The Complete Salesforce Security Best Practices Guide

One misconfigured permission set. One leaked API key. One phishing email. That's all it takes to expose millions of customer records and destroy your company's reputation.

After securing 50+ enterprise Salesforce orgs and conducting numerous security audits, I've compiled this comprehensive guide covering every aspect of Salesforce security—from basic user access to advanced threat detection.

The 7 Layers of Salesforce Security

Common Security Vulnerabilities & Fixes

Security Audit Checklist

Compliance Requirements

Security Configuration Code Examples

// INSECURE - Vulnerable to SOQL Injection
String searchTerm = ApexPages.currentPage().getParameters().get('search');
String query = 'SELECT Id, Name FROM Account WHERE Name LIKE \'%' + searchTerm + '%\'';
List<Account> accounts = Database.query(query);

// SECURE - Protected against SOQL Injection
String searchTerm = ApexPages.currentPage().getParameters().get('search');
searchTerm = String.escapeSingleQuotes(searchTerm);
String query = 'SELECT Id, Name FROM Account WHERE Name LIKE :searchPattern';
String searchPattern = '%' + searchTerm + '%';
List<Account> accounts = Database.query(query);

// MOST SECURE - Using bind variables in static SOQL
String searchPattern = '%' + searchTerm + '%';
List<Account> accounts = [
    SELECT Id, Name 
    FROM Account 
    WHERE Name LIKE :searchPattern
    WITH SECURITY_ENFORCED
];

public class SecureDataAccess {
    public static List<Contact> getContacts() {
        // Check object accessibility
        if (!Contact.sObjectType.getDescribe().isAccessible()) {
            throw new NoAccessException('No access to Contact object');
        }
        
        // Check field-level security
        if (!Schema.sObjectType.Contact.fields.Email.isAccessible() ||
            !Schema.sObjectType.Contact.fields.Phone.isAccessible()) {
            throw new NoAccessException('No access to required fields');
        }
        
        // Query with SECURITY_ENFORCED
        return [
            SELECT Id, Name, Email, Phone
            FROM Contact
            WITH SECURITY_ENFORCED
            LIMIT 100
        ];
    }
}

Incident Response Plan

1. Detection (0-1 hour): Identify potential breach through monitoring alerts
2. Containment (1-4 hours): Isolate affected systems, disable compromised accounts
3. Investigation (4-24 hours): Determine scope, method, and data affected
4. Eradication (24-48 hours): Remove threat, patch vulnerabilities
5. Recovery (48-72 hours): Restore systems, verify security
6. Lessons Learned (1 week): Document incident, update procedures

Conclusion

Salesforce security isn't optional—it's essential. With data breaches costing millions and regulations getting stricter, a single vulnerability can destroy your business. Implement these security layers systematically, conduct regular audits, and maintain vigilance.

Remember: Security is not a one-time project but an ongoing process. The threat landscape evolves daily, and your security posture must evolve with it.

"The best time to implement security was at go-live. The second best time is now."