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No-Code Security Checklist

No-Code Security Checklist

A comprehensive security audit framework for no-code and low-code platforms. Covers authentication hardening, data protection, API security, access control, compliance considerations, and platform-specific security configurations for Bubble, Retool, Zapier, Make, and Webflow.

Key Features

  • 85-point security checklist organized by category with severity ratings
  • Platform-specific guides — security configurations for 5 major no-code platforms
  • Python security scanner — automated checks for common misconfigurations
  • Privacy rule templates — copy-paste access control configs
  • Compliance mapping — GDPR, SOC 2, and HIPAA considerations for no-code apps
  • Incident response template — what to do when something goes wrong
  • Security policy template — ready-to-customize organizational policy document

What's Included

nocode-security-checklist/
├── README.md
├── config.example.yaml
├── policies/
│   └── security-policy.md         # Organizational security policy template
├── scripts/
│   └── security_scan.py           # Automated misconfiguration scanner
├── pyproject.toml
└── LICENSE
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Quick Start

  1. Start with the checklist — work through the 85-point audit below, section by section
  2. Run the automated scannerpython scripts/security_scan.py --config config.example.yaml
  3. Review your platform's section — jump to the platform-specific guide for your tool
  4. Implement fixes by severity — Critical first, then High, Medium, Low
  5. Adopt the security policy — customize policies/security-policy.md for your team
  6. Schedule recurring audits — re-run quarterly or after major platform changes

Security Checklist Overview

Category Items Critical High Medium Low
Authentication 12 3 4 3 2
Data Protection 15 4 5 4 2
API Security 14 5 4 3 2
Access Control 12 3 4 3 2
Platform Config 10 2 3 3 2
Compliance 10 2 3 3 2
Monitoring 8 1 3 2 2
Incident Response 4 1 2 1 0
Total 85 21 28 22 14

Example: Authentication Checklist

## Authentication Security

### CRITICAL
- [ ] Passwords require minimum 12 characters, mixed case, numbers, symbols
- [ ] Rate limiting enabled on login endpoint (max 5 attempts per minute)
- [ ] Session tokens expire after inactivity (max 30 minutes for admin, 24 hours for users)

### HIGH
- [ ] Multi-factor authentication (MFA) available and enforced for admin accounts
- [ ] Password reset tokens expire after 15 minutes
- [ ] OAuth tokens stored server-side, never exposed to client
- [ ] Account lockout after 10 consecutive failed attempts

### MEDIUM
- [ ] Login page does not reveal whether email exists ("Invalid credentials" not "User not found")
- [ ] Password reset does not confirm email existence
- [ ] Session invalidated on password change

### LOW
- [ ] "Remember me" functionality uses secure, httpOnly cookies
- [ ] Login activity log accessible to users
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Example: Bubble Privacy Rules

# Multi-tenant SaaS privacy rules
data_types:
  User:
    view: "This User is Current User"
    edit: "This User is Current User"
    fields_hidden: [email, phone, subscription_tier]
  Company:
    view: "This Company's members contains Current User"
    edit: "Current User's role is 'Admin'"
    delete: "NEVER"
  Order:
    view: "This Order's company = Current User's company"
    edit: "Current User's role is 'Admin' or 'Manager'"
  default_policy: "deny_all"  # CRITICAL: if no rule matches, data is hidden
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Configuration: Security Scanner

# config.example.yaml
security_scan:
  # Target application
  target:
    url: "https://your-app.example.com"
    platform: "bubble"           # bubble, retool, webflow, custom

  # Checks to run
  checks:
    authentication:
      enabled: true
      # Test login endpoint for rate limiting
      test_rate_limit: true
      max_attempts: 10
      # Check for information disclosure
      test_user_enumeration: true

    headers:
      enabled: true
      # Expected security headers
      required:
        - "X-Content-Type-Options: nosniff"
        - "X-Frame-Options: DENY"
        - "Strict-Transport-Security: max-age=31536000"
        - "Content-Security-Policy"
        - "Referrer-Policy: strict-origin-when-cross-origin"

    ssl:
      enabled: true
      min_tls_version: "1.2"
      cert_expiry_warning_days: 30

    api:
      enabled: true
      test_unauthenticated_access: true
      test_cors: true
      allowed_origins: ["https://your-app.example.com"]

  report:
    format: "markdown"
    output_path: "./security_report.md"
    include_remediation: true
    min_severity: "medium"
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Platform-Specific: API Security

### Bubble API Security
- [ ] API Workflow endpoints require authentication token
- [ ] Privacy rules applied at the data level (not just page level)
- [ ] "Expose as public API" disabled on sensitive workflows
- [ ] API rate limiting configured in Bubble settings

### Retool API Security
- [ ] Environment variables for all API keys (never hardcoded)
- [ ] Query-level permissions per user group
- [ ] Audit logging enabled; SSO enforced

### Zapier/Make Security
- [ ] Webhook URLs contain random tokens (not guessable)
- [ ] Incoming webhook data validated before processing
- [ ] Credentials in platform's credential manager; unused Zaps deactivated
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Best Practices

  1. Default deny — configure privacy rules so data is hidden unless explicitly allowed
  2. Encrypt at rest and in transit — verify your platform uses TLS 1.2+ and encrypts stored data
  3. Audit access quarterly — remove ex-team members, rotate API keys, review permissions
  4. Never expose admin endpoints — admin APIs should require authentication + IP allowlisting
  5. Log everything — authentication attempts, data modifications, API calls, permission changes
  6. Test as an attacker — try accessing data as an unauthenticated user and as a different user role
  7. Keep platforms updated — no-code platforms push updates automatically, but review changelogs for security fixes

Troubleshooting

Issue Solution
Privacy rules seem to have no effect Bubble privacy rules don't apply in the editor — test in preview or live mode
API endpoint accessible without auth Check that "Requires authentication" is enabled on the API workflow
Scanner reports false positives Add exceptions in config.example.yaml under checks.<category>.exclude
Users can see other users' data Verify privacy rules use "Current User" constraints, not role-based only
Security headers missing Configure via Cloudflare Workers, platform settings, or reverse proxy
SSL certificate warnings Renew certificate; check that platform custom domain SSL is provisioned

This is 1 of 11 resources in the No-Code Builder Pro toolkit. Get the complete [No-Code Security Checklist] with all files, templates, and documentation for $19.

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