Integration Security Best Practices

Integration Security Best Practices

Overview

Security is critical for integrations. This guide covers best practices for securing Salesforce integrations with external systems.

Credential Management

DO: Use Named Credentials

// ✅ CORRECT - Named Credential handles auth
HttpRequest req = new HttpRequest();
req.setEndpoint('callout:MySecureAPI/resource');

DON'T: Hardcode Credentials

// ❌ WRONG - Never hardcode credentials
req.setHeader('Authorization', 'Bearer sk_live_abc123...');
req.setEndpoint('https://api.example.com');

Credential Storage Rules

OAuth Best Practices

Scope Minimization

Request only necessary scopes:

✅ read:orders write:orders
❌ admin:* read:* write:*

Token Handling

• Never log access tokens
• Don't expose tokens in error messages
• Use short-lived tokens when possible
• Implement token refresh handling

PKCE for Public Clients

For mobile or SPA clients:

Use Authorization Code with PKCE, not Implicit flow

Network Security

Remote Site Settings

• Only allow necessary domains
• Don't use wildcard domains
• Review and audit regularly

Certificate Validation

• Use trusted CA certificates
• Don't disable SSL/TLS verification
• Monitor certificate expiration

IP Restrictions

For Connected Apps:

• Configure IP relaxation carefully
• Use "Enforce IP restrictions" when possible

Input Validation

Validate External Data

// Validate before processing
public static void processExternalData(String externalId) {
    // Validate format
    if (!Pattern.matches('[A-Za-z0-9]{10,20}', externalId)) {
        throw new ValidationException('Invalid external ID format');
    }

    // Sanitize for SOQL
    String safeId = String.escapeSingleQuotes(externalId);
}

Output Encoding

// Encode data sent to external systems
String encodedData = EncodingUtil.urlEncode(userData, 'UTF-8');

Error Handling Security

Don't Expose Internal Details

// ❌ WRONG - Exposes internal structure
throw new CalloutException('Failed: ' + response.getBody());

// ✅ CORRECT - User-friendly, log details separately
System.debug(LoggingLevel.ERROR, 'API Error: ' + response.getBody());
throw new CalloutException('Unable to complete request. Contact support.');

Log Securely

// ❌ WRONG - Logs sensitive data
System.debug('Request: ' + JSON.serialize(request)); // May contain PII

// ✅ CORRECT - Redact sensitive fields
System.debug('Request to: ' + endpoint + ', Status: ' + statusCode);

API Security Patterns

Rate Limiting Awareness

if (response.getStatusCode() == 429) {
    String retryAfter = response.getHeader('Retry-After');
    // Implement backoff, don't hammer the API
}

Idempotency Keys

For POST requests that shouldn't duplicate:

req.setHeader('Idempotency-Key', generateUniqueKey());

Request Signing

For APIs requiring signature:

String signature = generateHmacSignature(payload, secretKey);
req.setHeader('X-Signature', signature);

User Context Security

Per-User vs Named Principal

Audit Logging

public static void logIntegrationActivity(String operation, Id userId, String externalSystem) {
    Integration_Log__c log = new Integration_Log__c(
        Operation__c = operation,
        User__c = userId,
        External_System__c = externalSystem,
        Timestamp__c = Datetime.now()
    );
    insert log;
}

Platform Event Security

Sensitive Data in Events

• Don't include PII in event payloads when avoidable
• Use record IDs and query for details
• Consider encryption for sensitive fields

Event Consumer Validation

trigger SecureEventHandler on My_Event__e (after insert) {
    for (My_Event__e event : Trigger.new) {
        // Validate event source/origin if possible
        if (!isValidEventSource(event)) {
            System.debug(LoggingLevel.WARN, 'Suspicious event: ' + event.ReplayId);
            continue;
        }
        processEvent(event);
    }
}

Security Checklist

Before Deployment

• Named Credentials used for all external calls
• No hardcoded credentials in code
• OAuth scopes minimized
• Remote Site Settings restricted
• Error messages don't expose internals
• Sensitive data not logged
• Input validation implemented
• Rate limiting handled
• Certificate expiration monitored

Regular Review

• Audit Named Credential usage
• Review integration user permissions
• Check for unused credentials
• Monitor integration error logs
• Validate certificate validity
• Review OAuth app authorizations

Compliance Considerations

GDPR / Data Privacy

• Minimize data transferred
• Document data flows
• Implement data deletion for integrated records
• Encrypt PII in transit and at rest

SOC 2 / Security Audits

• Maintain integration documentation
• Log all external access
• Implement change management
• Regular security assessments

HIPAA (Healthcare)

• Business Associate Agreements
• Encryption requirements
• Access logging
• Minimum necessary standard