1. Keep Laravel and Dependencies Updated
Regularly update Laravel to the latest stable version and apply security patches for dependencies using composer update. Enable automatic updates for critical dependencies via tools like Dependabot to address known vulnerabilities promptly. Outdated software is a leading cause of security breaches, as it may contain unpatched exploits.
2. Configure Web Server Securely
For Apache, enable essential modules (mod_rewrite, mod_headers) to support URL rewriting and security headers, then restart the service. For Nginx, configure virtual hosts with strict access controls (e.g., allow/deny directives) and add security headers (e.g., X-Frame-Options: SAMEORIGIN, X-XSS-Protection: 1; mode=block, X-Content-Type-Options: nosniff) to mitigate clickjacking, XSS, and MIME-type sniffing attacks. Disable unnecessary modules (e.g., mod_php in Apache) to reduce the attack surface.
3. Harden PHP Configuration
Adjust php.ini settings to disable error display (display_errors = Off) and log errors to a secure file instead (error_log = /var/log/php_errors.log). This prevents sensitive information (e.g., database credentials) from leaking to end users. Set appropriate file permissions: directories should have 755 permissions, and files should have 644 permissions. Use chown to assign ownership of Laravel directories (e.g., storage, bootstrap/cache) to the web server user (e.g., www-data), ensuring the server can write to these directories without exposing them to other users.
4. Implement Laravel’s Built-in Security Features
Enable CSRF protection (default in Laravel) by including the @csrf directive in all forms. This ensures requests originate from your application and not malicious third parties. Validate and sanitize all user input using Laravel’s validation rules (e.g., required, email, max) to prevent SQL injection and XSS attacks. Use strong password hashing with Bcrypt (default in Laravel) for user passwords—never store plain-text passwords.
5. Enforce HTTPS Everywhere
Use Let’s Encrypt (via Certbot) to obtain a free SSL/TLS certificate and redirect all HTTP traffic to HTTPS. Configure your web server to enforce HTTPS by adding return 301 https://$host$request_uri; in Nginx or Redirect permanent / https://yourdomain.com/ in Apache. Encrypting data in transit protects against man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks and eavesdropping on sensitive information (e.g., login credentials, payment details).
6. Manage File and Directory Permissions
Set correct ownership and permissions for Laravel directories to avoid unauthorized access. For example:
sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/laravel to assign ownership to the web server user.sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/laravel/storage and sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/laravel/bootstrap/cache to allow the web server to write to these directories (required for caching and logs).chcon -R -t httpd_sys_rw_content_t /var/www/laravel/storage to adjust file contexts.7. Secure Sessions and Cookies
Configure session settings in .env to enhance security:
SESSION_DRIVER=file (or database/redis for distributed systems) and SESSION_LIFETIME=120 (adjust based on your needs).SESSION_SECURE_COOKIE=true (forces HTTPS-only cookies) and SESSION_HTTP_ONLY=true (prevents JavaScript access to cookies).session()->regenerate() to prevent session fixation attacks.8. Monitor Logs and Use Security Tools
Regularly review Laravel logs (storage/logs/laravel.log) and web server logs (e.g., /var/log/apache2/access.log, /var/log/nginx/access.log) for suspicious activity (e.g., repeated failed login attempts, unusual IP addresses). Use security tools like OWASP ZAP (for vulnerability scanning), Sucuri (for website monitoring), or Fail2Ban (to block brute-force attacks) to proactively identify and mitigate threats.
9. Implement Rate Limiting
Use Laravel’s built-in rate limiting middleware (throttle) to restrict the number of requests a user can make within a given time frame. For example, add Route::middleware(['throttle:60,1'])->group(function () { ... }); to limit API endpoints to 60 requests per minute per IP. This helps prevent brute-force attacks (e.g., password guessing) and denial-of-service (DoS) attacks.
10. Follow Secure Coding Practices
Adhere to Laravel’s security best practices:
{{ }} (automatically escapes HTML) or @verbatim for raw text..env) and tools like Gitignore.