The internet wasn’t built only on innovation and clever engineering. It was also shaped by mistakes. Serious mistakes that exposed systems, data, and users, forcing the industry to rethink how the web should work.
Understanding these failures helps us understand today’s best practices.
Security was not a priority at the beginning
Early internet protocols were designed in trusted environments. Security threats simply weren’t part of the picture.
Many modern problems originate from those early design decisions.
Plain text passwords: a costly lesson
Storing passwords in plain text was once common practice. When databases were breached, everything was lost instantly.
This led to the widespread adoption of hashing and password-specific security mechanisms.
SQL Injection and blind trust
Allowing unchecked user input opened the door to devastating attacks. SQL Injection became one of the most famous vulnerabilities in web history.
The rule that followed is simple: never trust user input.
HTTPS: from optional to essential
For years, web traffic was sent unencrypted. Anyone could intercept it.
Mass surveillance and data breaches pushed HTTPS from a “nice-to-have” to a basic requirement.
Third-party code and hidden risks
Modern development relies heavily on external libraries. When a popular dependency has a vulnerability, the impact can be massive.
Security now includes managing what you didn’t write yourself.
Humans remain the weakest link
Despite better tools, human error still causes many breaches. Phishing, weak passwords and misconfigurations remain common.
Security is as much about people as it is about technology.
Why these mistakes still matter
Every major security practice exists because something went wrong before. The web is safer today because it learned from failure.
Knowing this history helps us build more resilient systems for the future.
