacking and Web Security: Protecting the Modern Web

## The Growing Threat Landscape As AI makes hacking easier, web security has never been more critical. Every developer must understand the mindset of an attacker to build truly resilient systems. ### The OWASP Top 10 (2026 Edition) 1. **Broken Access Control:** Ensuring users can only see what they are supposed to. 2. **Cryptographic Failures:** Protecting sensitive data like passwords and credit card numbers. 3. **Injection:** Preventing SQL and NoSQL injection attacks. ### Penetration Testing for Developers You should regularly "hack" your own site. Use tools like Burp Suite or OWASP ZAP to find vulnerabilities before the bad guys do. Focus on your API endpoints and authentication flows. ### Securing the Backend - **Hashed Passwords:** Never store passwords in plain text. Use Argon2 or BCrypt. - **CSRF Protection:** Ensure that every state-changing request has a valid token. - **Rate Limiting:** Prevent brute-force attacks by limiting how many requests an IP can make. ### Conclusion Security is not a feature; it is a foundation. By integrating security into your development lifecycle (DevSecOps), you protect your users and your reputation.