This document outlines the security measures and best practices for protecting files.

The following measures aim to prevent:

• Unauthorized access to protected files
• Bypassing user roles and access restrictions
• Directory traversal attacks and direct file access
• Abuse by automated tools or mass access (DoS)
• Application-layer vulnerabilities (e.g., XSS, CSRF)
• Violations of data protection regulations (e.g., GDPR)

1. File System Level

   • Files stored outside the WebRoot
   • Strict permissions
   • No direct URL accessibility

2. Web Server Level

   • .htaccess protection
   • PHP execution disabled
   • Redirects to check-access.php

3. Application Level

   • WordPress authentication
   • Role-based access control
   • Session management
   • XSS protection (escape HTML output)
   • CSRF protection in forms (e.g., token usage)

4. Transport Layer

   • HTTPS encryption
   • Secure cookies
   • Chunked downloads

1. Folder Structure

   /secure-files/              # Main directory (755)
   ├── config/                # Configuration folder (755)
   │   └── secure-config.php  # Configuration file (644)
   └── [role-folders]/        # Role-specific folders (755)
   

2. Permissions

   • Folders: 755 (drwxr-xr-x)
   • Files: 644 (-rw-r--r--)
   • Executable files: 755 (-rwxr-xr-x)

3. Protection Measures

   • No PHP execution
   • No directory listing
   • No direct downloads

1. .htaccess Rules

   # Disable PHP execution
   <FilesMatch "\.php$">
       Order Allow,Deny
       Deny from all
   </FilesMatch>
   
   # Disable directory listing
   Options -Indexes
   
   # Redirect to check-access.php
   RewriteEngine On
   RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} -f
   RewriteRule ^(.*)$ check-access.php?file=$1 [L,QSA]

2. PHP Configuration

   • display_errors = Off
   • log_errors = On
   • error_reporting = E_ALL

3. Rate Limiting and Abuse Protection (optional)

   • IP-based request limits via middleware or web server (mod_evasive, Nginx limits)
   • Access counters per IP using session context or Redis

1. Authentication

   • WordPress login required
   • Strong password policies
   • Session timeouts

2. Access Control

   • Role-based permissions
   • Folder-based restrictions
   • No role escalation

3. File Handling

   • MIME type validation
   • File size restrictions
   • Chunked downloads

• No storage of IP addresses or personal data without legal basis
• Log file access restricted to authorized administrators
• Automate deletion of old logs (e.g., after 30 days)

1. Secure Settings

   define('DEBUG_MODE', false);          // Disable debug mode
   define('CHUNK_SIZE', 4194304);        // 4 MB
   define('MAX_DIRECT_DOWNLOAD_SIZE', 1048576); // 1 MB

2. MIME Types

   • Define only allowed types
   • Exclude executable files (e.g., .php, .exe)
   • Use documented and verifiable formats

1. Regular Checks

   • Review permissions
   • Analyze logs
   • Apply updates

2. Backup Strategy

   • Regular backups
   • Encrypted storage
   • Separate locations

3. Monitoring

   • Access logs
   • Error logs
   • Performance metrics

• Folders located outside the WebRoot
• Correct permissions for files and directories
• No executable files in the download directory
• HTTPS fully configured
• Debug mode disabled
• Access only via check-access.php

• User roles correctly assigned
• Defined access structure per role
• MIME types restricted to safe formats
• Appropriate chunk size configured
• Download limits set (size and number)
• Security headers active
• PHP error output disabled

• Regular updates of WordPress, PHP, and plugins
• Log file analysis and rotation
• Regular permission reviews
• Backup plan tested and documented
• Monitoring enabled (errors, access, performance)
• Old logs deleted in compliance with data protection laws

1. Immediate Actions

   • Isolate the system
   • Secure the logs
   • Revoke access credentials

2. Analysis

   • Identify root cause
   • Assess impact
   • Document the incident

3. Recovery

   • Clean the system
   • Apply updates and fixes
   • Reconfigure access

In case of security incidents:

1. Notify the system administrator
2. Provide relevant logs
3. Document the incident

%%{ init: { "theme": "default" } }%%
flowchart TD
    A[Incident Detected] --> B[Isolate System]
    B --> C[Secure Logs]
    C --> D[Revoke Access]
    D --> E[Analyze Root Cause]
    E --> F[Assess Impact]
    F --> G[Document Incident]
    G --> H[Clean System]
    H --> I[Apply Updates & Fixes]
    I --> J[Reactivate System]