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What are the best practices for securing session cookies in a web application?
Asked on Jan 19, 2026
Answer
To secure session cookies in a web application, it's crucial to configure them with attributes that enhance their security and mitigate common attacks.
<!-- BEGIN COPY / PASTE -->
Set-Cookie: sessionId=abc123; HttpOnly; Secure; SameSite=Strict; Path=/; Max-Age=3600
<!-- END COPY / PASTE -->Additional Comment:
- HttpOnly: Prevents JavaScript from accessing the cookie, mitigating XSS attacks.
- Secure: Ensures the cookie is only sent over HTTPS, protecting it from being intercepted.
- SameSite: Using "Strict" or "Lax" helps prevent CSRF attacks by controlling cross-site request behavior.
- Path: Limits the cookie to a specific path, reducing exposure to other parts of the application.
- Max-Age: Defines the lifespan of the cookie, helping manage session duration and reducing stale cookies.
✅ Answered with Security best practices.
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