---
title: Security Audit Checklist for Web Applications, Infrastructure, Databases, APIs, and Deployment Pipelines
description: Comprehensive checklist for conducting a thorough security audit of your web applications, infrastructure, databases, APIs, and deployment pipelines.
keywords: 
  - security audit
  - web application security
  - infrastructure security
  - database security
  - API security
  - deployment pipeline security
category: Security
tags:
  - security
  - audit
  - web application
  - infrastructure
  - database
  - API
  - deployment pipeline
---

## Web Application Security Audit Checklist

### Authentication and Authorization
- [ ] Ensure strong password policies are in place (minimum length, complexity, and expiration)
- [ ] Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all user accounts
- [ ] Validate all user inputs to prevent SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and other injection attacks
- [ ] Enforce principle of least privilege for user roles and permissions
- [ ] Implement secure password reset and account recovery functionality
- [ ] Protect against brute-force and credential stuffing attacks (e.g., rate limiting, account lockout)
- [ ] Ensure session management is secure (e.g., use HTTPS, set HttpOnly and Secure flags on cookies, implement session timeouts)

### Input Validation and Sanitization
- [ ] Validate all user inputs (including query parameters, form fields, and request payloads)
- [ ] Sanitize and encode all user-supplied data before displaying or using it
- [ ] Implement input validation for file uploads to prevent malicious file execution
- [ ] Protect against cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities
- [ ] Validate and sanitize all HTTP headers and metadata

### Error Handling and Logging
- [ ] Ensure sensitive information (e.g., passwords, API keys) is not exposed in error messages or logs
- [ ] Implement a centralized logging solution and review logs regularly for suspicious activity
- [ ] Configure appropriate log levels and retention policies
- [ ] Ensure logging does not have a significant performance impact on the application

### Data Protection
- [ ] Encrypt all sensitive data (e.g., personally identifiable information, financial data) at rest and in transit
- [ ] Implement access controls and audit logging for sensitive data
- [ ] Ensure backups are encrypted and stored securely
- [ ] Regularly review and update data retention and disposal policies

### Transport Security
- [ ] Enforce HTTPS for all application traffic
- [ ] Implement strong TLS configurations (e.g., use up-to-date ciphers, disable TLS 1.0/1.1)
- [ ] Obtain and renew SSL/TLS certificates from trusted Certificate Authorities
- [ ] Configure HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS) to enforce HTTPS
- [ ] Implement Content Security Policy (CSP) and other security headers to mitigate various web application attacks

### Vulnerability Management
- [ ] Regularly scan the application for known vulnerabilities using tools like OWASP ZAP, Burp Suite, or Nessus
- [ ] Prioritize and remediate identified vulnerabilities based on their risk and impact
- [ ] Implement a process to stay informed about new vulnerabilities and security advisories
- [ ] Ensure all third-party libraries and frameworks are kept up to date with the latest security patches

### Web Application Firewall (WAF)
- [ ] Deploy a WAF (e.g., AWS WAF, Cloudflare, Imperva) to protect against common web application attacks
- [ ] Configure the WAF to monitor and block malicious traffic based on predefined rules and signatures
- [ ] Regularly review and update the WAF configuration to address new threats and attack vectors

### Monitoring and Alerting
- [ ] Implement monitoring and alerting for security-related events (e.g., failed login attempts, unusual user activity, potential attacks)
- [ ] Configure alerts to notify the appropriate security and incident response teams
- [ ] Regularly review monitoring and alerting configurations to ensure they are effective

### Secure Coding Practices
- [ ] Adopt secure coding practices throughout the development lifecycle
- [ ] Conduct regular code reviews to identify and address security vulnerabilities
- [ ] Implement security testing (e.g., penetration testing, SAST, DAST) as part of the CI/CD pipeline

### Physical and Environmental Security
- [ ] Ensure physical access to servers and network equipment is restricted and monitored
- [ ] Implement environmental controls (e.g., temperature, humidity, power) to protect against physical threats
- [ ] Maintain an inventory of all hardware and software assets

## Infrastructure Security Audit Checklist

### Network Security
- [ ] Implement network segmentation to isolate different components of the infrastructure
- [ ] Configure firewalls to restrict inbound and outbound traffic based on the principle of least privilege
- [ ] Regularly review and update firewall rules to address new security requirements
- [ ] Implement access control lists (ACLs) and security groups to control network traffic
- [ ] Enable network flow logging and review the logs for suspicious activity

### Identity and Access Management
- [ ] Enforce strong password policies and multi-factor authentication for all user and service accounts
- [ ] Implement the principle of least privilege for user and service account permissions
- [ ] Regularly review and update user and service account permissions
- [ ] Implement centralized identity management (e.g., Active Directory, LDAP, Azure AD) and single sign-on (SSO)
- [ ] Ensure secure key management for SSH keys, API keys, and other sensitive credentials

