Cloud Security Checklist for Indie Devs: Protecting Your App Data (and Your Sanity)

Let's be clear: security is not optional. As indie developers, we often wear many hats, and security can feel like just another item on an already overflowing to-do list. But ignoring it is like building a beautiful house on a foundation of sand. Sooner or later, it's going to crumble.

This blog post isn't about fear-mongering. It's about providing a pragmatic, actionable checklist you can use to dramatically improve the security of your web and mobile applications. We'll focus on practical steps you can implement today, even with limited time and resources. Because, frankly, a little effort now can save you a lot of headaches (and potentially legal trouble) later.

TL;DR: Use this checklist to prioritize security in your cloud apps: strong auth, input validation, regular backups, least privilege, monitoring, and patching.

The Reality: You're a Target (Whether You Like It or Not)

Here's the thing: you might think, "I'm just a small indie dev. Who would bother attacking my app?" That's like saying, "I'm just a small house. Burglars only target mansions." Automated bots and opportunistic attackers don't discriminate. They're looking for easy targets, and if you haven't taken basic security precautions, your app is a sitting duck.

I learned this the hard way. Early in my indie dev journey, I skimped on input validation and authorization in one of my apps. Long story short, a script kiddie found an SQL injection vulnerability and defaced the app with a message saying something along the lines of "Learn Security Noob!". It was embarrassing, frustrating, and a wake-up call. That was the last time I took security for granted.

The Cloud Security Checklist: 10 Steps to Sanity

Alright, let's dive into the checklist. I've broken it down into manageable steps. Treat it as a starting point, not an exhaustive encyclopedia.

1. Authentication and Authorization: The Gatekeepers:

   • Strong Passwords and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Obvious? Yes. Still skipped too often? Absolutely. Enforce strong password policies (minimum length, complexity). Implement MFA using services like Authy, Twilio Verify, or your cloud provider's built-in options (e.g., AWS MFA, Google Authenticator). For me, passwordless authentication with Magic.link¹ has been a lifesaver.

   • Principle of Least Privilege: Grant users only the minimum permissions they need to perform their tasks. Don't give everyone admin access! This applies to service accounts and API keys, too.

   • Secure API Keys: Treat API keys like passwords. Don't embed them directly in your code. Store them securely using environment variables or a secrets management service (e.g., AWS Secrets Manager, HashiCorp Vault, Doppler). Rotate keys regularly.

2. Input Validation and Sanitization: Don't Trust Anything:

   • Validate Everything: Treat all user input (form data, URL parameters, API requests, etc.) as potentially malicious. Validate the type, format, and length of input. Use libraries like Zod or Yup to define schemas and validate data. I've found Zod particularly elegant for TypeScript projects.

   • Sanitize User Input: Encode or escape potentially harmful characters before storing or displaying user input. This prevents cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks. Use libraries like DOMPurify for sanitizing HTML.

3. Data Encryption: Protecting Data at Rest and in Transit:

   • Encrypt Data at Rest: Use your cloud provider's encryption options for databases, object storage, and other data stores. For sensitive data, consider using client-side encryption before storing it in the cloud. I use libraries like Tink (from Google) for encryption.

   • Encrypt Data in Transit: Always use HTTPS (TLS) for all communication between your app and your users. Ensure your TLS certificates are valid and up-to-date. Cloud providers typically handle certificate management for you, but double-check.

4. Regular Backups: Your Safety Net:

   • Automated Backups: Set up automated backups of your databases, application code, and configurations. Test your backups regularly to ensure they can be restored successfully.

   • Offsite Backups: Store backups in a different geographic location than your primary infrastructure. This protects against disasters that could affect your entire region.

   • Backup Encryption: Ensure your backups are encrypted, ideally with a different key than your primary data.

5. Security Headers: Hardening Your Web Server:

   • Implement Security Headers: Configure your web server to send security headers like Content-Security-Policy, X-Frame-Options, X-XSS-Protection, Strict-Transport-Security, and Referrer-Policy. These headers provide an extra layer of protection against common web attacks. Services like securityheaders.com can help you assess your header configuration.

   • Be Careful with CDNs: CDNs can be great, but ensure they also support proper security header configuration. Some may strip headers by default.

6. Monitoring and Logging: Watching for Trouble:

   • Centralized Logging: Collect logs from all your application components (web server, database, API endpoints, etc.) in a central location. Use a log management service like Datadog, Sumo Logic, or the logging features provided by your cloud platform (e.g., AWS CloudWatch, Google Cloud Logging).

   • Real-time Monitoring and Alerting: Set up alerts to notify you of suspicious activity, such as failed login attempts, unusual traffic patterns, or errors. Use a monitoring service like Sentry, New Relic, or Grafana.

7. Vulnerability Scanning: Finding Weaknesses Before Attackers Do:

   • Automated Vulnerability Scanning: Use a vulnerability scanner to identify potential security weaknesses in your application code and infrastructure. Services like Snyk, SonarQube, and OWASP ZAP can help.

   • Dependency Scanning: Keep an eye on your dependencies. Use tools like Dependabot (built into GitHub) or Snyk to monitor your project's dependencies for known vulnerabilities. Regularly update dependencies to patch security flaws.

8. Regular Security Audits: Getting a Second Opinion:

   • Internal Audits: Regularly review your security practices and configurations. Use this checklist as a guide.
   • Penetration Testing: Consider hiring a penetration tester to simulate a real-world attack on your application. They can identify vulnerabilities that automated scanners might miss. This can be expensive, but worth it for critical applications.

9. Incident Response Plan: Knowing What to Do When the Worst Happens:

   • Documented Plan: Create a written incident response plan that outlines the steps you'll take in the event of a security breach. Include roles and responsibilities, communication protocols, and procedures for containing the damage, restoring service, and notifying affected users.

   • Practice Drills: Regularly test your incident response plan to ensure it's effective.

10. Keep Your Software Up-to-Date: Patch, Patch, Patch:

    • Regular Updates: Apply security patches and updates to your operating systems, web servers, databases, and application frameworks as soon as they're available. Enable automatic updates where possible.
    • Stay Informed: Subscribe to security mailing lists and follow security researchers to stay informed about the latest threats and vulnerabilities.

Standing on the Shoulders of Giants: Leverage Cloud Services

Cloud providers offer a wide range of security services that can dramatically simplify the process of securing your applications. Take advantage of these services to offload some of the burden.

• AWS: AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM), AWS Shield, AWS WAF, AWS GuardDuty, AWS Inspector, AWS Security Hub.
• Google Cloud: Google Cloud IAM, Google Cloud Armor, Google Cloud Security Scanner, Google Cloud Security Command Center.
• Azure: Azure Active Directory (Azure AD), Azure Firewall, Azure Security Center, Azure Sentinel.

These tools can be incredibly cool—use them!

It's a Journey, Not a Destination

Security is an ongoing process, not a one-time fix. As new threats emerge and your application evolves, you'll need to continuously adapt your security practices. Stay vigilant, stay informed, and don't be afraid to ask for help. The indie dev community is full of people willing to share their knowledge and experiences.

And hey, even if you follow all these steps, there's no guarantee you'll be 100% secure. But by taking these precautions, you'll significantly reduce your risk and protect your users, your data, and, most importantly, your sanity. Remember that time I got hacked? Yeah, I'm never going back to that feeling.

What security measures do you find most challenging to implement in your indie projects? Share your favorite tools and strategies!