Application Security for Developers and DevOps Professionals from Coursera

How vulnerable are your applications to security risks and threats? This course will help you identify vulnerabilities and monitor the health of your applications and systems. You’ll examine and implement secure code practices to prevent events like data breaches and leaks, and discover how practices like monitoring and observability can keep systems safe and secure.

You will gain extensive knowledge on various practices, concepts, and processes for maintaining a secure environment, including DevSecOps practices that automate security integration across the software development lifecycle (SDLC), Static Application Security Testing (SAST) for identifying security flaws, Dynamic Analysis, and Dynamic Testing. You’ll also learn about creating a Secure Development Environment, both on-premise and in the cloud. You’ll explore the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) top application security risks, including broken access controls and SQL injections.

Additionally, you will learn how monitoring, observability, and evaluation ensure secure applications and systems. You’ll discover the essential components of a monitoring system and how application performance monitoring (APM) tools aid in measuring app performance and efficiency. You’ll analyze the Golden Signals of monitoring, explore visualization and logging tools, and learn about the different metrics and alerting systems that help you understand your applications and systems.

Through videos, hands-on labs, peer discussion, and the practice and graded assessments in this course, you will develop and demonstrate your skills and knowledge for creating and maintaining a secure development environment.

What's inside

Syllabus

Introduction to Security for Application Development

In this module, you will identify how security fits into your workflow and gain a working knowledge of security concepts and terminology. You’ll discover how to design for security in the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) and find out about a set of practices known as DevSecOps. You will also discover the OSI model, identify the necessary OSI layers for developers, and implement security measures on the four layers of application development. You will gain insights into security patterns and learn how to organize them. You will describe TLS (Transport Layer Security) and SSL (Secure Sockets Layer), identify how to keep TLS secure in the SDLC, and explore OpenSSL and its purpose. You will learn the strategies, best practices, and methodologies for getting security early into your code to protect applications against threats and vulnerabilities. Further, you’ll find out how you can use tools like vulnerability scanners and threat models to mitigate security vulnerabilities. You’ll also get the opportunity to add key terms like authentication, encryption, and integrity to your security vocabulary. Finally, you will also perform hands-on labs to encrypt and decrypt files using OpenSSL and scan a network environment with Nmap.

Security Testing and Mitigation Strategies 

In this module, you will learn the key mitigation strategies to secure your application throughout development and production. You will also discover a range of security testing methods like static analysis, dynamic analysis, vulnerability analysis, software component analysis, and continuous security analysis. You will explore ways to perform code review and ensure runtime protection for application development. You will also perform hands-on labs based on static analysis, dynamic analysis, vulnerability scanning, and vulnerability detection.

OWASP Application Security Risks

In this module, you will learn about the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) and its Top 10 security concerns. You’ll learn about application vulnerabilities and discover the top vulnerabilities concerning security experts and professionals. You will explore SQL injection, cross-site scripting, and storing secrets securely. You will also investigate software and data integrity failures, discover how to detect these types of vulnerabilities, and examine ways to mitigate their impact. You will also perform hands-on labs to analyze your code repository using Snyk and use the Vault Python API (hvac) to read, write, and delete key-value secrets in Vault.

Security Best Practices , Final Project, and Assessment

In this module, you will learn about coding best practices and software dependencies. You’ll also explore how to secure a development environment by deciding what to store in a centralized repository and what not to store in GitHub. You will also perform hands-on labs to create HTTP security headers using flask-talisman and safely store and retrieve secrets using the pass CLI (command-line-interface). As your final project, you will check your code on GitHub for vulnerabilities in order of severity and fix the vulnerabilities. You’ll apply the best practices for reducing the risk of vulnerability.

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Develops essential knowledge for preventing data breaches and leaks in application development

Provides a comprehensive study of DevSecOps practices for automating security integration across SDLC

Examines the OWASP Top 10, which is standard in cybersecurity and is relevant to software development

Explores essential components of a monitoring system for checking app performance

Taught by experts in the field with years of experience in security and application development

Requires a bit of prior knowledge in software development or programming

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 Application Security for Developers and DevOps Professionals with these activities:

Read 'Secure Coding: Principles and Practices' by Michael Howard and David LeBlanc

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Gain a deeper understanding of secure coding principles and practices from an authoritative source.

View Writing Secure Code on Amazon

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Review your knowledge of basic coding fundamentals

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Review the basics of coding to ensure a strong foundation for this course.

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Review basic data types, variables, and operators.
Practice writing simple functions and loops.

Follow online tutorials on secure coding practices

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Supplement the course material by following guided tutorials on specific secure coding practices.

Browse courses on Secure Coding Practices

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Find reputable online resources and tutorials.
Follow the tutorials step-by-step and implement the practices in your own code.
Experiment with different secure coding techniques.

Four other activities

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Participate in online discussion forums or study groups focused on application security

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Engage with peers to discuss and reinforce course concepts, ask questions, and share knowledge.

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Join online communities or forums dedicated to application security.
Participate in discussions, ask questions, and share your insights.

Engage in coding exercises and challenges related to application security

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Test and solidify your understanding of application security concepts through coding exercises and challenges.

Browse courses on Application Security

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Find online coding platforms or challenges that focus on application security.
Attempt to solve the challenges and write secure code.
Review your solutions and identify areas for improvement.

Write a blog post or article summarizing a specific topic covered in the course

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Demonstrate your understanding by creating content that explains a course topic to a broader audience.

Browse courses on Blogging

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Choose a specific topic from the course material.
Research and gather information from reliable sources.
Write a well-structured and informative blog post or article.
Publish your content online and share it with others.