### Vulnerability Management
- [ ] Regularly scan the infrastructure for known vulnerabilities using tools like Nessus, Qualys, or OpenVAS
- [ ] Prioritize and remediate identified vulnerabilities based on their risk and impact
- [ ] Implement a patch management process to keep all software (OS, applications, libraries) up to date
- [ ] Maintain an inventory of all software and hardware assets in the infrastructure

### Logging and Monitoring
- [ ] Implement a centralized logging solution (e.g., Elastic Stack, Splunk, Graylog) to collect and analyze logs
- [ ] Configure logging to capture relevant security-related events (e.g., failed login attempts, unusual activity)
- [ ] Implement security monitoring and alerting to detect and respond to potential security incidents
- [ ] Regularly review logs and monitoring dashboards for suspicious activity

### Encryption and Data Protection
- [ ] Encrypt all sensitive data at rest (e.g., disk encryption, volume encryption) and in transit (e.g., TLS/SSL)
- [ ] Implement key management best practices, including key rotation and secure storage
- [ ] Ensure backups are encrypted and stored securely
- [ ] Regularly review and update data retention and disposal policies

### Secure Remote Access
- [ ] Implement secure remote access methods (e.g., VPN, SSH, RDP) with multi-factor authentication
- [ ] Configure remote access to follow the principle of least privilege
- [ ] Ensure all remote access connections are encrypted and logged
- [ ] Regularly review and update remote access policies and configurations

### Incident Response and Business Continuity
- [ ] Develop and regularly test an incident response plan to address security incidents
- [ ] Implement a comprehensive backup and disaster recovery strategy
- [ ] Ensure the availability of key infrastructure components through redundancy and high availability

### Physical and Environmental Security
- [ ] Implement physical access controls (e.g., locks, access badges, CCTV) to restrict access to data centers and server rooms
- [ ] Maintain environmental controls (e.g., temperature, humidity, power) to protect against physical threats
- [ ] Ensure proper disposal of hardware assets that contain sensitive information

## Database Security Audit Checklist

### Authentication and Authorization
- [ ] Enforce strong password policies for all database user accounts
- [ ] Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) for privileged database accounts
- [ ] Regularly review and update user accounts and permissions based on the principle of least privilege
- [ ] Implement row-level or column-level access controls for sensitive data
- [ ] Ensure shared or generic accounts are avoided, and all activity is attributed to individual users

### Data Encryption
- [ ] Encrypt all sensitive data at rest using transparent data encryption (TDE) or column-level encryption
- [ ] Encrypt all data in transit using secure protocols (e.g., SSL/TLS)
- [ ] Implement key management best practices, including key rotation and secure storage

### Vulnerability Management
- [ ] Regularly scan the database for known vulnerabilities using tools like Nessus or Qualys
- [ ] Apply security patches and updates in a timely manner to address identified vulnerabilities
- [ ] Maintain an inventory of all database instances, versions, and software components

### Logging and Monitoring
- [ ] Enable database audit logging to capture security-relevant events (e.g., failed login attempts, administrative actions)
- [ ] Configure log retention policies and regularly review logs for suspicious activity
- [ ] Implement security monitoring and alerting to detect and respond to potential security incidents

### Network Security
- [ ] Restrict database access to only the necessary IP addresses and ports
- [ ] Implement network segmentation to isolate the database from other infrastructure components
- [ ] Ensure the database is not directly accessible from the internet and is only accessible through a secure gateway

### Backup and Recovery
- [ ] Implement a comprehensive backup strategy for the database, including full backups, incremental backups, and log backups
- [ ] Ensure backup data is encrypted and stored securely, with regular testing of the restore process
- [ ] Develop and regularly test a disaster recovery plan for the database

### Database Configuration
- [ ] Disable or remove unnecessary database features, services, and protocols
- [ ] Ensure default database accounts and passwords are changed or disabled
- [ ] Configure appropriate database parameters and settings to enhance security (e.g., password policies, audit logging)
- [ ] Implement secure coding practices and review database-related code for potential vulnerabilities

### Secure Deployment and Change Management
- [ ] Automate the deployment of database changes using a secure and auditable process
- [ ] Maintain version control for all database schema and configuration changes
- [ ] Implement a change management process to review and approve database changes before deployment

## API Security Audit Checklist

### Authentication and Authorization
- [ ] Implement strong authentication mechanisms, such as API keys, OAuth 2.0, or JSON Web Tokens (JWT)
- [ ] Enforce principle of least privilege for API permissions and scopes
- [ ] Implement rate limiting and throttling to protect against brute-force and denial-of-service attacks
- [ ] Ensure all API endpoints require authentication and authorization checks

### Input Validation and Sanitization
- [ ] Validate all input parameters, query strings, and request payloads to prevent injection attacks (e.g., SQL injection, XML injection)
- [ ] Sanitize and encode all user-supplied data before processing or storing it
- [ ] Implement input validation for file uploads to prevent malicious file execution

