Go Security: A Complete Guide for 2025

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Go, also known as Golang, has gained immense popularity for its efficiency, concurrency features, and ease of use. Ranked #9 on the TIOBE index, Go is a procedural language with strong type safety and memory safety features. While Go provides a solid foundation for building secure applications, developers must be aware of potential security vulnerabilities and implement robust security measures. This guide provides a comprehensive overview of Go security best practices, common vulnerabilities, and tools to help you build secure and reliable Go applications in 2025 and beyond.

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This guide covers:

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• Understanding common security vulnerabilities in Go applications.
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• Leveraging Go's built-in security features.
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• Implementing secure coding practices to minimize risks.
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• Validating user input to prevent injection attacks.
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• Implementing secure authentication and authorization mechanisms.
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• Using cryptography effectively to protect sensitive data.
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• Managing dependencies securely to avoid supply chain attacks.
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• Utilizing security tools and scanners to identify vulnerabilities.
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By following the guidelines in this guide, you can significantly improve the security posture of your Go applications and protect them from potential threats.

Common Security Vulnerabilities in Go

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Understanding common vulnerabilities is crucial for building secure Go applications. This section outlines some of the most prevalent security risks that Go developers should be aware of.

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According to recent statistics, injection flaws and broken authentication are consistently ranked among the top security risks in web applications. Go applications are not immune to these vulnerabilities, and developers must take proactive measures to mitigate them.

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Vulnerability	Severity	Description	Example	Mitigation
Injection (SQL, Command)	Critical	Injection flaws occur when untrusted data is sent to an interpreter as part of a command or query. This can allow attackers to execute arbitrary code or access sensitive data.	db.Query("SELECT * FROM users WHERE username = '" + userInput + "'")	Use parameterized queries or prepared statements. Sanitize user input.
Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)	High	XSS vulnerabilities allow attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users. This can be used to steal cookies, redirect users to malicious websites, or deface websites.	fmt.Fprintf(w, " Welcome, %s! ", userInput)	Encode user input before displaying it in HTML. Use a Content Security Policy (CSP).
Broken Authentication	High	Broken authentication vulnerabilities allow attackers to impersonate legitimate users or bypass authentication mechanisms.	Weak password policies, insecure session management.	Implement strong password policies, use multi-factor authentication, and secure session management.
Insecure Direct Object References (IDOR)	Medium	IDOR vulnerabilities occur when an application exposes a direct reference to an internal implementation object, such as a file or database record, without proper authorization checks.	/users/123 (where 123 is a user ID that can be easily guessed).	Implement proper authorization checks to ensure that users can only access resources they are authorized to access.
Security Misconfiguration	Medium	Security misconfiguration vulnerabilities arise from improper configuration of servers, applications, or frameworks.	Default passwords, unnecessary features enabled, verbose error messages.	Follow security hardening guidelines, disable unnecessary features, and customize error messages.
Sensitive Data Exposure	High	Sensitive data exposure vulnerabilities occur when sensitive information, such as passwords, credit card numbers, or personal data, is exposed to unauthorized users.	Storing passwords in plaintext, transmitting sensitive data over unencrypted channels.	Encrypt sensitive data at rest and in transit. Use HTTPS for all communication.
Missing Function Level Access Control	High	Missing function level access control vulnerabilities occur when an application does not properly restrict access to certain functions or features based on user roles or permissions.	Admin functions accessible to regular users.	Implement proper access control mechanisms to ensure that users can only access functions they are authorized to access.
Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF)	Medium	CSRF vulnerabilities allow attackers to trick users into performing actions on their behalf without their knowledge or consent.	A malicious website can trigger a request to change a user's password on a vulnerable website.	Implement CSRF protection mechanisms, such as synchronizer tokens.
Using Components with Known Vulnerabilities	High	Using components with known vulnerabilities can expose your application to security risks.	Using outdated libraries with known security flaws.	Keep dependencies up-to-date and use vulnerability scanning tools to identify vulnerable components.
Insufficient Logging & Monitoring	Low	Insufficient logging and monitoring can make it difficult to detect and respond to security incidents.	Not logging failed login attempts or suspicious activity.	Implement comprehensive logging and monitoring to detect and respond to security incidents.

Built-in Security Features in Go

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Go offers several built-in features that contribute to the security of applications. Understanding and leveraging these features is essential for building secure Go applications.

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• Memory Safety: Go's memory management system, including garbage collection and bounds checking, helps prevent memory-related vulnerabilities such as buffer overflows and dangling pointers.
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• Type Safety: Go's strong type system helps prevent type-related errors that can lead to security vulnerabilities.
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• Concurrency Safety: Go's concurrency primitives, such as goroutines and channels, provide mechanisms for writing concurrent code that is less prone to race conditions and other concurrency-related vulnerabilities.
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• Standard Library: Go's standard library includes a variety of security-related packages, such as crypto for cryptography and net/http for secure networking.
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While these features provide a solid foundation for security, they are not a substitute for secure coding practices. Developers must still be vigilant about preventing vulnerabilities and implementing robust security measures.

