API endpoints, especially public endpoints like RFQ forms or subscription APIs, are vulnerable to botnets attempting denial-of-service (DDoS) floods. Securing your MERN stack backend requires a defense-in-depth model combining network layers and software limiters.
1. Express Rate Limiting
Never leave your public routes unprotected. Use the express-rate-limit middleware in Express to cap the number of requests a single IP address can make within a specified timeframe (e.g., maximum 10 requests per minute on contact routes).
// Implementing rate limiter middleware in Express
const rateLimit = require('express-rate-limit');
const rfqLimiter = rateLimit({
windowMs: 60 * 1000, // 1 minute
max: 10,
message: { message: 'Too many requests. Please try again later.' }
});
app.use('/api/rfq', rfqLimiter);
2. Injecting Secure Response Headers
Implement helmet middleware to add secure headers. This automatically disables the X-Powered-By header (preventing hackers from identifying that your site runs Node.js) and configures secure Content Security Policies (CSP).
3. AWS CloudFront WAF Integration
Deploy your Next.js frontend and Node.js APIs behind AWS CloudFront. By attaching AWS WAF (Web Application Firewall), you filter out malicious bot requests, rate-limit attackers at the edge network (before they hit your Node.js processes), and guard against SQL-injection or Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vectors.
Security is paramount for enterprise applications. Book a Cloud Consultation with our security experts to review your backend shield today.