How do you ensure your code is secure?
This question assesses both your understanding of secure coding practices and how seriously you take security in day-to-day development.
Instead of just listing security terms, it's effective to highlight the specific practices you follow across development, review, and deployment — supported with concrete examples.
Answer 1: Practical habits during development
English
To write secure code, I follow a few core practices during development. I always validate and sanitize user input to prevent attacks like SQL injection and cross-site scripting. Even when using a framework with built-in protections, I never assume the defaults are enough.
I avoid hardcoding secrets and use environment variables to manage sensitive data. I’m also careful with how authentication tokens and API keys are handled in both frontend and backend code.
Before deployment, I run static analysis tools and enable security-focused linters. When dealing with access control, I follow the principle of least privilege to minimize risk.
Key Expressions
- sanitize user input: prevent malicious input from affecting the system
- environment variables: external configuration storage for secrets and keys
- static analysis tools: automated code scanners that detect security flaws
- least privilege: limiting permissions to only what's necessary
Answer 2: Team-level and mindset-based approach
English
I believe secure coding starts with the right mindset. I try to think like an attacker when reviewing logic related to user data, permissions, or payments, and ask: “What could be exploited here?”
At the team level, I promote regular code reviews that include security considerations — not just correctness or style. On past projects, we used dependency scanners like npm audit and Snyk to catch known vulnerabilities early.
I also stay familiar with the OWASP Top 10 and apply its principles in my work. For instance, I take care to avoid insecure direct object references and ensure error handling doesn’t leak system internals.
Key Expressions
- think like an attacker: approach code review from a security adversary’s perspective
- dependency scanner: tool for detecting vulnerable libraries or packages
- insecure direct object references: exposing internal objects without proper access checks
- improper error handling: leaking system details that could help an attacker
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