StackoverflowTips: What are common security practices for ASP.NET Core?

12 January, 2025

Securing your ASP.NET Core applications is crucial to protect sensitive data and prevent attacks. Here are some common security practices to follow:

Enforce HTTPS:
- Always use HTTPS to encrypt data transmitted between the client and server. You can enforce HTTPS by configuring your application to redirect HTTP requests to HTTPS[1].
- Example:
```
 app.UseHttpsRedirection();
```
Use Authentication and Authorization:
- Implement robust authentication and authorization mechanisms to control access to your application. Use ASP.NET Core Identity or third-party identity providers like OAuth and OpenID Connect[2].
- Example:
```
 services.AddAuthentication(CookieAuthenticationDefaults.AuthenticationScheme)
         .AddCookie();
```
Protect Against Cross-Site Scripting (XSS):
- Sanitize user input and encode output to prevent XSS attacks. Use built-in HTML encoding features in Razor views[2].
- Example:
```
 @Html.Encode(Model.UserInput)
```

Prevent SQL Injection:

Use parameterized queries or ORM frameworks like Entity Framework to prevent SQL injection attacks[2].
Example:

 var command = new SqlCommand("SELECT * FROM Users WHERE Username = @username", connection);
 command.Parameters.AddWithValue("@username", username);

Implement Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) Protection:
- Use anti-forgery tokens to protect against CSRF attacks. ASP.NET Core provides built-in support for generating and validating these tokens[2].
- Example:
```
 <form asp-antiforgery="true">
     @Html.AntiForgeryToken()
 </form>
```
Secure Sensitive Data:
- Store sensitive data securely using data protection APIs. Avoid storing sensitive information in plain text[2].
- Example:
```
 var protector = _dataProtectionProvider.CreateProtector("MyApp.Purpose");
 var protectedData = protector.Protect("SensitiveData");
```
Use HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS):
- Enable HSTS to ensure that browsers only communicate with your application over HTTPS[1].
- Example:
```
 app.UseHsts();
```
Regularly Update Dependencies:
- Keep your application and its dependencies up to date to protect against known vulnerabilities[1].

By following these practices, you can significantly enhance the security of your ASP.NET Core applications.

Is there a specific security concern or feature you'd like to dive deeper into?

References

StackoverflowTips