Q17: What is Helmet middleware and why should you use it?
helmet is a third-party middleware that secures Express applications by automatically setting various HTTP response security headers.
Key Protections
X-DNS-Prefetch-Control: Controls browser DNS prefetching.X-Frame-Options: Prevents clickjacking attacks.X-Content-Type-Options: Prevents MIME type sniffing.Strict-Transport-Security(HSTS): Enforces HTTPS connections.Content-Security-Policy(CSP): Prevents XSS script injection.
Key Takeaways
- Mount
app.use(helmet())near the top of your middleware chain for immediate header protection. - Helps hide backend implementation headers like
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