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Chris B Behrens

Principles of Secure Coding offers a comprehensive exploration of secure coding practices, emphasizing the importance of incorporating security throughout the entire development process. This course will equip you with the skills and mindset necessary to protect your applications against potential threats, setting you on the path towards developing robust and resilient software.

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Principles of Secure Coding offers a comprehensive exploration of secure coding practices, emphasizing the importance of incorporating security throughout the entire development process. This course will equip you with the skills and mindset necessary to protect your applications against potential threats, setting you on the path towards developing robust and resilient software.

Dive into essential security concepts such as authentication, authorization, encryption, and encoding. Learn the importance of version control and best practices for maintaining sensitive information. Engage with real-life and fictional security horror stories, including an exclusive tale from YouTube sensation Tom Scott, to gain insight into the potential consequences of insecure coding.

Explore secure coding techniques using C# as our primary language while emphasizing broader applicability to other programming languages. Delve into methods for safeguarding data, preventing information leaks, and mitigating vulnerabilities. Develop an understanding of security testing and code review processes to ensure your applications remain secure and compliant.

Continuing the course, we'll investigate the OWASP Top Ten security risks for 2021, enabling you to recognize and address recurring security issues. By diving deep into these prevalent concerns, you'll gain invaluable insight into the mindset and thought processes that often lead to security problems.

New.  A bonus module examining three new online authentication methods and how they work, as well as how they fit into the context of encryption and security. Have you ever wondered how Google or Microsoft Authenticator works? We will dig into what is happening under the covers.

Seize the opportunity to enhance your software development skills with this course. Enroll today and propel your skills to new heights.

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What's inside

Learning objectives

  • Understand the core concepts of security, including encoding, encryption, and serialization
  • Recognize the importance of version control in maintaining secure software development and managing sensitive information
  • Apply secure coding practices, such as mitigating reflection attacks, handling data types securely, and avoiding custom encryption implementations
  • Effectively store and protect data using techniques such as hashing, salting, and transparent data encryption
  • Identify and prevent common attacks as outlined in the owasp top ten for 2021, including broken access control, cryptographic failures, and injection attacks
  • Gain familiarity with security tools, such as owasp zap, and the value of penetration testing for assessing application security
  • Develop a comprehensive understanding of security logging, monitoring, and best practices for secure software design and data integrity

Syllabus

Introduction

Who I am, what I aim to do, and what I think of best practices.

A quick look at the tools we're going to use and a map of the course.

Read more

Some definitions of "security", and some clarity on the pain of insecurity.

Who you are, what you can do, and how this goes wrong.

Untangling some security terms from each other and from their common usage.

We'll look at a nuts and bolts example of how serialization can cause problems.

We'll understand how and why the nature of the Internet is fundamentally insecure.

Understanding the bad guys both outside the walls and in.

We'll wrap up the section and review what we talked about.

What it is we're talking about when we say "the security of version control".

Why secrets do not belong in version control, and what we mean by that.

A story about what goes wrong when secrets end up in version control.

Working with secrets managers, and what doing that correctly requires.

How we can avoid secrets and the pain of working with them altogether.

We'll demo a secrets manager and talk about how to manage secrets in Production.

We'll close out the section with a discussion of Tom Scott's legendary YouTube short, "The (Fictional) Day Google Forgot to Check Passwords".

We'll talk about the nature of server-side code and how it can go wrong.

We'll talk about the risks associated with the very common practice of code reflection.

We'll look at some C#-specific solutions to reducing the copies of your sensitive data floating around.

We'll look at the ins and outs of read-only structs and reflect on the other uses of the readonly keyword.

Why SecureString isn't, and what happens to best practices.

Why you're not good enough (and neither am I) to write your own encryption.

One more look at the problems associated with serialization and an approach to deal with them.

What Microsoft says about secure coding.

A look at the role that containers and VMs can play in secure coding.

