How to Secure Firebase

Step-by-step guide to securing your Firebase backend. Master Security Rules and protect your data.

Critical: Disable Test Mode

Test mode rules allow anyone to read and write all data. This is the most common Firebase security mistake. Replace test rules with production Security Rules before launch.

Security Checklist

Disable test mode rules

Critical

Replace test mode rules that allow all reads/writes with production security rules.

Write Security Rules

Critical

Create specific rules for Firestore, Realtime Database, and Storage.

Test Security Rules

Critical

Use Firebase Emulator Suite to test rules before deployment.

Understand API key visibility

Firebase API keys are public by design - security comes from Security Rules, not key secrecy.

Configure App Check

Enable App Check to prevent unauthorized API access.

Set up Authentication

Configure Firebase Auth with appropriate providers and settings.

Review Cloud Functions

Audit Cloud Functions for security vulnerabilities and proper authentication.

Enable audit logging

Set up Cloud Audit Logs for Firebase operations.

Configure Storage rules

Set appropriate access rules for Firebase Storage buckets.

Review hosting configuration

Ensure proper headers and redirects in firebase.json.

Enable rate limiting

Configure rate limiting on Cloud Functions and API endpoints.

Set up monitoring

Enable Firebase Performance Monitoring and Crashlytics.

Run security scan

Use VibeEval to test Security Rules automatically.

Related Resources

Is Firebase Safe?

In-depth security analysis of Firebase.

Firebase Security Checklist

Interactive pre-launch security checklist.

Test Your Security Rules Automatically

VibeEval can automatically test your Firebase Security Rules to find misconfigurations.

Scan Your Firebase App