Essential Security Headers Every Website Should Have
Learn about HTTP security headers including CSP, HSTS, X-Frame-Options, and more.
By RiseTop Team · May 2026 · 8 min read
HTTP security headers protect against common attacks like XSS, clickjacking, and code injection without changing your application code.
Essential Security Headers
| Header | Protection |
|---|
| Content-Security-Policy | XSS, code injection |
| Strict-Transport-Security | Protocol downgrade |
| X-Frame-Options | Clickjacking |
| X-Content-Type-Options | MIME sniffing |
| Referrer-Policy | Info leakage |
| Permissions-Policy | Browser features |
How to Implement
Security headers can be set in your web server configuration, application code, or CDN settings.
Quick Win: Even if you implement nothing else, HSTS and X-Frame-Options provide significant protection with minimal effort.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I check my security headers? +
Use RiseTop HTTP Header Checker to inspect any website headers. Securityheader.com also provides comprehensive scans.
What is Content Security Policy? +
CSP specifies which sources of content are allowed to load. It prevents XSS attacks by blocking inline scripts and restricting script sources.
Should I use report-only mode for CSP? +
Yes when first implementing. Use Content-Security-Policy-Report-Only to see what would be blocked without actually blocking anything.