Security Guidelines

Security Architecture Overview

LocallyGrown implements a comprehensive security framework designed to protect customer data, payment information, and business operations. Our security approach follows industry best practices and compliance standards.

Authentication Methods

// Server-side API call with secret key
const response = await fetch('https://api.locallygrown.net/v1/orders', {
  headers: {
    'Authorization': 'Bearer sk_live_abc123...',
    'Content-Type': 'application/json'
  }
});

// Client-side operation with publishable key
const stripe = Stripe('pk_live_xyz789...');

// Step 1: Redirect user to authorization URL
const authUrl = 'https://auth.locallygrown.net/oauth/authorize?' +
  'client_id=your_client_id&' +
  'response_type=code&' +
  'scope=read_orders write_products&' +
  'redirect_uri=https://yourapp.com/callback';

// Step 2: Exchange authorization code for access token
const tokenResponse = await fetch('https://auth.locallygrown.net/oauth/token', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: {
    'Content-Type': 'application/json'
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    client_id: 'your_client_id',
    client_secret: 'your_client_secret',
    code: 'authorization_code',
    grant_type: 'authorization_code'
  })
});

Data Encryption

Encryption in Transit

• TLS 1.3 - All API communications encrypted with latest TLS
• Certificate pinning - Additional protection against man-in-the-middle attacks
• HSTS headers - Enforces HTTPS connections
• Perfect forward secrecy - Session keys are not compromised if private keys are exposed

Encryption at Rest

• Database encryption - All databases encrypted with AES-256
• File storage encryption - Documents and images encrypted in storage
• Key management - Encryption keys managed with AWS KMS
• Field-level encryption - Additional encryption for sensitive fields like payment data

Access Control

Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)

LocallyGrown implements granular permissions based on user roles:

API Permissions

API access is controlled through scoped permissions:

• read:orders - View order information
• write:orders - Create and modify orders
• read:customers - Access customer data
• write:products - Manage product catalog
• read:analytics - Access reporting data

Payment Security

PCI DSS Compliance

LocallyGrown maintains PCI DSS Level 1 compliance through our payment processor partnerships:

Secure Payment Processing

• Tokenization - Card numbers replaced with secure tokens
• 3D Secure - Additional authentication for online card payments
• Fraud detection - Machine learning algorithms detect suspicious transactions
• Secure webhooks - Payment events delivered with verified signatures

API Security Best Practices

Secure API Integration

• Use HTTPS everywhere - Never send API keys over HTTP
• Validate webhook signatures - Verify all incoming webhook events
• Implement rate limiting - Protect against abuse and attacks
• Input validation - Sanitize and validate all input data
• Error handling - Don't expose sensitive information in error messages

API Key Management

// ✅ Good: Environment variable
const apiKey = process.env.LOCALLYGROWN_API_KEY;

// ✅ Good: Secure configuration
const config = {
  apiKey: process.env.LG_SECRET_KEY,
  apiUrl: process.env.LG_API_URL || 'https://api.locallygrown.net/v1'
};

// ❌ Bad: Hard-coded in source
const apiKey = 'sk_live_abc123...'; // Never do this!

// ❌ Bad: Committed to version control
const config = {
  apiKey: 'sk_live_xyz789...' // Don't commit secrets!
};

Webhook Security

Webhook Signature Verification

Always verify webhook signatures to ensure authenticity:

const crypto = require('crypto');

function verifyWebhookSignature(payload, signature, secret) {
  // Extract the timestamp and signatures from the header
  const elements = signature.split(',');
  const timestamp = elements.find(el => el.startsWith('t=')).split('=')[1];
  const signatures = elements.filter(el => el.startsWith('v1='));

  // Create the signed payload
  const signedPayload = timestamp + '.' + payload;

  // Create expected signature
  const expectedSignature = crypto
    .createHmac('sha256', secret)
    .update(signedPayload, 'utf8')
    .digest('hex');

  // Compare signatures
  return signatures.some(sig => {
    const providedSig = sig.split('=')[1];
    return crypto.timingSafeEqual(
      Buffer.from(expectedSignature, 'hex'),
      Buffer.from(providedSig, 'hex')
    );
  });
}

// Express.js middleware example
app.post('/webhook', express.raw({type: 'application/json'}), (req, res) => {
  const signature = req.headers['locallygrown-signature'];
  const payload = req.body;

  if (!verifyWebhookSignature(payload, signature, process.env.WEBHOOK_SECRET)) {
    return res.status(401).send('Unauthorized');
  }

  // Process webhook safely
  res.status(200).send('OK');
});

Webhook Security Checklist

• ✓ Always verify webhook signatures
• ✓ Use HTTPS endpoints only
• ✓ Implement idempotency to handle duplicate events
• ✓ Log webhook events for debugging
• ✓ Handle webhook secrets securely
• ✓ Implement proper error handling
• ✓ Rate limit webhook endpoints

Data Privacy and GDPR

Data Protection Principles

• Data minimization - Collect only necessary personal data
• Purpose limitation - Use data only for stated purposes
• Storage limitation - Retain data only as long as necessary
• Accuracy - Keep personal data accurate and up to date
• Security - Implement appropriate technical safeguards

User Rights

Privacy by Design

• Default privacy settings - Most restrictive settings by default
• Explicit consent - Clear opt-in for data processing
• Data anonymization - Remove or pseudonymize personal identifiers
• Regular audits - Review data handling practices

Security Monitoring

Threat Detection

• Anomaly detection - Machine learning identifies unusual patterns
• Failed login monitoring - Track and block brute force attempts
• API abuse detection - Identify and mitigate API attacks
• Geographic restrictions - Block access from suspicious locations

Incident Response

• 24/7 monitoring - Continuous security monitoring
• Automated alerts - Immediate notification of security events
• Incident classification - Severity-based response procedures
• Forensic analysis - Detailed investigation of security incidents

Security Compliance

Compliance Standards

Regular Assessments

• Annual audits - Independent security assessments
• Quarterly reviews - Internal security reviews
• Continuous monitoring - Ongoing security validation
• Compliance reporting - Regular compliance status updates

Reporting Security Issues

Responsible Disclosure

If you discover a security vulnerability, please report it responsibly:

• Email security team - [email protected]
• Provide details - Clear description and reproduction steps
• Allow time to fix - Give reasonable time for remediation
• Avoid public disclosure - Don't publish vulnerabilities publicly

Bug Bounty Program

LocallyGrown operates a private bug bounty program with select security researchers. Qualified vulnerabilities are eligible for rewards based on severity and impact.