Security Policy & Incident Response Plan

Our Security Commitment

The [PROJECT_NAME] team takes security seriously. We appreciate responsible disclosure of vulnerabilities and are committed to working with security researchers to keep our project secure.

This document outlines our security policy, incident response procedures, and how to report vulnerabilities.

Scope

This security policy applies to vulnerabilities discovered within the [REPOSITORY_NAME] repository. The scope includes:

• [List specific components, modules, or features]
• [Example: Core application code and configurations]
• [Example: API endpoints and authentication systems]
• [Example: Database schemas and data handling]
• [Example: Build and deployment processes]

Out of Scope

The following are considered out of scope for this policy:

• Vulnerabilities in third-party dependencies already publicly disclosed
• Issues requiring physical access or compromised credentials
• Social engineering attacks
• [Add project-specific exclusions]

Supported Versions

We provide security updates for the following versions:

Version	Supported
[X.Y.Z]	:white_check_mark:
[X.Y-1]	:x:

Incident Response

• Report Security Issues: [SECURITY_EMAIL]
• Initial Response: Within [RESPONSE_TIME]
• Critical Issues: Escalated immediately to maintainers

Reporting a Vulnerability

⚠️ DO NOT report security vulnerabilities through public GitHub issues.

Report to: [SECURITY_EMAIL]

Include in Your Report

1. Description: Clear explanation of the vulnerability and impact
2. Steps to Reproduce: Minimal steps to demonstrate the issue
3. Proof of Concept: Code or screenshots if applicable
4. Affected Version: Branch or commit hash
5. Suggested Fix: Optional recommendations

Incident Response Process

Severity Classification

Level	Description	Examples
Critical (P0)	Immediate threat to all users	Remote code execution, authentication bypass, data breach
High (P1)	Significant security impact	Privilege escalation, data exposure, XSS in auth flows
Medium (P2)	Limited security impact	XSS in non-critical areas, CSRF vulnerabilities
Low (P3)	Minor security issues	Information disclosure, security misconfigurations

Response Timeline

Severity	Initial Response	Fix Target	Disclosure
Critical	2 days	14 days	Upon patch
High	3 days	30 days	Upon patch
Medium	5 days	60 days	Upon patch
Low	7 days	Best effort	With release

Incident Response Phases

Phase 1: Detection & Analysis

• Acknowledge receipt and assign tracking ID
• Validate and reproduce vulnerability
• Assess severity and impact
• Notify team if critical

Phase 2: Containment

• Implement temporary mitigations
• Document affected components
• Begin fix development
• Prepare communication plan

Phase 3: Remediation

• Develop and test permanent fix
• Prepare security patch
• Request CVE if appropriate
• Coordinate disclosure timeline

Phase 4: Recovery & Disclosure

• Release patched version
• Publish security advisory
• Update documentation
• Credit reporter

Phase 5: Post-Incident Review

• Document lessons learned
• Update security practices
• Improve detection
• Update policies

Communication Expectations

• All communications via email
• Regular updates throughout process
• Clear explanation if not a vulnerability
• Confidentiality until patched

Safe Harbor

We consider security research conducted in good faith to be:

• Authorized under applicable laws
• Exempt from Terms of Service restrictions
• Protected from legal action

Requirements for safe harbor:

• Follow this policy
• Report responsibly
• Avoid privacy violations
• No exploitation beyond demonstration

Recognition

We value security researchers' contributions:

• Public credit in advisories (unless anonymous)
• Security acknowledgments
• Letter of appreciation upon request

Security Best Practices for Users

Essential Security Measures

1. Secret Management

   • Never commit secrets to version control
   • Use environment variables for sensitive data
   • Implement secret rotation
   • Enable secret scanning

2. Authentication & Authorization

   • Implement proper session management
   • Use strong password policies
   • Enable multi-factor authentication
   • Regular auth system updates

3. Dependencies

   • Regular security audits
   • Keep dependencies updated
   • Review licenses and advisories
   • Use dependency scanning tools

4. Deployment

   • HTTPS everywhere
   • Proper CORS policies
   • Security headers (CSP, HSTS, etc.)
   • Regular security assessments

5. Code Security

   • Input validation
   • Output encoding
   • Parameterized queries
   • Principle of least privilege

Additional Resources

• Security Advisories
• OWASP Top 10
• Project Documentation
• Security Checklist

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Template Instructions: Replace all [BRACKETS] with project-specific information and adjust timelines to match your team's capacity.

Thank you for helping us keep [PROJECT_NAME] secure!