Security Analysis

Is Netlify Safe?

Last updated: January 12, 2026

An honest security analysis of Netlify for developers considering it for their projects.

Scan Your Netlify AppNetlify Security Guide

Quick Answer

Safe - use _headers file for security headers

Netlify is safe for production with automatic HTTPS and CDN-level DDoS protection. Key differences from Vercel: use _headers file (not JSON) for security headers, and watch for build-time vs runtime environment variable confusion. Netlify Forms need spam protection.

Security Assessment

Security Strengths

  • Automatic HTTPS with Let's Encrypt on all custom domains
  • Global CDN with built-in DDoS protection at edge
  • Deploy Preview access control with password protection option
  • Netlify Functions run in isolated AWS Lambda environment
  • Build plugins can add security checks to deployment pipeline

Security Concerns

  • Security headers require _headers file or netlify.toml - not automatic
  • Build-time env vars are baked into static HTML - use runtime for secrets
  • Netlify Forms are public endpoints - spam attacks without Akismet/reCAPTCHA
  • Deploy Previews can expose staging data unless password-protected
  • Functions timeout at 10s (26s paid) - potential DoS on slow operations

Security Checklist for Netlify

  • 1
    Create _headers file in publish directory with CSP, X-Frame-Options, HSTS
  • 2
    Use Netlify UI for sensitive env vars - don't put secrets in netlify.toml
  • 3
    Enable Akismet spam filtering or reCAPTCHA on Netlify Forms
  • 4
    Password-protect Deploy Previews: Site settings → Build & deploy → Deploy notifications
  • 5
    For sensitive Functions: add rate limiting middleware and input validation
  • 6
    Use Netlify Graph or similar for secure third-party API credentials

The Verdict

Netlify is production-ready with strong CDN and automatic HTTPS. The _headers file requirement (different from Vercel's JSON) trips up many developers - add it early. Deploy Previews and Forms need explicit protection. Netlify's build plugin ecosystem can add automated security scanning.

Security Research & Industry Data

Understanding Netlify security in the context of broader industry trends and research.

10.3%

of Lovable applications (170 out of 1,645) had exposed user data in the CVE-2025-48757 incident

Source: CVE-2025-48757 security advisory

4.45 million USD

average cost of a data breach in 2023

Source: IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report 2023

500,000+

developers using vibe coding platforms like Lovable, Bolt, and Replit

Source: Combined platform statistics 2024-2025

What Security Experts Say

“Vibe coding your way to a production codebase is clearly risky. Most of the work we do as software engineers involves evolving existing systems, where the quality and understandability of the underlying code is crucial.”

Simon Willison — Security Researcher, Django Co-creator

“The problem with AI-generated code isn't that it doesn't work - it's that it works just well enough to ship, but contains subtle security flaws that are hard to spot.”

Security Research Community — Collective wisdom from security researchers

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I add security headers on Netlify?

Create a _headers file in your publish directory (usually 'public' or 'dist'). Format: '/*' on first line, then headers like 'X-Frame-Options: DENY'. Or use [[headers]] in netlify.toml. This is different from Vercel's vercel.json approach.

Are Netlify Deploy Previews secure?

Deploy Previews are public by default - anyone with the URL can view. Enable password protection in Site settings → Build & deploy. Be careful not to expose staging credentials or test data in preview environments.

How do Netlify environment variables work?

Build-time env vars are baked into HTML during build - anyone can view them in source. Use Netlify's UI for secrets, not netlify.toml. For runtime secrets in Functions, use Netlify environment variables accessed via process.env at runtime.

Are Netlify Forms safe to use?

Netlify Forms create public endpoints - vulnerable to spam bots. Enable Akismet spam filtering (included free) or add reCAPTCHA. Never use Forms for sensitive data without HTTPS (automatic) and consider rate limiting for high-traffic forms.

Verify Your Netlify App Security

Don't guess - scan your app and know for certain. VAS checks for all the common security issues in Netlify applications.

Scan Your AppNetlify Security Guide

Related Security Guides

Netlify Security ScannerVibe Coding SecurityRLS Misconfiguration GuideAPI Key ExposureSupabase SecurityFirebase Security