Security Basics Every Student Developer Should Know

Security is not only for specialists. Common student project mistakes include hardcoded API keys, open database ports, and missing HTTPS — all fixable with basic hygiene.

Never commit secrets to GitHub. Use environment variables and GitHub Actions secrets. Enable MFA on Microsoft and GitHub accounts. Review dependency alerts weekly.

For web apps, validate input, sanitize output, and use parameterized queries. Azure Key Vault stores production secrets safely when you outgrow local .env files.

MLSC partnered with our cybersecurity club for a joint session on OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities with live demos. Review the checklist we published: authentication, authorization, logging, and backup strategy. Share your project for a voluntary security review before public launch.