Cybersecurity for Developers

1. Introduction to Secure Development

1.1. The Importance of Secure Coding

• Overview of cybersecurity in software development
• The impact of insecure code on organizations and users

1.2. Developer Responsibilities in Cybersecurity

• Understanding the developer's role in maintaining security
• Security as a key part of the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC)

2. Understanding Common Vulnerabilities

2.1. OWASP Top Ten Vulnerabilities

• Definition and importance of OWASP
• Overview of the OWASP Top Ten (e.g., SQL injection, XSS, CSRF)
• Examples and impact of each vulnerability

2.2. Vulnerability Examples

• Real-world cases of security breaches due to poor coding practices
• Impact on companies and their employees from breaches
• Analysis of how these breaches could have been prevented

2.3. Secure Coding Standards

• Introduction to secure coding guidelines (e.g., CERT, SANS)
• How to apply these standards in everyday coding practices

3. Secure Development Practices

3.1. Input Validation and Sanitization

• Importance of validating and sanitizing user inputs
• Techniques for preventing injection attacks (SQL, command, etc.)

3.2. Authentication and Authorization

• Best practices for implementing secure authentication mechanisms
• Managing authorization, authentication, user roles, and permissions securely

3.3. Data Encryption and Protection

• How and when to use encryption to protect sensitive data
• Secure storage and transmission of data at rest, in transit, and in use (e.g., HTTPS, SSL/TLS)

3.4. Error Handling and Logging

• Importance of secure error handling to avoid information leakage
• Best practices for logging without exposing sensitive information

4. Secure Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC)

4.1. Integrating Security into the SDLC

• Overview of secure SDLC frameworks (e.g., Microsoft SDL, BSIMM)
• Key stages where security should be integrated (planning, design, coding, testing)

4.2. Threat Modeling

• Introduction to threat modeling and its importance
• Tools and techniques for identifying potential threats early in the development process

4.3. Code Reviews and Static Analysis

• Conducting secure code reviews and peer assessments
• Using static analysis tools to identify vulnerabilities in code

5. Secure Development Tools and Resources

5.1. Security Testing Tools

• Overview of tools for security testing (e.g., OWASP ZAP, Burp Suite)
• How to integrate these tools into the development process

5.2. Dependency Management and Software Composition Analysis (SCA)

• Importance of managing third-party libraries and dependencies
• Tools for identifying vulnerabilities in open-source components

5.3. Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD)

• Securing the CI/CD pipeline
• Best practices for automated security testing in CI/CD environments

6. Web Application Security

6.1. Securing Web Applications

• Best practices for securing web applications (e.g., secure session management, CSRF protection)
• Importance of HTTPS and secure cookie handling

6.2. API Security

• Best practices for designing secure APIs (e.g., authentication, rate limiting)
• Common API vulnerabilities and how to prevent them

6.3. Mobile Application Security

• Overview of security considerations for mobile apps
• Techniques for securing data on mobile devices

7. Incident Response and Handling Vulnerabilities

7.1. Security Incident Response for Developers

• How developers should respond to security incidents
• Role of developers in post-incident analysis and patching

7.2. Reporting and Managing Vulnerabilities

• Best practices for reporting security vulnerabilities in code
• Coordinating with security teams to address and remediate vulnerabilities

8. Continuous Learning and Staying Updated

8.1. Keeping Up with Security Trends

• Importance of staying informed about the latest security threats and trends
• Resources for continuous learning (blogs, forums, security conferences)

8.2. Community Involvement

• Participating in security communities (e.g., OWASP, local meetups)
• Contributing to open-source security projects

This course is designed for anyone with at least 3-months of development experience in any coding language. No other prerequisites are required.

Typical roles that will benefit from this course are:

• Software Developer
• Full-Stack Developer
• Backend Developer
• Application Security Engineer
• Software Architect
• Technical Project Manager.

This hands-on course can be delivered in English, French or Arabic.

This course will emphasize secure development practices such as input validation, authentication, authorization, data encryption, and secure error handling. Developers will also explore how to integrate security into the SDLC, focusing on threat modeling, secure code reviews, and both static and dynamic analysis tools (SAST & DAST).

 Participants completing the Cybersecurity for Developers course will be ready to take the next level cybersecurity coding courses for experienced developers, such as Attainable’s:

- CyberSecurity for Java Developers

- CyberSecurity for Python Developers

- CyberSecurity for Javascript Developers