When it comes to building BackEnd services, Node.js is one of the best options. This open-source, cross-platform, back-end JavaScript runtime is ideal when you want to power applications running inside a web browser or mobile device.
Applications built with Node.js framework are scalable and this is due to its asynchronous nature. What does this mean? For example, imagine that in a restaurant, the waiter takes your order and brings it to the kitchen, then continues to the next table while the chef prepares the food for the first table, so you can serve multiple tables while they prepare the food. and food of others, this is what is called asynchrony.
Now, for its version 18, Node.js has added some security improvements and other aspects that are worth highlighting.
Node.js 18: what's new with the recent update
Node.js 18 is the first release of the popular JavaScript framework since October 2021, when Node.js 17 was released. Unlike Node.js 17, which was a short-term release with support only until June 2022, Node. js 18 will be supported for several years, so Node.js developers can rest easy.
The release of the update adds some features that increase its capabilities, as well as some security features that were no longer available in previous versions and are available again in this most recent one.
Security in Nodejs 18 is enhanced with support for the OpenSSL 3.0 cryptographic library. It is not the first time that this library has been supported and included in NodeJs, but it is the first time that it has been made available in an LTS update.
Commenting on this, Bethany Griggs, Node.js Technical Steering Committee Member and Senior Software Engineer at Red Hat commented on the ITPro Today portal, saying “Node.js 17 will not be promoted to long-term support: only the lines of launch pairs will be promoted to long-term support. Many companies adhere to the LTS release lines, so the inclusion of OpenSSL 3.0 is important for Node.js 18 as it will be the first long-term support release to include this version.”
He also went on to point out "Upgrading to OpenSSL 3.0 was necessary for Node.js 18, as OpenSSL 1.1.1 will reach the end of support on 2023-09-11, which is before our proposed end date for Node.js 18.". "Node.js developers should be aware of this update because the update has tightened some restrictions on allowed algorithms and key sizes."
At Rootstack there is a team of Node.js experts ready to solve the technical problems that our international customers come up with. If you want to belong to this team, where we always welcome new talent, apply here and start your professional growth.
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