> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.paynow.gg/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.paynow.gg/webhooks/preventing-replay-attacks.md).

# Preventing Replay Attacks

To prevent replay attacks, ensure that you check the timestamp included in the request and ignore webhook notifications with older timestamps. Here's how to do it:

Compare the timestamp provided in the `PayNow-Timestamp` header with the current time. If the timestamp is significantly older than the current time (e.g., more than a few seconds or minutes), consider the request invalid and discard it.

{% hint style="info" %}
We recommend ignoring webhook requests older than 5 minutes. Use Network Time Protocol ([NTP](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_Time_Protocol)) to make sure that your server's clock is accurate.
{% endhint %}

**You may also store the `event_id` in your database and ignore any duplicate requests with the same ID.** This is useful for ensuring that your server does not handle the same webhook twice.


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