Networking and Security in iOS Applications

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/security

Introduction

## Course Review: Networking and Security in iOS Applications In today’s digital landscape, understanding application security and networking is paramount, especially for mobile developers venturing into the world of iOS. The "Networking and Security in iOS Applications" course offered on Coursera stands out as an exceptional opportunity for those looking to enhance their skills in building secure iOS applications. ### Course Overview This course is designed to extend your knowledge of iOS app development, specifically focusing on securely interacting with web services, storing data securely, and deploying apps safely. Throughout the course, you will engage in a variety of code tutorials that guide you through the creation of several sample applications, equipping you with a personal app toolbox for future projects. ### Learning Objectives By the end of the course, you will be able to: - Implement social networking integration using single sign-on and basic OAuth2 functionality. - Securely utilize JSON web APIs and manage cryptographically secured push notifications. - Store data securely on an iOS device with Core Data. - Successfully deploy applications to the App Store and beta users over-the-air. The course takes a practitioner-oriented approach, ensuring that you not only learn theoretical concepts but also have practical coding experience. ### Syllabus Breakdown 1. **Welcome!**: This introductory module sets the tone for the course, emphasizing a hands-on approach to learning. The instructor promises to guide you through various code sessions while also diving into essential concepts that may require more explicit explanations. 2. **Using Secure Web APIs: an Instagram Case Study**: This module tackles authentication using OAuth 2.0, as you work through a practical example involving Instagram. You will learn to fetch data from a web service, which is an invaluable skill for modern app development. The module also addresses the foundations of using UIImageViews and the importance of secure data transmission protocols such as HTTPS. 3. **Don’t be so pushy!**: This module examines the intricacies of push notifications, providing insights into both local and remote notifications. You'll gain experience in setting up notifications and understanding the iOS application lifecycle. The practical code tutorials support your learning, allowing you to develop functionality that enhances user engagement. 4. **Storing Data**: Here, you will delve into Core Data, Apple's framework for managing the model layer objects in your application. Understanding how to securely store data is critical, and this module will help you navigate storage options and best practices. ### Course Format and Projects The course format is interactive and hands-on. Each week consists of video tutorials, code exercises, and peer review assignments. The projects you will create can be added to your app toolbox, providing you with numerous examples to reference in your future app development endeavors. The emphasis on peer feedback also enriches the learning experience, fostering community engagement among participants. ### Recommendation I highly recommend the "Networking and Security in iOS Applications" course for developers at various skill levels who seek to deepen their understanding of secure app development. Whether you are a seasoned iOS developer wanting to brush up on security practices or a beginner eager to build a strong foundation, this course is tailored to elevate your skills. The practical nature of the course, combined with the robust syllabus, ensures that you leave with not just understanding but also the ability to apply what you learn in real-world scenarios. Enroll today and start enhancing your iOS development skill set, one secure application at a time!

Syllabus

Welcome!

Welcome to this course on Networking and Security in iOS Applications. Our focus in this course is very practitioner oriented. We want to get you up and running using social networking integration with single sign-on, basic OAuth2 functionality, secure JSON web APIs, cryptographically secured push notifications, and secure data storage so that you can get apps into the iTunes ecosystem and out into the marketplace. This course will have several code sessions in which we walk you through the process of building apps, some of which you will also build for peer review assignments. Interspersed with the tutorials we will take time-outs to cover the basics of some concepts that might be mysterious without a more formal treatment. Our hope is that you come out of this course knowing more (of course!) and having several projects that you can refer to in the future when you want to incorporate these techniques into your apps - your personal app toolbox. The intensity picks up from the previous course in this Specialization, so get ready!

Now it's time to consider what we are going to do if we want to work with web services that aren't deeply integrated into iOS. There are hundreds (thousands?!?!) of them. Most of them require authentication via the OAuth 2.0 protocol. In this week's lessons we will walk through an example of getting a photo from Instagram on behalf of a user. This week is also a code tutorial in preparation for your peer review assignment, but in the middle we need to step back from coding to cover some basics: How do we use a UIImageView? What is OAuth 2.0 anyway? What is JSON and how do we read it? What's the big deal about http vs https anyway?

In this week we will look at several aspects of push notifications. Those are those alerts that show up at the top of your iOS interface when an app wants to get your attention. There are several ways that they can be initiated. They can be initiated from an app on a local device, or they can be initiated by a remote server somewhere on the internet. Obtaining permission to post those notifications requires lots of steps, certificates, passwords etc. We'll walk you through it all. This week we start with a high-level overview of the iOS app lifecycle. Then we will do three code tutorials. The first will be the one that you will need to do the peer-review assessment. It's a basic countdown timer that sends a notification at a specific time. The second will show you how to make it all fancy with custom actions. The final one will be for remote notifications. Since remote notifications require an Apple developer account ($$$) we won't assess you on it, but if you have one you can try it out on your own and add it to your personal app toolbox.

In this week we look at method of securely storing data on the iOS platform called Core Data.