Create a small application and implement security best practices throughout the development process

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Apply your knowledge by building a practical project that showcases your understanding of secure application development.

Browse courses on Application Development

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Plan and design your application, considering security from the outset.
Implement secure coding practices throughout the development process.
Test and validate your application's security.
Deploy and monitor your application, ensuring ongoing security.

Career center

Learners who complete Application Security for Developers and DevOps Professionals will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Application Security Engineer

An Application Security Engineer ensures that applications are secure from malicious attacks and data breaches. This course provides comprehensive knowledge on secure coding practices, vulnerability assessment, and mitigation strategies. It covers industry-standard security frameworks and best practices, enabling you to build and maintain secure applications, making it an invaluable resource for aspiring and practicing Application Security Engineers.

See salaries and explore the career path for Application Security Engineer

Software Developer

Software Developers are responsible for designing, developing, and maintaining software applications. This course provides a strong foundation in application security principles and best practices, enabling Software Developers to build secure and reliable applications. It covers secure coding techniques, threat modeling, and vulnerability management, helping developers enhance the security posture of their software products.

See salaries and explore the career path for Software Developer

DevOps Engineer

DevOps Engineers are responsible for bridging the gap between development and operations teams. This course aligns with the DevSecOps approach, emphasizing the integration of security practices throughout the software development lifecycle. DevOps Engineers will gain insights into security testing, monitoring, and observability, enabling them to implement and maintain secure and efficient software delivery pipelines.

See salaries and explore the career path for DevOps Engineer

Information Security Analyst

Information Security Analysts are responsible for protecting an organization's information assets from cyber threats. This course provides a deep understanding of application security risks and vulnerabilities, enabling Information Security Analysts to identify and mitigate security breaches. It covers OWASP Top 10 security concerns, security testing methodologies, and incident response strategies, empowering analysts to safeguard sensitive data and systems.

See salaries and explore the career path for Information Security Analyst

Security Architect

Security Architects design and implement security solutions to protect an organization's infrastructure and applications. This course provides a comprehensive overview of application security principles and best practices, enabling Security Architects to make informed decisions about security measures. It covers secure architecture design, threat modeling, and vulnerability assessment, empowering architects to build and maintain robust security frameworks.

See salaries and explore the career path for Security Architect

Penetration Tester

Penetration Testers assess the security of computer systems and networks by simulating real-world attacks. This course provides hands-on experience in security testing techniques, including static and dynamic analysis, vulnerability scanning, and penetration testing. Penetration Testers will gain the skills to identify and exploit vulnerabilities, helping organizations strengthen their security posture.

See salaries and explore the career path for Penetration Tester

Cloud Security Engineer

Cloud Security Engineers design and implement security measures for cloud-based infrastructure and applications. This course provides a comprehensive overview of application security in the cloud, covering topics such as secure cloud architecture, identity and access management, and cloud security monitoring. Cloud Security Engineers will gain the skills to protect cloud-hosted applications and data, ensuring compliance and mitigating security risks.

See salaries and explore the career path for Cloud Security Engineer

Security Consultant

Security Consultants provide expertise and guidance to organizations on security matters. This course provides a broad understanding of application security principles and best practices, enabling Security Consultants to advise clients on secure software development and deployment. It covers risk assessment, security audits, and incident response planning, empowering consultants to help organizations enhance their overall security posture.

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IT Auditor

IT Auditors evaluate an organization's IT systems and processes to ensure compliance with regulations and standards. This course provides insights into application security risks and vulnerabilities, enabling IT Auditors to assess the effectiveness of an organization's security controls. It covers security testing methodologies, audit techniques, and risk management principles, empowering auditors to identify and mitigate security weaknesses.

See salaries and explore the career path for IT Auditor

Security Operations Analyst

Security Operations Analysts monitor and respond to security incidents in real-time. This course provides a foundation in application security principles and best practices, enabling Security Operations Analysts to understand the nature and impact of security threats. It covers incident detection, response, and recovery procedures, empowering analysts to effectively handle security breaches and minimize their impact.

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Network Security Engineer

Network Security Engineers design and implement security measures for computer networks. While this course focuses primarily on application security, it provides insights into security principles and best practices that are applicable to network security. Network Security Engineers may find the coverage of secure network configurations and monitoring techniques particularly relevant.

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Cybersecurity Analyst

Cybersecurity Analysts analyze and investigate cyber threats and incidents. This course provides a broad understanding of application security principles and best practices, enabling Cybersecurity Analysts to identify and mitigate security vulnerabilities in software applications. It covers threat intelligence, vulnerability assessment, and incident response planning, empowering analysts to enhance an organization's overall cybersecurity posture.

See salaries and explore the career path for Cybersecurity Analyst

Software Tester

Software Testers evaluate the functionality and quality of software applications. While this course focuses on application security, it provides insights into testing techniques and methodologies that are applicable to software testing in general. Software Testers may find the coverage of security testing methods and tools particularly relevant.

See salaries and explore the career path for Software Tester

Privacy Analyst

Privacy Analysts ensure that an organization's data handling practices comply with privacy regulations. While this course focuses primarily on application security, it provides insights into data protection principles and best practices that are applicable to privacy analysis. Privacy Analysts may find the coverage of data security and privacy risks particularly relevant.

See salaries and explore the career path for Privacy Analyst

Information Systems Security Manager

Information Systems Security Managers oversee the planning, implementation, and maintenance of an organization's security program. While this course focuses primarily on application security, it provides insights into security management principles and best practices that are applicable to information systems security. Information Systems Security Managers may find the coverage of risk assessment, security policy development, and incident response planning particularly relevant.

See salaries and explore the career path for Information Systems Security Manager