In order to be a great developer in this day and age, you must have the skill to be able to write secure code. There are more attacks than ever on organizations of all sizes as are the number of organizations that have had their security breeched. Rather than just being something necessary for institutions where the infiltration of information could pose a risk to national security, it is imperative that all companies take action to secure their own data as well as that of their customers and clients.
In order for any organization that creates or releases any type of software to succeed secure applications should not be a choice but mandatory. This security must start from the software’s foundations which are ultimately the code that is used for the creation. In order to create secure code, there must a deep understanding to not only write secure code but also to test it. There are so many programing languages and of course attackers are ready to take advantage of any flaws in the developing it is extremely important that developers bite the bullet and learn everything they need to know about secure coding.
Thankfully there is a lot of Information that developers can access on the internet, including the number of well-known organizations that can make it easier for developers to know exactly what they need to do to create secure applications and software. One of the well-known organizations is OWASP who is a non-profit worldwide company that prides itself on helping developers, as well as organizations, make their decisions informed. You don’t have to pay to join and are able to access hundreds of resources that are open source and can be downloaded so that they can be used offline.
The resources that OWASP has available are meant for a diverse audience whether a developer, manager or just a consumer that wants to learn more. As there are so many resources available we have highlighted the most important that all developers should know.
OWASP developer guide
The OWASP guide although initially created 15 years ago has been regularly updated to keep it relevant. Architects and developers can benefit from the secure coding principles that are suitable for all types of organizations whether in web or software development. Rather than being about any specific coding language or framework, it covers pretty much everything by offering specific principles to follow when coding.
OWASP Cheat sheet
This cheat sheet is a way that anyone using code to familiarise themselves with owasp top ten. It’s a fast resource that can be used as a checklist when developing software. This sheet gives you an overview of the requirements you need to prevent vulnerabilities and includes checklists to ensure the codes safety.
OWASP ASVS
With all the security standard differences of opinion, there is yet to be a specific standard. This is something that OWASP wish to change which is why they have made their own ASVS which allows all developers to have a guideline to follow. It’s not just for developers; it can also be used by customers all the way to organizations and vendors. It’s a great writing checklist for everyone to use and abide by to reduce the risk of vulnerabilities.
Framework for security knowledge
This tool is an in-depth expert system application. The framework is there to give more detail to the ASVS and uses it as a standard for the platform. This allows developers to have a deeper knowledge and understanding to allow them to implement the security requirements right from the start of the project to the very end.
Developer cheat sheet series
The OWASP cheat sheet series has been created by security experts from all over the globe to improve the relationships between them and developers. They have been created to be easy to take on board and improve developers understanding of what they need to do to avoid and of course solve any security issues that may crop up.