🚀 Express.js Intermediate

What is the helmet package and why should you use it?

Answer

Helmet is an Express middleware collection that sets important HTTP security headers to protect against common web vulnerabilities. Install and use: const helmet = require('helmet'); app.use(helmet());. It sets headers including: Content-Security-Policy (prevents XSS by whitelisting script sources), X-Content-Type-Options: nosniff (prevents MIME type sniffing), X-Frame-Options: DENY (prevents clickjacking), Strict-Transport-Security (enforces HTTPS), and removes the X-Powered-By: Express header (obscures the stack). By default, helmet() enables 11 of 15 available protections. It is considered essential for any production Express application.