Security Intermediate

What is Content Security Policy (CSP)?

An HTTP security header that controls which resources a browser is allowed to load for a web page, preventing XSS and data injection.

CSP tells browsers which sources are trusted for scripts, styles, images, fonts, and other resources. For example, script-src 'self' cdn.example.com only allows scripts from the same origin and cdn.example.com.

CSP can block inline scripts (preventing most XSS), restrict form actions, prevent mixed content, and report violations. Implementation requires careful testing to avoid breaking legitimate functionality. Report-only mode helps during rollout.

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Related Terms

SAST (Static Application Security Testing)

Automated analysis of source code to find security vulnerabilities without executing the application.

A regularly updated list of the ten most critical web application security risks, published by the Open Web Application Security Project.

XSS (Cross-Site Scripting)

An attack that injects malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users, potentially stealing data or session tokens.

CORS (Cross-Origin Resource Sharing)

A browser security mechanism that controls which web domains can access resources from another domain via HTTP requests.

WAF (Web Application Firewall)

A security solution that filters and monitors HTTP traffic between a web application and the internet, blocking common attacks.

Principle of Least Privilege

A security principle where users and programs receive only the minimum access rights needed to perform their specific tasks.

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