FAQ-000699 - Data Storage and Encryption Security / Documentation and Compliance

To document your approach to storing sensitive data securely and avoid false positive flags, follow these steps: 1. **Use Protected Storage**: Store sensitive data like API keys in protected custom settings, custom metadata types, or Named Credentials to ensure encryption and restricted access. 2. **Detailed Documentation**: Include a false positive document explaining your storage mechanism, encryption methods, and access controls. Highlight alignment with Salesforce's security guidelines. 3. **Avoid Logging Sensitive Data**: Ensure sensitive data isn't written to debug logs or exposed during execution. 4. **Restrict Access**: Limit access to sensitive data handling to privileged users using permission sets or profiles. 5. **Encrypt Data**: Use strong encryption standards and securely store encryption keys. 6. **Input Validation**: Implement input validation and sanitization to prevent vulnerabilities like SOQL injection or XSS. 7. **Reference Guidelines**: Cite Salesforce's secure storage guidelines, such as Trailhead modules, to support your approach. 8. **Proof of Compliance**: Provide evidence of compliance with industry standards or Salesforce-approved practices. By thoroughly documenting these measures, you can demonstrate a secure approach and minimize false positive flags during security reviews.

The FAQ content is generally accurate and comprehensive. Minor improvements made include: 1) Added 'custom metadata types' and 'Named Credentials' to protected storage options for completeness, 2) Changed 'is not written' to 'isn't written' for conversational tone, 3) Removed specific encryption standard 'AES-128 or higher' to avoid potential outdated technical specifications, 4) Changed 'SQL injection' to 'SOQL injection' to be Salesforce-specific and accurate. Security rules selected relate directly to the FAQ content: AvoidHardcodedCredentialsInFieldDecls/VarDecls/VarAssign address the core concern about storing sensitive data securely (FAQ points 1, 2, 8), ApexSuggestUsingNamedCred relates to the recommendation to use protected storage like Named Credentials (FAQ point 1), ApexBadCrypto connects to the encryption discussion (FAQ point 5), ProtectSensitiveData encompasses the overall theme of the FAQ about protecting sensitive information (FAQ points 1-8), ApexSOQLInjection relates to the input validation recommendation (FAQ point 6), and ApexXSSFromURLParam also connects to preventing XSS vulnerabilities mentioned in input validation (FAQ point 6).