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    Production Security Checklist

    Master checklist for securing AI-generated applications before launching to production. Complete these critical security steps to protect your users and prevent breaches on day one.

    Most Breaches Happen Within Days of Launch

    AI-generated apps often ship with critical security flaws that attackers exploit immediately. Debug modes left enabled, hardcoded credentials, and missing authentication are discovered within hours. Complete this checklist before your first real user logs in.

    Pre-Launch Security Checklist

    Complete all 12 steps before going live. Critical items are security blockers that must be resolved before launch.

    Step 1

    Remove all debug and development code

    Critical

    Disable debug modes, verbose logging, and development-only features that expose internal application details.

    Step 2

    Verify all secrets are in environment variables

    Critical

    Ensure no API keys, database credentials, or tokens are hardcoded in source code or configuration files.

    Step 3

    Enable HTTPS and force SSL

    Critical

    Configure SSL/TLS certificates and enforce HTTPS redirects for all traffic to protect data in transit.

    Step 4

    Configure security headers

    Critical

    Set CSP, HSTS, X-Frame-Options, X-Content-Type-Options, and Referrer-Policy headers to prevent common attacks.

    Step 5

    Review authentication and authorization

    Critical

    Verify login flows, session management, password requirements, and access control rules are production-ready.

    Step 6

    Enable rate limiting

    Critical

    Implement rate limiting on all API endpoints to prevent brute force attacks and resource exhaustion.

    Step 7

    Audit third-party dependencies

    Critical

    Scan all dependencies for known vulnerabilities and update packages with security patches.

    Step 8

    Configure CORS properly

    Critical

    Restrict CORS to specific trusted origins instead of allowing all domains with wildcard configurations.

    Step 9

    Set up error monitoring

    Configure error tracking and alerting to detect security issues and attacks in real-time.

    Step 10

    Enable audit logging

    Log authentication events, authorization failures, and sensitive operations for security forensics.

    Step 11

    Configure database security

    Review database access controls, connection encryption, and backup procedures before launch.

    Step 12

    Perform final security scan

    Run automated security scanners and manual penetration tests to identify last-minute vulnerabilities.

    Common Pre-Launch Security Issues

    Debug Mode Enabled

    Critical

    Application running with debug=true, exposing stack traces, database queries, and internal errors to users.

    Default Admin Credentials

    Critical

    Admin accounts still using default or weak passwords like "admin/admin" or "password123".

    No Rate Limiting

    High

    API endpoints accept unlimited requests, allowing brute force attacks and DDoS vulnerabilities.

    Missing HTTPS Redirect

    High

    Site accessible over HTTP without automatic redirect to HTTPS, exposing credentials in transit.

    Related Resources

    Vercel Security Guide

    Platform-specific security for Vercel deployments

    Netlify Security Guide

    Secure your Netlify deployment configuration

    Environment Variables Security

    Secure secrets management best practices

    Security Audit Checklist

    Comprehensive security testing before launch

    Automate Your Pre-Launch Security

    VibeEval automatically checks your application against this entire checklist. Get instant feedback on security blockers before going live, saving hours of manual review.

    Start Free Security Scan