Use Cookies Securely

Another area that many organizations don’t think about when addressing web application security best practices is the use of cookies. Cookies are incredibly convenient for businesses and users alike. They allow users to be remembered by sites that they visit so that future visits are faster and, in many cases, more personalized. However, cookies can also be manipulated by hackers to gain access to protected areas.

While you certainly don’t have to stop using cookies - indeed, to do so would be a major step backward in many ways - you should adjust the settings for yours to minimize the risk of attacks.

First, never use cookies to store highly sensitive or critical information. For example, don’t use cookies to remember users’ passwords, as this makes it incredibly easy for hackers to gain unauthorized access.

You should also be** conservative when setting expiration dates** for cookies. Sure, it’s nice to know that a cookie will remain valid for a user for months on end, but the reality is that each one presents a security risk.

Finally, consider encrypting the information that is stored in the cookies that you use.