Laravel Security Best Practices

Security should be a top priority in any web application. Laravel provides many built-in security features, but you need to use them correctly.

Authentication Security

Use Strong Password Hashing

// Laravel uses bcrypt by default
$hashedPassword = Hash::make($password);

// Verify passwords
if (Hash::check($password, $hashedPassword)) {
    // Password is correct
}
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Implement Rate Limiting

// In routes/web.php
Route::middleware('throttle:5,1')->group(function () {
    Route::post('/login', [AuthController::class, 'login']);
});
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Input Validation

// Always validate user input
$request->validate([
    'email' => 'required|email|max:255',
    'password' => 'required|min:8|confirmed',
]);
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CSRF Protection

<!-- Always include CSRF token in forms -->
<form method="POST" action="/profile">
    @csrf
    <!-- form fields -->
</form>
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SQL Injection Prevention

// Use Eloquent or Query Builder (automatically escaped)
$users = DB::table('users')->where('email', $email)->get();

// If using raw queries, use parameter binding
$users = DB::select('SELECT * FROM users WHERE email = ?', [$email]);
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XSS Protection

<!-- Blade automatically escapes output -->
{{ $userInput }}

<!-- Only use unescaped output when absolutely necessary -->
{!! $trustedHtml !!}
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Environment Security

# Never commit .env files
# Use strong, unique keys
APP_KEY=base64:your-32-character-secret-key

# Use HTTPS in production
APP_URL=https://yourapp.com
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Security is an ongoing process, not a one-time setup!