Security for Analytics Dashboards
Analytics dashboards aggregate and visualize sensitive data. They often have broad read access to databases and generate export files — making them high-value targets for data exfiltration.
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Why Security Matters for Data Analytics Dashboards
Dashboards are data aggregation points. They query across users, transactions, and time periods to generate insights. If access controls are weak, a single compromised dashboard user can extract your entire dataset. Vibe-coded dashboards frequently use direct database queries constructed from user input (filters, date ranges, custom queries), creating SQL injection and data exposure risks.
Security Risks
SQL injection through filters
criticalDashboard filter inputs concatenated into SQL queries without parameterization.
Mitigation
Use parameterized queries for all dashboard filters. Never concatenate user input into SQL strings.
Excessive data access
highDashboard users seeing data they shouldn't based on their role or department.
Mitigation
Implement data-level access controls. Filter dashboard queries based on the user's permissions — department, region, or client scope.
Uncontrolled data export
mediumUsers exporting large datasets via CSV/PDF without audit or limits.
Mitigation
Log all data exports with user, timestamp, and scope. Implement row limits on exports. Require additional authorization for large exports.
Security Checklist
All database queries use parameters, never string concatenation with user input.
Queries automatically scoped to the user's permitted data based on their role.
All dashboard pages and API endpoints require authentication.
Track all data exports with user, scope, and row count.
Limit the number of rows exportable in a single operation.
Prevent expensive queries from overloading the database.
Real-World Scenario
A developer builds a sales dashboard using Cursor with direct Postgres queries. The date range filter concatenates user input into the WHERE clause. An attacker modifies the date filter to include a UNION SELECT that extracts all customer records, including those outside their permitted region.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I prevent SQL injection in dashboard filters?
Use parameterized queries or an ORM. Never concatenate user input (date ranges, search terms, filter values) into SQL strings. Even if the input looks safe, always use parameters.
Should dashboard users see all data?
No. Implement role-based data filtering so users only see data relevant to their role. A regional manager sees their region, a department head sees their department. Apply these filters server-side in the query, not just in the UI.
How do I secure data exports?
Require authentication for export endpoints. Log every export with the user, query parameters, and row count. Set maximum row limits. For sensitive data, require additional authorization (re-enter password or manager approval).
Security for Other Use Cases
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