Secure Coding Best Practices in Go

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Adopting secure coding practices is paramount for building robust and secure Go applications. This section outlines key practices to minimize vulnerabilities and enhance the overall security posture of your code.

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According to a recent study, applications that follow secure coding practices are significantly less likely to be affected by security vulnerabilities. By incorporating these practices into your development workflow, you can reduce the risk of security breaches and protect your applications from potential threats.

Input Validation in Go

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Input validation is a critical security measure that helps prevent injection attacks and other vulnerabilities. By validating user input, you can ensure that it conforms to expected formats and values, and prevent malicious data from being processed by your application.

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According to OWASP, input validation is one of the most effective ways to prevent injection attacks. By implementing robust input validation mechanisms, you can significantly reduce the risk of security breaches and protect your applications from potential threats.

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Best Practices for Input Validation

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• Validate all input: Validate all user input, including data from forms, URLs, cookies, and APIs.
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• Use whitelisting: Define a whitelist of allowed characters, formats, and values, and reject any input that does not conform to the whitelist.
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• Sanitize input: Sanitize input by removing or escaping potentially harmful characters.
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• Encode output: Encode output before displaying it in HTML or other formats to prevent XSS attacks.
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• Use regular expressions: Use regular expressions to validate input against complex patterns.
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Example of Input Validation in Go

\n\n```go\npackage main\n\nimport (\n "fmt"\n "net/http"\n "regexp"\n)\n\nfunc handler(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {\n username := r.URL.Query().Get("username")\n\n // Validate username using regular expression\n regex := regexp.MustCompile(`^[a-zA-Z0-9]+$`)\n if !regex.MatchString(username) {\n http.Error(w, "Invalid username", http.StatusBadRequest)\n return\n }\n\n fmt.Fprintf(w, "Hello, %s!", username)\n}\n\nfunc main() {\n http.HandleFunc("/", handler)\n http.ListenAndServe(":8080", nil)\n}\n```\n

This example demonstrates how to use regular expressions to validate user input in Go. The regexp.MustCompile function creates a regular expression that matches only alphanumeric characters. The regex.MatchString function checks if the username matches the regular expression. If the username is invalid, the handler returns an error.

Authentication & Authorization in Go

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Authentication and authorization are essential security mechanisms that control access to your application and its resources. Authentication verifies the identity of a user, while authorization determines what resources a user is allowed to access.

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According to a recent report, broken authentication is a leading cause of security breaches. By implementing robust authentication and authorization mechanisms, you can significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access and protect your applications from potential threats.

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Best Practices for Authentication and Authorization

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• Use strong passwords: Enforce strong password policies, such as minimum length, complexity, and expiration.
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• Use multi-factor authentication: Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) to add an extra layer of security.
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• Securely store passwords: Store passwords using a strong hashing algorithm, such as bcrypt or Argon2.
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• Implement role-based access control (RBAC): Define roles and permissions to control access to resources based on user roles.
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• Use JSON Web Tokens (JWT): Use JWTs for stateless authentication and authorization.
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Example of Authentication with JWT in Go

\n\n```go\npackage main\n\nimport (\n "fmt"\n "log"\n "net/http"\n "time"\n\n "github.com/golang-jwt/jwt/v5"\n)\n\nvar jwtKey = []byte("supersecretkey")\n\ntype Claims struct {\n Username string `json:"username"`\n jwt.RegisteredClaims\n}\n\nfunc generateJWT(username string) (string, error) {\n expirationTime := time.Now().Add(5 * time.Minute)\n claims := &Claims{\n Username: username,\n RegisteredClaims: jwt.RegisteredClaims{\n ExpiresAt: jwt.NewNumericDate(expirationTime),\n },\n }\n token := jwt.NewWithClaims(jwt.SigningMethodHS256, claims)\n tokenString, err := token.SignedString(jwtKey)\n if err != nil {\n return "", err\n }\n return tokenString, nil\n}\n\nfunc validateJWT(tokenString string) (*Claims, error) {\n claims := &Claims{}\n\n token, err := jwt.ParseWithClaims(tokenString, claims, func(token *jwt.Token) (interface{}, error) {\n if _, ok := token.Method.(*jwt.SigningMethodHMAC);\n !ok {\n return nil, fmt.Errorf("unexpected signing method: %v", token.Header["alg"])\n }\n return jwtKey, nil\n })\n if err != nil {\n return nil, err\n }\n\n if !token.Valid {\n return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid token")\n }\n\n return claims, nil\n}\n\nfunc main() {\n http.HandleFunc("/generate", func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {\n username := "testuser"\n tokenString, err := generateJWT(username)\n if err != nil {\n http.Error(w, err.Error(), http.StatusInternalServerError)\n return\n }\n w.Write([]byte(tokenString))\n })\n\n http.HandleFunc("/validate", func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {\n tokenString := r.URL.Query().Get("token")\n claims, err := validateJWT(tokenString)\n if err != nil {\n http.Error(w, err.Error(), http.StatusUnauthorized)\n return\n }\n w.Write([]byte(fmt.Sprintf("Welcome, %s!", claims.Username)))\n })\n\n log.Fatal(http.ListenAndServe(":8080", nil))\n}\n```\n

