Building secure foundations for the modern web.
DevSec-Archive is a technical knowledge base focused on the intersection of Backend Engineering, Cybersecurity, Networking, Databases, and DevSecOps.
The goal is simple:
Don't just make it work. Make it secure, scalable, observable, and maintainable.
This repository collects practical concepts, architectural patterns, security principles, checklists, references, and engineering notes for building and defending modern web infrastructure.
Modern backend systems are more than APIs and databases. They are interconnected systems exposed to constantly evolving threats.
DevSec-Archive exists to bridge the gap between:
┌──────────────────┐
│ Make It Work │
└────────┬─────────┘
│
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┌──────────────────┐
│ Make It Secure │
└────────┬─────────┘
│
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┌──────────────────┐
│ Make It Scalable │
└────────┬─────────┘
│
▼
┌──────────────────┐
│ Make It Reliable │
└──────────────────┘
The archive explores how to design, implement, secure, test, and operate backend systems in real-world environments.
Foundations and architectural patterns for building modern server-side applications.
- HTTP Fundamentals
- REST API Design
- GraphQL
- WebSockets
- Authentication & Authorization
- Session Management
- API Versioning
- Caching Strategies
- File Uploads
- Background Jobs
- Event-Driven Architecture
- Microservices
- API Gateways
- Backend Design Patterns
- Clean Architecture
- Domain-Driven Design (DDD)
Security concepts for protecting applications, APIs, infrastructure, and sensitive data.
- Web Application Security
- Authentication Security
- API Security
- OWASP Top 10
- OWASP API Security Top 10
- Cryptography
- Password Security
- JWT Security
- OAuth 2.0 & OpenID Connect
- Secure Coding Practices
- Security Headers
- CORS
- CSRF
- XSS
- SQL Injection
- SSRF
- Command Injection
- File Upload Security
- Secrets Management
- Zero Trust Architecture
- Threat Modeling
The protocols and infrastructure that connect modern applications.
- Computer Networks
- OSI Model
- TCP/IP
- HTTP / HTTPS
- DNS
- TLS / SSL
- Reverse Proxies
- Load Balancers
- Firewalls
- VPN
- CDN
- WebSockets
- HTTP/2 & HTTP/3
- gRPC
- SSH
- SMTP
- DNS Security
Database fundamentals, performance, architecture, and security.
- SQL
- PostgreSQL
- MySQL
- MongoDB
- Redis
- Database Indexing
- Transactions
- ACID
- Isolation Levels
- Query Optimization
- Database Security
- Connection Pooling
- Backup & Recovery
Core cryptographic concepts used throughout secure systems.
- Hash Functions
- Password Hashing
- Digital Signatures
- Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)
- Digital Certificates
- AES
- RSA
- ECC
- HMAC
- JWT
- JWS
- JWE
- JWK
- TLS Handshake
Note: Cryptography should rarely be implemented from scratch. Prefer well-maintained, audited libraries and established standards.
Practical checklists and engineering guidance for production systems.
- Secure API Checklist
- Backend Engineering Checklist
- Security Checklist
- Production Readiness
- Performance Optimization
- Logging Best Practices
- Error Handling
- Code Review Guide
- Dependency Management
- Secrets Management
- Monitoring & Observability
- Incident Response
A curated collection of useful technical resources.
- RFC Collection
- Security Cheat Sheets
- Books
- Whitepapers
- Tools
- Glossary
- Interview Questions
- Security Resources
- Engineering References
The archive is designed to support a progression from fundamentals to advanced system security.
Networking
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HTTP & Web Fundamentals
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Backend Engineering
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Databases API Design
│ │
└──────┬───────┘
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Authentication
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API Security
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Secure Coding
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System Architecture
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DevSecOps / Zero Trust
Developers who want to build backend systems that are secure, maintainable, scalable, and production-ready.
Learners exploring application security, API attack surfaces, authentication, infrastructure security, and defensive engineering.
Engineers interested in integrating security into development, deployment, infrastructure, and operational workflows.
Anyone building a strong foundation in backend engineering and cybersecurity through structured technical notes and references.
The concepts are intentionally language-agnostic, but examples and implementations primarily focus on:
- 🐍 Python
- 🐹 Go
- 🟦 TypeScript
- 🟨 JavaScript
- ➕ More languages will be added over time
- 🐳 Docker
- 🐧 Linux
- 🔐 Security-focused Linux environments
- Microservices
- API Gateways
- Reverse Proxies
- Event-Driven Systems
- Distributed Systems
- Zero Trust Architecture
- Defense in Depth
DevSec-Archive follows a few core principles:
| Principle | Goal |
|---|---|
| Secure by Design | Security should start at architecture, not after deployment. |
| Least Privilege | Give systems and users only the access they actually need. |
| Defense in Depth | Never rely on a single security control. |
| Fail Securely | Errors should not create security vulnerabilities. |
| Zero Trust | Never automatically trust a request, user, or network boundary. |
| Assume Breach | Design systems with the possibility of compromise in mind. |
| Keep It Observable | Logs, metrics, and monitoring are part of security. |
Security is a community effort.
Contributions are welcome — whether you want to:
- 📖 Add a new technical article
- 🐛 Fix an incorrect explanation
- 🔐 Improve a security recommendation
- 🧩 Add an architectural pattern
- 🔗 Add a valuable reference
- ✍️ Improve documentation
- 💡 Suggest a new topic
# Fork the repository
# Create a branch
git checkout -b docs/improve-api-security
# Make your changes
# Commit
git commit -m "docs: improve API security notes"
# Push
git push origin docs/improve-api-security
# Open a Pull RequestPlease review CONTRIBUTING.md before submitting a contribution.
The security material in this repository is intended for education, defensive engineering, secure development, and authorized security testing.
Always test security techniques only against systems you own or have explicit permission to assess.
Learn how attacks work so you can build systems that resist them.
This project is licensed under the MIT License.
See LICENSE for the complete license text.
Built and maintained with curiosity by ItsWanheda.
Keep learning. Keep building. Keep securing.
DevSec-Archive
Backend • Security • Networking • Cryptography • Infrastructure
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