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Hosting/Cloud Security

Is Heroku Secure? Security Features, Risks, and Hardening

Yes, Heroku is generally secure when configured correctly. Here is what you need to know about its built-in protections, common vulnerabilities, and how to harden it for production.

Built-in Security Features

Automatic HTTPS on all *.herokuapp.com domains
Dyno isolation using Linux containers
Config vars encrypted at rest for secret management
Automated certificate management for custom domains
SOC 2 certified platform infrastructure

Common Vulnerabilities

Exposed config vars through application error pages
Insecure Heroku Postgres connections without SSL enforcement
Add-on credentials leaked in environment variables
Missing authentication on review apps
Default open CORS in API applications

Hardening Checklist

1Enforce SSL with config.force_ssl or framework equivalent
2Use Heroku Private Spaces for network isolation
3Enable Heroku Postgres SSL required mode
4Implement Heroku Shield for compliance-sensitive workloads
5Configure review app access controls
6Use Heroku Teams with SSO for access management
7Enable log drains for centralized security monitoring
8Rotate credentials regularly through Heroku CLI
9Audit add-on permissions and remove unused add-ons

Read the complete Heroku security guide

In-depth blog post with code examples and best practices

Official Heroku security documentation

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Heroku secure?

Yes, Heroku is generally secure when configured correctly. It includes built-in protections like automatic https on all *.herokuapp.com domains. However, common misconfigurations and development patterns can introduce vulnerabilities.

What are the main security risks with Heroku?

The most common Heroku security risks include exposed config vars through application error pages, insecure heroku postgres connections without ssl enforcement, add-on credentials leaked in environment variables.

How do I harden Heroku for production?

Key hardening steps: Enforce SSL with config.force_ssl or framework equivalent. Use Heroku Private Spaces for network isolation. Enable Heroku Postgres SSL required mode. Run a security check on your domain to identify specific issues.

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