diff --git a/api/index.js b/api/index.js
index 4a3f9f4..f5f4fad 100644
--- a/api/index.js
+++ b/api/index.js
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ const bcrypt = require('bcrypt');
 const bodyParser = require("body-parser");
 const cookieParser = require("cookie-parser");
 const session = require("express-session");
+const helmet = require('helmet');
+const csurf = require('csurf');
 
 // then express and cors
 app.use(express.json());
@@ -19,6 +21,10 @@ app.use(cors({
     credentials: true
 }));
 
+// Security enhancements
+app.use(helmet()); // Use Helmet to secure HTTP headers
+app.use(csurf()); // Enable CSRF protection
+
 // this for the cookies
 app.use(cookieParser());
 app.use(bodyParser.urlencoded({extended:true }));
@@ -31,6 +37,7 @@ app.use(session({
     cookie: {
         // cookie expires in 8 hours
         expires: 60 * 60 * 8,
+        secure: true, // Ensure cookies are sent over HTTPS
     },
 }));
 
diff --git a/api/middlewares/Authent.js b/api/middlewares/Authent.js
index 39b672a..6865d9b 100644
--- a/api/middlewares/Authent.js
+++ b/api/middlewares/Authent.js
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ const validateTheToken = (req, res, next) =>{
     else{
 
         try {
-            const validTokenito = verify(accessToken, "hereputyoursecret");
+            const validTokenito = verify(accessToken, process.env.JWT_SECRET);
             if(validTokenito){
                 req.user = validTokenito;
                 return next();
diff --git a/api/routes/Items.js b/api/routes/Items.js
index 2ae2771..fd88aaf 100644
--- a/api/routes/Items.js
+++ b/api/routes/Items.js
@@ -6,6 +6,13 @@ const { Op } = require("sequelize");
 const fs = require('fs');
 const js2xml = require('js2xml').Js2Xml;
 const xml2js = require('xml2js');
+const rateLimit = require('express-rate-limit');
+
+// Apply rate limiting to the importxmls route
+const importXmlsLimiter = rateLimit({
+    windowMs: 15 * 60 * 1000, // 15 minutes
+    max: 10 // limit each IP to 10 requests per windowMs
+});
 
 router.get('/', async (req, res) => {
 
@@ -1042,7 +1049,7 @@ router.get('/top/:id', async (req, res) => {
 
 // this to import the xmls in the database
 // comment out so it doesn't run when the site is "online"
-router.post('/importxmls', async (req, res) => {
+router.post('/importxmls', importXmlsLimiter, async (req, res) => {
 
     const parser = new xml2js.Parser();
     var path = require("path");
diff --git a/api/routes/Photos.js b/api/routes/Photos.js
index 960510c..bd0af91 100644
--- a/api/routes/Photos.js
+++ b/api/routes/Photos.js
@@ -5,6 +5,13 @@ const { upload } = require('../middlewares/Upload');
 const { Photo, Item } = require('../models');
 const fs = require('fs');
 const path = require("path");
+const rateLimit = require('express-rate-limit');
+
+// Rate limiting middleware
+const limiter = rateLimit({
+    windowMs: 15 * 60 * 1000, // 15 minutes
+    max: 100 // limit each IP to 100 requests per windowMs
+});
 
 // No token cause this needs to work for guests as well
 router.get('/:id', async (req, res) => {
@@ -82,11 +89,11 @@ router.post('/:id', validateTheToken, upload.single('image'), async (req, res) =
 
 
 // validate the user too before deleting
-router.delete('/:id', validateTheToken, async (req, res)=>{
+router.delete('/:id', validateTheToken, limiter, async (req, res)=>{
     const myId = req.params.id;
     const photograph = await Photo.findOne({ where: {id: myId}});
     const itemId = photograph.ItemId;
-    const localpath = path.join(__dirname, '..', 'images', photograph.url.split('/').pop())
+    const localpath = path.join(__dirname, '..', 'images', path.basename(photograph.url.split('/').pop()));
 
     await Photo.destroy({where : {
         id: myId,
diff --git a/api/routes/Users.js b/api/routes/Users.js
index 5aedece..3f57042 100644
--- a/api/routes/Users.js
+++ b/api/routes/Users.js
@@ -5,6 +5,14 @@ const bcrypt = require('bcrypt');
 const {sign} =require('jsonwebtoken');
 const { validateTheToken } = require('../middlewares/Authent');
 const { Op } = require("sequelize");
+const rateLimit = require('express-rate-limit');
+
+// Rate limiting middleware for login route
+const loginLimiter = rateLimit({
+    windowMs: 15 * 60 * 1000, // 15 minutes
+    max: 5, // limit each IP to 5 requests per windowMs
+    message: "Too many login attempts from this IP, please try again after 15 minutes"
+});
 
 router.post('/', async (req, res) => {
     
@@ -35,7 +43,7 @@ router.post('/', async (req, res) => {
 
 });
 
-router.post('/login', async (req, res) => {
+router.post('/login', loginLimiter, async (req, res) => {
     
     const { username , password } = req.body;
 