We'll talk about choosing in security, and another horror story from poor security.

We'll look at a common source of data breaches, and what practices can prevent it.

An in depth look at what we're talking about with hashing and salt.

A look at Microsoft's cloud encryption solution for databases, Transparent Data Encryption.

We'll look at connecting to an Azure Key Vault to manage our secrets.

A discussion of Social Security Numbers and their meaning in security.

How sensitive data gets into logs, and why it happens.

A nuts and bolts example of getting a piece of sensitive data into the logs, and how to keep it out.

An overview of OWASP and what the Top Ten means from year to year.

What happens when users get outside of their intended permissions.

What happens when we fail to protect our data.

What happens when users can execute code we did not intend.

What happens when our system is designed wrongly from the start, in security terms.

What happens when you haven't configured your applications and systems for secure operation.

When updating that package is too much trouble, so you end up with a security breach.

When the basis of your authentication is inadequate evidence that a user is who they say they are.

What happens when our application trusts stuff it shouldn't.

When we don't know what's going on with our system, or can't.

When an internal server is tricked into making a request on the behalf of an attacker.

Working with OWASP's automated scanning tool, ZAP.

Why getting help from security experts can be painful, but is worth it.

We'll wrap up the course and take one last stab at getting some security principles into your bones.

We'll review a few of the big concepts covered in the course and see how much you remember.

We'll look at a mostly-abandoned symmetric encryption method with some interesting history.

We'll break down what HMAC means and how we can use it for authentication.

We'll look at the time-based variation on the hash-based authentication scheme.

We'll cover the basics of FIDO, a new password-free authentication scheme which is taking hold.

This quiz will test your knowledge of OTP, HOTP, TOTP, and FIDO.

Traffic lights

Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Explores OWASP Top Ten security risks for 2021, which enables developers to recognize and address recurring security issues in web applications
Uses C# as the primary language, which allows .NET developers to directly apply secure coding techniques to their projects
Examines version control and secrets management, which are essential for maintaining secure software development and managing sensitive information
Covers security logging and monitoring, which are crucial for detecting and responding to security incidents in real-time
Focuses on the OWASP Top Ten security risks for 2021, but developers should note that these risks are updated regularly, so staying current is essential
Requires familiarity with C#, which may pose a barrier for developers unfamiliar with the language, despite the broader applicability to other languages

