Security Checklist: Lock Down Your Vibe-Coded Project Before It Ships

Here’s the truth most builders learn the hard way:
👉 The fastest way to lose credibility is a preventable security mistake.

Not a sophisticated hack.
Something simple.
Like a public database password.
Or your site going down because nothing is cached.

This checklist will help you ship confidently. No need to become a full-time security engineer.

1. Secrets & Environment Variables

Rule: Nothing sensitive should live in your code.

Check:

All API keys stored in environment variables

.env file ignored in .gitignore

No secrets in frontend bundles

Rotate any keys that were ever committed

💡 If you can search your repo for password= and find something real. Fix it now.

2. Caching & Availability

Embarrassing moment:
Your project gets featured… and instantly crashes.

Check:

CDN enabled (Cloudflare, Fastly, etc.)

Static assets cached
API responses cached where possible

Basic rate limiting enabled
Health check endpoint configured
💡 Performance is a security feature. Downtime erodes trust.

3. Authentication & Access Control

You don’t need enterprise SSO but you do need guardrails.

Check:

Admin routes require authentication

No default credentials

JWT/session secrets are strong and random

Role checks exist for privileged actions

Password reset flow is secure

💡 If an endpoint “isn’t linked anywhere,” assume it will still be found.

4. Database & Storage Safety

Most leaks come from misconfigurations, not exploits.

Check:

Database not publicly accessible

Backups enabled and tested
Least-privilege DB user (no superuser in prod)
File uploads validated
Storage buckets not public unless intentional
💡 Try accessing your storage URL in an incognito window. You might be surprised.

5. Dependency & Supply Chain Hygiene

Your code may be secure.
Your dependencies might not be.

Check:

Run dependency audit (npm audit / pip audit / osv)
Remove unused packages
Lock file committed
Auto updates enabled (Dependabot, Renovate)
💡 Fewer dependencies = smaller attack surface.

6. Observability & Recovery

Security isn’t just prevention. It’s recovery.

Check:

Error monitoring enabled (Sentry, etc.)
Logs centralized
Alerts configured
Backups tested
Rollback plan documented
💡 If something breaks at 2am, future-you will be grateful.

The “Embarrassment Test”

Before shipping, ask yourself:

👉 If this project got 10,000 users tomorrow, what would fail first?

That’s where you focus.

Security isn’t about paranoia.
It’s about protecting your reputation as a builder.

How VibeSecSystems Helps

This is exactly why we built VibeSecSystems.

Instead of dumping a scary vulnerability report, we provide:

Automated scanning of your live site
Clear explanations of risks
Step-by-step remediation guides
Prioritized fixes so you know what matters first
Think of it as a security checklist that runs itself.