You want speed but no leaks, right? Keep the network lean—use a micro‑services approach so only the needed parts talk to each other. Put a firewall at each boundary and make it learn from traffic, not just static rules. And don’t forget the old trick: compress the code, so it’s harder for a scanner to read. But always run a pen‑test after you tweak performance, because a small shortcut can become a hole the next time a hacker updates their toolkit. Keep the layers thin, the logs thick, and treat every access point like a puzzle you’re willing to solve and then throw back the pieces in a different shape.