HTTP security headers are response headers that provide an additional layer of security for websites and web applications. These headers provide protection against various types of attacks, such as cross-site scripting (XSS), cross-site request forgery (CSRF), clickjacking, and more. They are also known as HTTP response headers, web application security headers, or web security headers.
The most commonly used security headers are “Content Security Policy” (CSP), “Strict Transport Security” (HSTS), “X-Frame-Options”, “X-XSS-Protection”, and “X-Content-Type-Options”.
Content Security Policy (CSP)
Content Security Policy (CSP) is a header that helps to protect against XSS attacks by restricting the sources from which the website or web application can load content. This can include scripts, images, CSS, plugins, and more. By using this header, you can specify which domains are allowed to provide content to your website or application, and block any malicious domains from doing so.
Strict Transport Security (HSTS)
Strict Transport Security (HSTS) is another security header that helps to protect against man-in-the-middle attacks. It forces all requests to be sent over a secure HTTPS connection, and prevents the user from visiting the website over an insecure HTTP connection.
X-Frame-Options
X-Frame-Options is a header that prevents clickjacking attacks. It prevents the website from being embedded in a frame or iframe on another website, which can be used to steal user credentials or other sensitive data. X-XSS-Protection is a header that helps to protect against cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks. It prevents malicious code from being executed by the browser, and helps to protect the user from malicious scripts.
X-Content-Type-Options
X-Content-Type-Options is a header that helps to protect against MIME sniffing attacks. It prevents the browser from trying to guess the type of content being delivered, which can be used to inject malicious code into the website.
These are just a few of the security headers available, and there are many more that can be used to protect your website or web application. When implementing security headers, it is important to keep in mind that they are only part of a larger security strategy. It is important to use other security measures, such as secure encryption, access control, and more, in order to maximize the security of your website or application.