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Reviews summary

Foundational secure coding principles with c#

According to learners, this course provides a strong foundation in secure coding principles, particularly highlighting its relevance for those working with C#. Students praise the clear and concise explanations, the instructor's ability to explain complex topics simply, and the practical examples and demos, especially those involving Azure Key Vault and OWASP ZAP. While the C# focus is noted, learners feel the principles are broadly applicable. The course is considered well-structured and engaging, although a few reviews suggest it might be less beneficial for seasoned security experts and could benefit from more hands-on coding exercises beyond the demonstrations.
Pace is good for fundamentals, potentially shallow for experts.
"The pace was just right for understanding the concepts."
"For someone already deep in security, this might be too basic."
"It moves quickly through some topics, but covers the essentials."
"Ideal for developers new to security, but perhaps not for advanced practitioners."
"It provides a good overview without getting bogged down in excessive detail."
Uses C# examples, principles are applicable.
"The examples are in C#, but the principles taught are universal."
"While C# specific solutions were discussed, the core concepts apply to any language."
"Good for C# developers, but also useful for others wanting the fundamental ideas."
"I work in a different language, but could still follow along and benefit."
"The use of C# didn't detract from the overall value of the security principles presented."
Excellent for building fundamental security understanding.
"This course provides a solid foundation for anyone looking to understand secure coding principles."
"It covered the essential concepts like OWASP Top Ten very well."
"I gained a much better understanding of topics like hashing, salting, and encryption."
"Great for beginners or those needing a refresher on the basics of application security."
"It laid down the necessary groundwork for thinking securely about software."
Instructor is knowledgeable and engaging.
"The instructor is knowledgeable and presents the material in an engaging way."
"I enjoyed the instructor's teaching style; he kept my attention."
"The lecturer clearly understands the subject matter deeply."
"He has a knack for making potentially dry topics interesting."
"The instructor's passion for the subject was evident and inspiring."
Useful, real-world examples applied to secure coding.
"The practical examples were incredibly helpful in understanding the concepts."
"I learned a lot about secure coding practices that I can apply directly to my work."
"Seeing demos of tools like OWASP ZAP and connecting to Azure Key Vault was very valuable."
"The course provided insights into real-world security issues and how to mitigate them."
"It gave me a practical understanding of secure coding principles relevant to my development role."
The course explains complex security topics clearly.
"The course is clear and concise and explains complex topics simply."
"I found the explanations very clear and easy to understand."
"The content was well-structured, and the lecturer explained concepts concisely."
"He explains complex topics simply, but not simplistically."
"I appreciated how the lectures broke down difficult ideas into manageable pieces."
Relies more on demos than coding exercises.
"While the demos were good, I learn better by doing."
"Could use more hands-on coding exercises to solidify understanding."
"I wish there were more labs where I could write code myself."
"The course is demo-heavy, which is helpful, but less interactive than coding assignments."
"More practical coding challenges would enhance the learning experience."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Principles of Secure Coding with these activities:
Review Cryptography Fundamentals
Reinforce your understanding of cryptography, which is essential for secure coding practices covered in the course.
Browse courses on Cryptography
Show steps
  • Review basic encryption algorithms and their use cases.
  • Study hashing and salting techniques for password storage.
  • Understand the differences between symmetric and asymmetric encryption.
Read 'Writing Secure Code'
Deepen your understanding of secure coding principles with a comprehensive guide.
View Liber Nox on Amazon
Show steps
  • Read the book cover to cover, taking notes on key concepts.
  • Implement the secure coding practices discussed in the book in a sample project.
OWASP Top Ten Vulnerability Exercises
Reinforce your knowledge of the OWASP Top Ten vulnerabilities through hands-on exercises.
Show steps
  • Find vulnerable code examples online for each OWASP Top Ten vulnerability.
  • Attempt to exploit each vulnerability in a controlled environment.
  • Implement fixes for each vulnerability to understand how to prevent them.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Write a Blog Post on Secure Coding
Solidify your understanding of secure coding by explaining key concepts in a blog post.
Show steps
  • Choose a specific secure coding topic covered in the course.
  • Research the topic thoroughly and gather relevant information.
  • Write a clear and concise blog post explaining the topic and its importance.
  • Publish the blog post on a platform like Medium or your personal website.
Secure Web Application Project
Apply secure coding principles by building a web application with security in mind from the start.
Show steps
  • Design a web application with specific security requirements.
  • Implement authentication and authorization mechanisms.
  • Protect against common web vulnerabilities like XSS and SQL injection.
  • Conduct security testing and code reviews to identify and fix vulnerabilities.
Study 'The Web Application Hacker's Handbook'
Enhance your knowledge of web application security vulnerabilities and exploitation techniques.
Show steps
  • Read the book, focusing on the exploitation techniques.
  • Practice identifying and exploiting vulnerabilities in a lab environment.
Contribute to a Secure Coding Project
Gain practical experience by contributing to an open-source project focused on secure coding.
Show steps
  • Find an open-source project related to secure coding on platforms like GitHub.
  • Identify a bug or feature related to security that you can contribute to.
  • Submit a pull request with your changes and address any feedback from the project maintainers.

