OWASP Top 10, Java Secure Coding Fundamentals Training in South Africa

  • Learn via: Classroom
  • Duration: 2 Days
  • Price: Please contact for booking options
We can host this training at your preferred location. Contact us!

Writing web applications in Java can be rather complex – reasons range from dealing with legacy technologies or underdocumented third-party components to sharp deadlines and code maintainability. Yet, beyond all that, what if we told you that attackers were trying to break into your code right now? How likely would they be to succeed?

This course will change the way you look at your Java code. We'll teach you the common weaknesses and their consequences that can allow hackers to attack your system, and – more importantly – best practices you can apply to protect yourself. We cover typical Web vulnerabilities with a focus on how they affect Java web apps on the entire stack – from the Java runtime environment to modern AJAX and HTML5-based frontends. In addition, we discuss the security aspects of the Java platform itself as well as typical Java programming mistakes you need to be aware of. We present the entire course through live practical exercises to keep it engaging and fun.

Writing secure code will give you a distinct edge over your competitors. It is your choice to be ahead of the pack – take a step and be a game-changer in the fight against cybercrime.

  • Understand basic concepts of security, IT security and secure coding
  • Learn Web vulnerabilities beyond OWASP Top Ten and know how to avoid them
  • Learn about XML security
  • Learn client-side vulnerabilities and secure coding practices
  • Learn about typical coding mistakes and how to avoid them
  • Get information about some recent vulnerabilities in the Java framework
  • Get sources and further readings on secure coding practices

  • IT security and secure coding
  • Web application security
  • Common coding errors and vulnerabilities
  • Principles of security and secure coding
  • Knowledge sources


Day 1

IT security and secure coding

  • Nature of security
  • What is risk?
  • IT security vs. secure coding
  • From vulnerabilities to botnets and cybercrime
    • Nature of security flaws
    • From an infected computer to targeted attacks
    • The Seven Pernicious Kingdoms
    • OWASP Top Ten 2017

Web application security

  • Injection
    • Injection principles
    • SQL injection
      • Exercise – SQL injection
      • Typical SQL Injection attack methods
      • Blind and time-based SQL injection
      • SQL injection protection methods
      • Effect of data storage frameworks on SQL injection
    • Other injection flaws
      • Command injection
      • Case study – ImageMagick
  • Broken authentication
    • Session handling threats
    • Session handling best practices
    • Session handling in Java
    • Setting cookie attributes – best practices
    • Cross site request forgery (CSRF)
      • CSRF prevention
      • CSRF prevention in Java frameworks
  • XML external entity (XXE)
    • XML Entity introduction
    • XML external entity attack (XXE) – resource inclusion
    • XML external entity attack – URL invocation
    • XML external entity attack – parameter entities
    • Exercise – XXE attack
    • Preventing entity-related attacks
    • Case study – XXE in Google Toolbar
  • Broken access control
    • Typical access control weaknesses
    • Insecure direct object reference (IDOR)
    • Exercise – Insecure direct object reference
    • Protection against IDOR
    • Case study – Facebook Notes
  • Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
    • Persistent XSS
    • Reflected XSS
    • DOM-based XSS
    • Exercise – Cross Site Scripting
    • XSS prevention
    • XSS prevention tools in Java and JSP
  • HTML5 security
    • New XSS possibilities in HTML5
    • HTML5 clickjacking attack – text field injection
    • HTML5 clickjacking – content extraction
    • Form tampering
    • Exercise – Form tampering
    • Cross-origin requests
    • HTML proxy with cross-origin request
    • Exercise – Client side include
  • Insecure deserialization
    • Serialization and deserialization basics
    • Security challenges of deserialization
    • Deserialization in Java
    • Denial-of-service via Java deserialization
    • From deserialization to code execution
    • POP payload targeting InvokerTransformer (Java)
    • Real-world Java deserialization vulnerabilities
    • Issues with alternative Java object deserialization methods
    • Secure deserialization with FST
    • Secure deserialization with Kryo
    • Issues with deserialization – JSON
    • Best practices against deserialization vulnerabilities
    • Case study – XML deserialization in Apache Struts leading to RCE
      • CVE-2017-9805 – Apache Struts RCE when deserializing XML
      • Example XML triggering the RCE
  • Using components with known vulnerabilities
    • Vulnerability attributes
    • Common Vulnerability Scoring System – CVSS
  • Insufficient logging and monitoring
    • Detection and response
    • Logging and log analysis
    • Intrusion detection systems and Web application firewalls