This example demonstrates how to use JWTs for authentication in Go. The generateJWT function generates a JWT for a given username. The validateJWT function validates a JWT and returns the claims. The main function defines two handlers: one for generating JWTs and one for validating JWTs.

Cryptography Best Practices in Go

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Cryptography is essential for protecting sensitive data, such as passwords, credit card numbers, and personal information. By using cryptography effectively, you can ensure that your data is protected from unauthorized access and modification.

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According to a recent study, data breaches are often caused by weak or improperly implemented cryptography. By following cryptography best practices, you can significantly reduce the risk of data breaches and protect your sensitive data.

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Best Practices for Cryptography

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• Use strong encryption algorithms: Use strong encryption algorithms, such as AES-256 or ChaCha20.
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• Use proper key management: Store encryption keys securely and rotate them regularly.
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• Use authenticated encryption: Use authenticated encryption modes, such as AES-GCM or ChaCha20-Poly1305, to protect against both confidentiality and integrity attacks.
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• Use TLS/SSL for secure communication: Use TLS/SSL to encrypt communication between your application and its clients.
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• Use a cryptographically secure random number generator (CSPRNG): Use a CSPRNG to generate random numbers for cryptographic purposes.
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Example of Encryption with AES-GCM in Go

\n\n```go\npackage main\n\nimport (\n "crypto/aes"\n "crypto/cipher"\n "crypto/rand"\n "encoding/hex"\n "fmt"\n "io"\n "log"\n)\n\nfunc encrypt(plaintext string, key []byte) (string, error) {\n block, err := aes.NewCipher(key)\n if err != nil {\n return "", err\n }\n\n gcm, err := cipher.NewGCM(block)\n if err != nil {\n return "", err\n }\n\n nonce := make([]byte, gcm.NonceSize())\n if _, err = io.ReadFull(rand.Reader, nonce);\n err != nil {\n return "", err\n }\n\n ciphertext := gcm.Seal(nonce, nonce, []byte(plaintext), nil)\n return hex.EncodeToString(ciphertext), nil\n}\n\nfunc decrypt(ciphertext string, key []byte) (string, error) {\n enc, err := hex.DecodeString(ciphertext)\n if err != nil {\n return "", err\n }\n\n block, err := aes.NewCipher(key)\n if err != nil {\n return "", err\n }\n\n gcm, err := cipher.NewGCM(block)\n if err != nil {\n return "", err\n }\n\n nonceSize := gcm.NonceSize()\n if len(enc) < nonceSize {\n return "", fmt.Errorf("ciphertext too short")\n }\n\n nonce, ciphertextBytes := enc[:nonceSize], enc[nonceSize:]\n\n plaintextBytes, err := gcm.Open(nil, nonce, ciphertextBytes, nil)\n if err != nil {\n return "", err\n }\n\n return string(plaintextBytes), nil\n}\n\nfunc main() {\n key := []byte("passphrasewhichneedstobe32bytes!") // 32 bytes for AES-256\n plaintext := "This is a secret message!"\n\n ciphertext, err := encrypt(plaintext, key)\n if err != nil {\n log.Fatal(err)\n }\n fmt.Println("Ciphertext:", ciphertext)\n\n decryptedText, err := decrypt(ciphertext, key)\n if err != nil {\n log.Fatal(err)\n }\n fmt.Println("Decrypted Text:", decryptedText)\n}\n```\n

This example demonstrates how to use AES-GCM for encryption and decryption in Go. The encrypt function encrypts a plaintext using AES-GCM. The decrypt function decrypts a ciphertext using AES-GCM. The main function demonstrates how to use the encrypt and decrypt functions.

Managing Dependencies Securely in Go

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Managing dependencies securely is crucial for preventing supply chain attacks. By carefully managing your dependencies, you can ensure that your application is not vulnerable to security flaws in third-party libraries.

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According to a recent report, supply chain attacks are on the rise. By following dependency security best practices, you can significantly reduce the risk of supply chain attacks and protect your applications from potential threats.