Career center

Learners who complete Principles of Secure Coding will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Application Security Engineer
An Application Security Engineer focuses on building security into applications from the initial stages of development. Principles of Secure Coding helps build a foundation in understanding secure coding practices, emphasizing security throughout the development lifecycle. This role involves identifying and mitigating vulnerabilities, implementing security controls, and conducting security assessments. The course's exploration of essential security concepts like authentication, authorization, encryption, and encoding directly aligns with the responsibilities of this role. Learning about the OWASP Top Ten security risks also enables an Application Security Engineer to defend applications against common attacks. A key aspect of the job is safeguarding data and preventing information leaks, an area the course covers extensively.
Source Code Auditor
A Source Code Auditor reviews code to identify potential security flaws and vulnerabilities. Principles of Secure Coding helps build a foundation in secure coding practices, making them well-equipped to identify vulnerabilities in code. The course dives into essential security concepts like authentication, authorization, encryption, and encoding, which are vital for assessing code security. The course's exploration of secure coding techniques using C# helps an auditor understand the nuances of code-level security measures. The examination of the OWASP Top Ten security risks for 2021 also enables an auditor to recognize common vulnerabilities.
Security Software Engineer
A Security Software Engineer designs and develops security software and tools. Principles of Secure Coding helps build a foundation in developing secure applications. The course emphasizes important security concepts like authentication, authorization, encryption, and encoding, as well as the importance of version control. The course examines data safeguarding and the prevention of information leaks. In addition, the study of the OWASP Top Ten for 2021 helps the Security Software Engineer to understand the development of secure software and tools.
DevSecOps Engineer
A DevSecOps Engineer integrates security practices into the software development lifecycle. Principles of Secure Coding helps build a foundation in implementing security measures early and continuously throughout the development process. This role requires a strong understanding of secure coding practices, vulnerability management, security automation, and compliance. The course equips a DevSecOps Engineer with the skills to protect applications against potential threats and to develop robust and resilient software. Particularly useful is the exploration of techniques for safeguarding data, preventing information leaks, and mitigating vulnerabilities, enabling the engineer to seamlessly incorporate security into the DevOps pipeline.
Software Developer
A Software Developer writes and maintains code for various applications. Principles of Secure Coding helps build a foundation in writing secure and robust code. Software Developers are increasingly expected to understand and implement security best practices to prevent vulnerabilities in their applications. By learning about version control and maintaining sensitive information with the course's instruction on security concepts such as authentication, authorization, encryption, and encoding. Furthermore, gaining insight into real-life security horror stories and secure coding techniques, equips a Software Developer to write code that is less susceptible to attacks and data breaches.
Web Application Developer
A Web Application Developer designs, codes, and maintains web applications. Principles of Secure Coding helps build a foundation in writing secure web applications. The course's coverage version control, encoding, encryption, and serialization, is important for developers to be aware of. The course examines methods for safeguarding data, preventing information leaks, and mitigating vulnerabilities. The OWASP Top Ten teaches Web Application Developers to recognize and address recurring security issues. Secure coding practices using C#, as covered in the course, provides insight into code-level web application security.
Cryptography Engineer
A Cryptography Engineer designs and implements cryptographic systems and algorithms. Principles of Secure Coding helps build a foundation in understanding cryptography. The cryptography engineer needs to know essential security concepts such as authentication, authorization, encryption, and encoding, as well as methods for safeguarding data. The course emphasizes version control as well. The course examines secure coding techniques, which provides essential knowledge for implementing cryptographic solutions.
Information Security Analyst
An Information Security Analyst protects an organization's data and systems from unauthorized access and cyber threats. Principles of Secure Coding helps build a foundation in understanding the risks of insecure coding practices and best practices. The course's emphasis on security concepts such as authentication, authorization, encryption, and encoding, along with version control. The course examines common attacks, as outlined in the OWASP Top Ten for 2021, equipping the Information Security Analyst with the knowledge to recognize, address, and mitigate security incidents and vulnerabilities as they arise.
