Application Security for Developers and DevOps Professionals

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/application-security-for-developers-devops

Introduction

### Course Review: Application Security for Developers and DevOps Professionals on Coursera In an era where cyber threats loom large and data breaches can have devastating consequences, understanding application security is paramount for developers and DevOps professionals alike. The course titled **"Application Security for Developers and DevOps Professionals"** on Coursera provides a robust structure for comprehending and implementing security throughout the software development lifecycle (SDLC). Designed for individuals who are keen to fortify their applications against security risks, this course is a highly recommended resource to elevate one’s expertise in application security. #### Course Overview The course begins with a comprehensive introduction to security principles tailored for application development. Participants will explore fundamental concepts, including critical security terminology, design principles aligned with security, and an introduction to DevSecOps—a methodology aiming to integrate security within development and operations. The course emphasizes the importance of security as an integral part of the development workflow, effectively setting the stage for the subsequent modules. ### Syllabus Breakdown 1. **Introduction to Security for Application Development**: In this foundational module, you will acquire a working knowledge of security concepts, including the OSI model relevant to developers, TLS, and SSL. The hands-on labs provide practical experience with OpenSSL for file encryption and network scanning with Nmap. Understanding how to implement security early in the development process is emphasized through tools like vulnerability scanners and threat modeling. 2. **Security Testing and Mitigation Strategies**: This module dives deeper into securing applications throughout their lifecycle. You will explore various security testing methods, including static and dynamic analysis, and engage in hands-on labs to conduct vulnerability detection. The focus on code reviews and runtime protection reinforces the application of security measures during both development and production. 3. **OWASP Application Security Risks**: Here, the course introduces the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) and its Top 10 security risks that developers must be vigilant about. Hands-on labs, such as analyzing your code repository with Snyk and utilizing the Vault Python API for managing secrets, ensure that participants gain practical experience in tackling prevalent vulnerabilities like SQL injection and cross-site scripting. 4. **Security Best Practices, Final Project, and Assessment**: Participants will learn coding best practices, how to manage software dependencies securely, and how to protect sensitive data effectively. The final project challenges you to assess your code for vulnerabilities on GitHub, applying best practices to mitigate identified risks, thereby making the experience deeply impactful and relevant. ### Why You Should Take This Course - **Practical Applications**: The hands-on labs throughout the course make the theoretical concepts actionable. Participants not only learn the principles but also apply them in real-world scenarios, which is crucial in the highly practical field of security. - **Industry-Relevant Skills**: The focus on widely recognized frameworks and tools, such as OWASP and Snyk, ensures that learners are equipped with the skills that employers increasingly look for. - **Expert Guidance**: The course content is developed by seasoned professionals in the field, offering insights and knowledge that comes from real-world experience. - **Flexible Learning**: Being an online course, it allows learners to progress at their own pace, making it a convenient option for busy professionals. ### Conclusion The **"Application Security for Developers and DevOps Professionals"** course on Coursera is a critical resource for anyone involved in application development or devops roles. By understanding and mitigating security vulnerabilities, you enhance not only your own skills but also contribute significantly to the safety and integrity of software applications in your organization. I wholeheartedly recommend this course to developers, security enthusiasts, and DevOps professionals eager to elevate their security knowledge and practices in today's ever-evolving digital landscape.

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.

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.

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.

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.