@@ -57,7 +65,7 @@ router.post('/login', async (req, res) => {
                     res.json({error: "Wrong User Credentials!"});
                 }
                 else{
-                    const accessToken = sign({username: user.username, id: user.id}, "hereputyoursecret");
+                    const accessToken = sign({username: user.username, id: user.id}, process.env.JWT_SECRET);
                     res.json({token: accessToken, username: user.username, id: user.id });
                 }
             });
@@ -159,18 +167,22 @@ router.put('/approve', validateTheToken, async (req, res) => {
     const username = req.user.username;
 
     if (username==='admin'){
-        for (var i = 0; i < userList.length; i++) {
-            var userId = userList[i];
-            console.log(userId);
-            await User.update({
-                approved: true
-                },
-                {where : { 
-                    id: userId
-                }
-            });
+        if (Array.isArray(userList) && userList.length <= 100) { // Validate userList
+            for (var i = 0; i < userList.length; i++) {
+                var userId = userList[i];
+                console.log(userId);
+                await User.update({
+                    approved: true
+                    },
+                    {where : { 
+                        id: userId
+                    }
+                });
+            }
+            res.json("Succesfully approved users!");
+        } else {
+            res.json("Invalid user list!");
         }
-        res.json("Succesfully approved users!");
     }
     else{
         res.json("This is forbidden!")
diff --git a/front/src/components/Admin/Download.js b/front/src/components/Admin/Download.js
index 15e3d9e..009ba88 100644
--- a/front/src/components/Admin/Download.js
+++ b/front/src/components/Admin/Download.js
@@ -15,7 +15,8 @@ export function Download(props){
                 },
         }).then((response) => {
             
-            const create_url = window.URL.createObjectURL(new Blob([JSON.stringify(response.data, null, "\t")]));
+            const sanitizedData = JSON.stringify(response.data, null, "\t").replace(/</g, "\\u003c").replace(/>/g, "\\u003e");
+            const create_url = window.URL.createObjectURL(new Blob([sanitizedData]));
             const generate_link = document.createElement('a');
 
             generate_link.href = create_url;
diff --git a/front/src/components/Admin/DownloadXML.js b/front/src/components/Admin/DownloadXML.js
index e7d09bf..965a9ea 100644
--- a/front/src/components/Admin/DownloadXML.js
+++ b/front/src/components/Admin/DownloadXML.js
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ export function DownloadXML(props){
             generate_link.setAttribute('download', 'auctions.xml');
             document.body.appendChild(generate_link);
             generate_link.click();
+            document.body.removeChild(generate_link); // Ensure the link is removed after use
         });
     }
 
diff --git a/front/src/components/Modals/Recommendations.js b/front/src/components/Modals/Recommendations.js
index 7496462..184fe64 100644
--- a/front/src/components/Modals/Recommendations.js
+++ b/front/src/components/Modals/Recommendations.js
@@ -33,10 +33,11 @@ function Recommendations() {
 
     // Displaying the items of this particular page
     const displayItems = itemList.slice( visitedPages, visitedPages + itemsPerPage ).map((value, key)=>{
+            const sanitizedSrc = value.coverPhoto.startsWith('http') ? value.coverPhoto : '';
             return <div className='item' onClick={()=>{navigate(`/item/${value.id}`)}}> 
                     <div className='name'>{value.name} </div>
                     <div className='body'>
-                        <img className='lando_image' src={value.coverPhoto} alt="cover" />
+                        <img className='lando_image' src={sanitizedSrc} alt="cover" />
                     </div>
                     <div className='footer gradient-custom'>
                         <div > {value.location}, {value.country}</div> 
@@ -84,4 +85,4 @@ function Recommendations() {
   );
 }
 
-export default Recommendations
+export default Recommendations
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/front/src/components/Searching/Auctions.js b/front/src/components/Searching/Auctions.js
index 0d04ebd..74641ca 100644
--- a/front/src/components/Searching/Auctions.js
+++ b/front/src/components/Searching/Auctions.js
@@ -66,10 +66,11 @@ function Auctions() {
 
     // Displaying the items of this particular page
     const displayItems = itemList.slice( visitedPages, visitedPages + itemsPerPage ).map((value, key)=>{
+      const sanitizedCoverPhoto = value.coverPhoto.startsWith('http') ? value.coverPhoto : ''; // Sanitize the URL
       return <div className='item' key={key} onClick={()=>{navigate(`/item/${value.id}`)}}> 
               <div className='name'>{value.name} </div>
               <div className='body'>
-                  <img className='lando_image' src={value.coverPhoto} alt="coverphoto" />
+                  <img className='lando_image' src={sanitizedCoverPhoto} alt="coverphoto" />
               </div>
               <div className='footer gradient-custom'>
                   <div > {value.location}, {value.country}</div> 
diff --git a/front/src/components/Searching/FilterCategories.js b/front/src/components/Searching/FilterCategories.js
index febcd82..76e0385 100644
--- a/front/src/components/Searching/FilterCategories.js
+++ b/front/src/components/Searching/FilterCategories.js
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ function FilterCategories() {
       return <div className='item' onClick={()=>{navigate(`/item/${value.id}`)}}> 
               <div className='name'>{value.name} </div>
               <div className='body'>
-                  <img className='lando_image' alt="cover" src={value.coverPhoto} />
+                  <img className='lando_image' alt="cover" src={encodeURI(value.coverPhoto)} />
               </div>
               <div className='footer gradient-custom'>
                   <div > {value.location}, {value.country}</div> 
diff --git a/front/src/pages/Profile.js b/front/src/pages/Profile.js
index 9c560a8..2f07983 100644
--- a/front/src/pages/Profile.js
+++ b/front/src/pages/Profile.js
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ function Profile() {
             return <div className='item' onClick={()=>{navigate(`/item/${value.id}`)}}> 
                     <div className='name'>{value.name} </div>
                     <div className='body'>
-                        <img className='lando_image' src={value.coverPhoto} alt="product" />
+                        <img className='lando_image' src={encodeURI(value.coverPhoto)} alt="product" />
                     </div>
                     <div className='footer gradient-custom'>
                         <div > {value.location}, {value.country}</div> 
@@ -329,4 +329,4 @@ function Profile() {
   )
 }
 
-export default Profile;
+export default Profile;
\ No newline at end of file