Penetration Tester
A Penetration Tester, sometimes called an ethical hacker, assesses the security of systems by simulating attacks to identify vulnerabilities. Principles of Secure Coding helps build a foundation in understanding how vulnerabilities arise from insecure coding practices. The course examines common attack vectors and secure coding techniques. Gaining familiarity with security tools, such as OWASP ZAP, and the value of penetration testing for assessing application security, equips a Penetration Tester to effectively identify and exploit weaknesses in systems. The knowledge of the OWASP Top Ten also enriches the skills of a Penetration Tester, enabling them to simulate real-world attack scenarios more effectively.
Vulnerability Assessor
A Vulnerability Assessor identifies weaknesses in systems and applications. Principles of Secure Coding helps build a foundation in recognizing coding practices that lead to vulnerabilities. The course examines how to prevent common attacks, addressing topics in the OWASP Top Ten for 2021. Gaining familiarity with security tools, such as OWASP ZAP, can also be useful for the Vulnerability Assessor to assess application security. Secure coding techniques using C#, as covered in the course, may be helpful to assess the code.
Security Operations Center Analyst
A Security Operations Center Analyst monitors and responds to security events and incidents. Principles of Secure Coding helps build a foundation in understanding the vulnerabilities that can lead to security incidents. The course examines the importance of security logging, monitoring, and best practices for secure software design and data integrity. The course's focus on the OWASP Top Ten enables them to recognize and address recurring security issues, aiding in the early detection and prevention of potential breaches. The coursework on authentication, authorization, and encryption provides essential context for assessing the severity and impact of security alerts.
Cloud Security Engineer
A Cloud Security Engineer implements and manages security measures for cloud-based systems. Principles of Secure Coding may be useful, helping to understand how to secure applications and data in the cloud. The course introduces critical security concepts such as authentication, authorization, encryption, and encoding. A key aspect of this role is understanding how to prevent data breaches and maintain compliance in the cloud environment. The knowledge from studying the OWASP Top Ten helps the engineer to address common security issues in cloud applications. This course's coverage of secure coding and logging and monitoring would also be useful for a Cloud Security Engineer.
Information Security Manager
An Information Security Manager is responsible for overseeing an organization's information security program. Principles of Secure Coding may be useful because it provides the manager with an understanding of secure coding practices and potential vulnerabilities. The course introduces topics such as authentication, authorization, encryption, and encoding. In addition, the course provides methods for safeguarding data, preventing leaks, and mitigating vulnerabilities. The knowledge from the OWASP Top Ten will assist in the implementation and management of security policies and procedures.
Security Consultant
A Security Consultant advises organizations on how to improve their security posture. A course may be useful in providing the consultant with a broad understanding of security principles and coding practices. This includes authentication, authorization, encryption, and encoding. Becoming familiar with the OWASP Top Ten security risks for 2021 may be helpful for the consultant in identifying and addressing recurring security issues. The course covers methods for safeguarding data, preventing information leaks, and mitigating vulnerabilities, all important aspects for a Security Consultant to consider when advising on security improvements.
Security Architect
A Security Architect designs and implements secure systems and networks. Principles of Secure Coding may be useful in helping this person understand potential attack vectors and vulnerabilities. The course introduces topics such as authentication, authorization, encryption, and encoding. A course may introduce version control and best practices for maintaining sensitive information. The architect needs to understand how to implement security measures at the code level to ensure the overall system is robust. This course examines secure coding techniques using C#, which may be helpful when working on security architecture.

Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Principles of Secure Coding.
Classic guide to secure coding practices. It provides in-depth coverage of common vulnerabilities and how to prevent them. It valuable resource for understanding the principles of secure software development and complements the course material by providing practical examples and real-world scenarios. This book is commonly used by industry professionals.
Provides a comprehensive guide to web application security vulnerabilities and exploitation techniques. It covers a wide range of topics, including injection attacks, cross-site scripting, and authentication bypasses. It valuable resource for understanding how attackers exploit web applications and how to prevent these attacks. This book is commonly used by security professionals.

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