OWASP Top 10

The OWASP Top 10 is a regularly updated list of the most critical security risks facing web applications. OWASP, or the Open Web Application Security Project, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving software security. The OWASP Top 10 is considered a valuable resource for developers, security professionals, and organizations to prioritize their efforts in securing web applications.

This competency area includes an understanding of the concepts of Web Application Security, Secure Coding Practices, Web Application Testing, Security Configuration Management, Authentication and Authorization, Secure Session Management, Cryptographic Implementations and Security Awareness and Training.

Key Competencies:

1. Web Application Security - Understanding common web application vulnerabilities, such as injection flaws, broken authentication, and session management.
2. Secure Coding Practices - Knowledge of secure coding practices for developing web applications that are resistant to common security threats. Understanding of techniques for input validation, output encoding, and parameterized queries to prevent injection attacks.
3. Web Application Testing - Understanding of web application testing, including manual and automated testing techniques, for identifying vulnerabilities such as cross-site scripting (XSS), insecure deserialization, and insufficient logging and monitoring.
4. Security Configuration Management - Understanding how to properly configure web servers, application servers, and databases to minimize security risks.
5. Authentication and Authorization - Knowledge of authentication and authorization mechanisms, such as multi-factor authentication (MFA), role-based access control (RBAC), and least privilege principle.
6. Secure Session Management - Understanding of session management techniques, including secure session token generation, session expiration, and secure cookie handling.
7. Cryptographic Implementations - Understanding cryptographic algorithms, key management practices, and encryption techniques.
8. Security Awareness and Training - Understanding security awareness and training among stakeholders for ensuring that they understand the risks outlined in the OWASP Top 10 and know how to address them during the software development lifecycle.