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Best Practices for Dependency Security

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• Use a dependency management tool: Use a dependency management tool, such as Go modules, to manage your dependencies.
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• Keep dependencies up-to-date: Keep your dependencies up-to-date with the latest security patches.
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• Use vulnerability scanning tools: Use vulnerability scanning tools to identify vulnerable dependencies.
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• Vendor dependencies: Vendor dependencies to ensure that your application is not affected by changes in third-party libraries.
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• Verify checksums: Verify checksums of dependencies to ensure that they have not been tampered with.
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Example of Using Go Modules for Dependency Management

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Go modules is the official dependency management tool for Go. To use Go modules, create a go.mod file in your project directory:

\n\n```bash\ngo mod init example.com/myapp\n```\n\n

This command creates a go.mod file that tracks your project's dependencies. To add a dependency, use the go get command:

\n\n```bash\ngo get github.com/gorilla/mux\n```\n\n

This command downloads the github.com/gorilla/mux package and adds it to your go.mod file. To update your dependencies, use the go mod tidy command:

\n\n```bash\ngo mod tidy\n```\n\n

This command updates your go.mod file to reflect the current dependencies of your project.

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To vendor your dependencies, use the go mod vendor command:

\n\n```bash\ngo mod vendor\n```\n\n

This command copies your dependencies to the vendor directory in your project. This ensures that your application is not affected by changes in third-party libraries.

Security Tools & Scanners for Go

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Leveraging security tools and scanners is essential for identifying and mitigating vulnerabilities in your Go applications. These tools can automate the process of finding security flaws, allowing you to address them proactively.

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According to a recent survey, organizations that use security tools and scanners are significantly more likely to identify and address vulnerabilities before they can be exploited. By incorporating these tools into your development workflow, you can improve the security posture of your Go applications and protect them from potential threats.

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Types of Security Tools

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• Static Application Security Testing (SAST): SAST tools analyze source code to identify potential vulnerabilities.
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• Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST): DAST tools test running applications to identify vulnerabilities.
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• Software Composition Analysis (SCA): SCA tools identify and analyze third-party dependencies to identify vulnerable components.
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• Interactive Application Security Testing (IAST): IAST tools combine SAST and DAST techniques to provide more comprehensive vulnerability analysis.
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Popular Security Tools for Go

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Tool Name	Type	Description	License
`go vet`	SAST	A built-in Go tool that performs static analysis of Go code to identify potential errors and vulnerabilities.	BSD-style
`staticcheck`	SAST	A more comprehensive static analysis tool for Go that identifies a wider range of potential vulnerabilities.	MIT
`govulncheck`	SCA	A vulnerability detection tool that uses the Go vulnerability database to identify known vulnerabilities in your dependencies.	BSD-style
`Secably`	SAST	A static analysis tool that focuses on security-related issues in Go code.	Proprietary
`SonarQube`	SAST, SCA	A popular platform for continuous inspection of code quality and security.	Commercial/Open Source
`OWASP ZAP`	DAST	A free and open-source web application security scanner.	Apache 2.0

Is Go a secure language?

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Go, by design, incorporates several security features like memory safety and type safety, which help prevent common vulnerabilities. However, like any language, the security of a Go application depends heavily on the developer's coding practices and the implementation of security measures. Go provides the tools, but it's the developer's responsibility to use them correctly.

How can I prevent SQL injection in Go?

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The best way to prevent SQL injection in Go is to use parameterized queries or prepared statements. These techniques allow you to separate the SQL code from the user-supplied data, preventing attackers from injecting malicious SQL code into your queries. Use the `database/sql` package and its `Prepare` method to create prepared statements. Always sanitize user input, even when using prepared statements, to further mitigate risks.

What is the best way to store passwords securely in Go?

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Never store passwords in plaintext. Instead, use a strong hashing algorithm like bcrypt or Argon2 to hash passwords before storing them. Go's `golang.org/x/crypto/bcrypt` package provides a convenient way to hash and compare passwords using bcrypt. Argon2 is another strong option, and libraries are available for Go. Remember to use a salt when hashing passwords to further enhance security.

How can I protect my Go application from XSS attacks?

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To protect your Go application from XSS attacks, encode user input before displaying it in HTML. Use Go's `html/template` package, which automatically escapes HTML entities, to prevent malicious scripts from being injected into your web pages. Also, implement a Content Security Policy (CSP) to restrict the sources from which scripts can be loaded.

How do I handle sensitive data in Go applications?

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Handle sensitive data with extreme care. Encrypt sensitive data at rest and in transit. Use HTTPS for all communication. Store encryption keys securely and rotate them regularly. Avoid logging sensitive data. Apply the principle of least privilege by granting users only the minimum necessary permissions to access sensitive data.