Python Email Validation: Protect Your Website From Unnecessary Attacks with Python RegEx Validation

Setting a website that offers interactive service to customers has to go beyond the basics of gathering information. A user should provide more than just a username and password - information should go beyond the basics which means an email validation has become the norm. While a simple username/password mechanism for user interaction can be useful, an email address provides better support to users in the long run.

But setting up an email address as part of user validation is not as simple as it looks. Validating if the entered string of letters, numbers and characters as email requires regular expression validation or commonly known as RegEx.

Using RegEx for email validation eases the burden of accepting invalid emails which could lead to different types of exploits or even a DDOS attack. The set-up for this type of email validation is a bit challenging especially for those who just started in serious online programming but it ensures that the site is secure and stable.

Going RegEx With Python

Using Regular Expression in validating email could be done in different forms depending on the programming language used and Python is no exception. To check if string is email, Python as a programming language could use a specific line to know if the specific format is indeed an email address.

Using Python as a programming language to validate an email is highly recommended especially when the online tool or the website itself is coded in Python. In fact, it's highly recommended that a site that offers simple interactive tools to online visitors should use Python because of its simplicity in implementation.

Using Python As Email Validation

The simplicity of Python when it comes to coding is perfectly displayed on its implementation on RegEx validation of email. PHP and JavaScript have a set of string set-up to validate an email but to the unfamiliar, they are relatively long compared to Python.

For Python, email validation according to emailregex.com looks like this:

The string could be broken up to seven parts:

• The Username
• The @ Symbol
• Email Server
• First Dot
• Extension
• Second Dot
• Another Extension

The username, @ symbol, email server, dot and extension are very common. But as the registered websites begin to expand the email servers also have to adapt - and they have actually adapted pretty early in terms of regex validation.

For example, an email [email protected] could be easily validated by the first five parts. But an email address [email protected] would need the extra two parts of validation. Without the extra two parts, this is another loophole that could cause problems with user validation as well as the website itself.

Why Not Use Validation Link?

Using a confirmation link to ensure that the email address is valid is actually a very simple yet effective method. However, this assumes that all visitors have the intention to properly use the website and it will appropriately provide only a valid email.

It's always important to prepare for the worst as much as possible when it comes to online security even in just email validation. Without prior validation before sending out an email for confirmation link, the server could be easily overwhelmed by requests that will never go through. Attacks could be implemented in this manner and it could cripple the website due to server problems. Using Python's regular expression validation of an email aims to limit that type of attack.

In Conclusion: Better Safe Than Sorry

Creating a website is never a walk in the park because of the expertise required to properly set-up and maintain its usability. Email validation through Python and other languages is just one of the many components every web developer has to remember to ensure that their website works as expected without any glitch or doors that could open for attacks. Implementing RegEx is a sound and safe method in ensuring that the website validates every information provided by users. Without practicing the best security possible for a website, it just opens to a lot of attacks that ultimately affects a website. Businesses that relies on online interaction do not have to go through outages which means every web developer should practice the optimal security measures they could do online.