Day 2

Common coding errors and vulnerabilities

  • Input validation
    • Input validation concepts
    • Integer problems
      • Representation of negative integers
      • Integer overflow
      • Exercise IntOverflow
      • What is the value of Math.abs(Integer.MIN_VALUE)?
      • Integer problem – best practices
    • Path traversal vulnerability
      • Path traversal – weak protections
      • Path traversal – best practices
    • Unvalidated redirects and forwards
    • Log forging
      • Some other typical problems with log files
  • Improper use of security features
    • Typical problems related to the use of security features
    • Password management
      • Exercise – Weakness of hashed passwords
      • Password management and storage
      • Special purpose hash algorithms for password storage
      • Argon2 and PBKDF2 implementations in Java
      • bcrypt and scrypt implementations in Java
      • Case study – the Ashley Madison data breach
      • Typical mistakes in password management
      • Exercise – Hard coded passwords
    • Accessibility modifiers
      • Accessing private fields with reflection in Java
      • Exercise Reflection – Accessing private fields with reflection
    • Exercise ScademyPay – Integrity protection weakness
  • Improper error and exception handling
    • Typical problems with error and exception handling
    • Empty catch block
    • Overly broad throws
    • Overly broad catch
    • Using multi-catch
    • Returning from finally block – spot the bug!
    • Catching NullPointerException
    • Exception handling – spot the bug!
    • Exercise ScademyPay – Error handling
  • Code quality problems
    • Dangers arising from poor code quality
    • Poor code quality – spot the bug!
    • Unreleased resources
    • Private arrays – spot the bug!
    • Private arrays – typed field returned from a public method
    • Exercise Object Hijack
    • Public method without final – object hijacking
    • Serialization – spot the bug!
    • Exercise Serializable Sensitive
    • Immutable String – spot the bug!
    • Exercise Immutable Strings
    • Immutability and security

Principles of security and secure coding

  • Matt Bishop’s principles of robust programming
  • The security principles of Saltzer and Schroeder

Knowledge sources

  • Secure coding sources – a starter kit
  • Vulnerability databases
  • Java secure coding sources
  • Recommended books – Java


Contact us for more detail about our trainings and for all other enquiries!

Upcoming Trainings

Join our public courses in our South Africa facilities. Private class trainings will be organized at the location of your preference, according to your schedule.

07 January 2025 (2 Days)
Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg
Classroom / Virtual Classroom
24 January 2025 (2 Days)
Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg
Classroom / Virtual Classroom
07 January 2025 (2 Days)
Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg
Classroom / Virtual Classroom
09 February 2025 (2 Days)
Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg
Classroom / Virtual Classroom
17 February 2025 (2 Days)
Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg
Classroom / Virtual Classroom
17 February 2025 (2 Days)
Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg
Classroom / Virtual Classroom
24 January 2025 (2 Days)
Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg
Classroom / Virtual Classroom
20 February 2025 (2 Days)
Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg
Classroom / Virtual Classroom
OWASP Top 10, Java Secure Coding Fundamentals Training Course in South Africa

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Expand your IT knowledge with our comprehensive range of courses, including programming, software development, business skills, data science, cybersecurity, cloud computing and virtualization. Our skilled instructors will facilitate hands-on training and share practical insights, all conveniently conducted at your preferred location within South Africa.
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