### Transport Security
- [ ] Enforce HTTPS for all API traffic to protect data in transit
- [ ] Implement strong TLS configurations (e.g., use up-to-date ciphers, disable TLS 1.0/1.1)
- [ ] Obtain and renew SSL/TLS certificates from trusted Certificate Authorities

### Error Handling and Logging
- [ ] Ensure sensitive information is not exposed in error messages or logs
- [ ] Implement a centralized logging solution to capture security-relevant API events (e.g., failed login attempts, unauthorized access)
- [ ] Regularly review logs for suspicious activity and potential security incidents

### API Versioning and Deprecation
- [ ] Implement versioning for your APIs to manage breaking changes and deprecations
- [ ] Ensure old API versions are deprecated and retired in a timely manner
- [ ] Communicate API version changes and deprecations to your API consumers

### API Gateway and Proxy
- [ ] Deploy an API gateway or proxy to manage and secure your API endpoints
- [ ] Implement rate limiting, throttling, and IP-based access control at the gateway level
- [ ] Configure the gateway to enforce security policies, such as API key validation and JWT validation

### API Monitoring and Alerting
- [ ] Implement monitoring and alerting for security-relevant API events (e.g., failed authentication, suspicious activity)
- [ ] Configure alerts to notify the appropriate security and incident response teams
- [ ] Regularly review monitoring and alerting configurations to ensure they are effective

### API Security Testing
- [ ] Conduct regular security testing of your APIs using tools like OWASP ZAP, Postman, or Burp Suite
- [ ] Prioritize and remediate identified vulnerabilities based on their risk and impact
- [ ] Implement API security testing as part of your CI/CD pipeline

### API Documentation and Communication
- [ ] Provide clear and comprehensive documentation for your APIs, including security-related information
- [ ] Communicate API security best practices and requirements to your API consumers
- [ ] Educate and train your API consumers on secure API usage and implementation

## Deployment Pipeline Security Audit Checklist

### Source Code Management
- [ ] Implement strong access controls and authentication for your source code repositories
- [ ] Ensure all repositories use HTTPS or SSH for secure connections
- [ ] Configure branch protection rules to enforce code reviews and status checks
- [ ] Regularly review and update permissions for users and service accounts

### Build and Artifact Management
- [ ] Use a secure and trusted build environment (e.g., private build servers, hardened Docker images)
- [ ] Implement secure storage and distribution of build artifacts (e.g., code packages, Docker images)
- [ ] Ensure build dependencies and third-party libraries are scanned for known vulnerabilities
- [ ] Sign build artifacts (e.g., code packages, Docker images) to ensure integrity and authenticity

### Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Security
- [ ] Scan IaC templates (e.g., Terraform, CloudFormation, Ansible) for security misconfigurations and vulnerabilities
- [ ] Implement secrets management for storing sensitive information (e.g., API keys, database credentials) in IaC
- [ ] Enforce the principle of least privilege in IaC configurations
- [ ] Use a secure and trusted source for IaC templates and modules

### Container Security
- [ ] Scan container images for known vulnerabilities and security issues
- [ ] Implement best practices for container image building, such as using a secure base image and removing unnecessary components
- [ ] Configure container runtime security policies (e.g., AppArmor, SELinux, seccomp) to restrict container capabilities
- [ ] Ensure container orchestration platforms (e.g., Kubernetes, Docker Swarm) are configured securely

### CI/CD Pipeline Security
- [ ] Implement role-based access controls and audit logging for the CI/CD pipeline
- [ ] Secure the pipeline's source code repository, build environment, and artifact storage
- [ ] Integrate security testing (e.g., SAST, DAST, container scanning) as part of the CI/CD pipeline
- [ ] Implement branch protection, commit signing, and other security controls to ensure the integrity of the pipeline

### Deployment Process Security
- [ ] Implement secure deployment practices, such as blue-green deployments or canary deployments
- [ ] Ensure the deployment process is automated and auditable, with rollback capabilities
- [ ] Implement security checks (e.g., configuration validation, secret management) as part of the deployment process
- [ ] Secure the communication between the CI/CD pipeline and the target infrastructure (e.g., using SSH, certificates)

### Monitoring and Incident Response
- [ ] Implement monitoring and alerting for security-relevant events in the deployment pipeline
- [ ] Develop and regularly test an incident response plan to address security incidents in the pipeline
- [ ] Ensure the availability and resilience of the deployment pipeline through redundancy and high availability

### Compliance and Governance
- [ ] Ensure the deployment pipeline and associated infrastructure comply with relevant security standards and regulations
- [ ] Implement a process to review and update security controls as requirements change
- [ ] Maintain documentation and evidence of security practices for audit and compliance purposes