Secure Coding — Train Your Developers Now or never

Applications continue to be the main target for data breaches. As builders of applications and software, developers should be the ones where security starts to ensure that applications are protected against data breaches and vulnerabilities. But why do most developers struggle to incorporate security within their code?

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Table of Contents

1. The ✨magic✨ of secure coding
2. Why train your developers with AppSecEngineer
3. Beginner Security Courses for Developers
4. Don’t let insecure code hold you back

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The ✨magic✨ of secure coding

Before we answer the question of why most developers struggle with secure coding, let’s check out first the benefits of incorporating security within the first steps of SDLC. The benefits of secure coding are numerous and include:

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1. Improved Security - By following secure coding best practices, developers can significantly reduce the risk of security vulnerabilities in their software. This reduces the likelihood of data breaches, malware infections, and other security incidents.
2. Enhanced User Trust - Users will be more inclined to trust software that is developed with security as a priority. Secure coding helps demonstrate to users that the software is designed with their security and privacy in mind.
3. Reduced Costs - Fixing security vulnerabilities can be expensive, especially if they are discovered after the software is released. By investing in secure coding upfront, organizations can avoid the costs associated with fixing security vulnerabilities later on.
4. Compliance with Regulations - Many industries and jurisdictions have regulations that require software to be developed with security in mind. Developers that follow secure coding practices can ensure that their software is compliant with these regulations.
5. Competitive Advantage - Secure software is becoming increasingly important to businesses and consumers alike. By incorporating security within the code, developers can gain a competitive advantage by offering software that is more secure than their competitors.

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Why train your developers with AppSecEngineer

AppSecEngineer is an AppSec training platform that provides world-class resources for anyone who wants to enhance their knowledge of application security. By following the advice and recommendations provided by AppSecEngineer, developers can learn how to write code that is more secure and less susceptible to security vulnerabilities.

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Training developers with secure coding best practices is a critical part of building secure software, and AppSecEngineer offers valuable resources for developers who want to improve their skills in this area. By leveraging the expertise and guidance provided by AppSecEngineer, developers can learn how to write secure code that protects against potential security threats.

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Beginner Security Courses for Developers

Here are three courses to start introducing secure coding practices to your developers. This is just the beginning of their secure-by-default journey, and we have so much more in store for them after these.

1. Playgrounds - AppSecEngineer's Playground is an innovative platform designed especially to provide developer security training through a hands-on approach. It offers a range of interactive and practical exercises that simulate real-world security scenarios, allowing developers to learn and practice secure coding techniques. Playgrounds are equipped with a controlled environment for them to explore and put their abilities to the test while gaining confidence in identifying and mitigating security vulnerabilities. 

2. Server-Side Request Forgery: Attack & Defense - SSRF attacks pose a serious threat to web applications as they can allow attackers to access internal resources, bypass firewalls, and perform remote code execution by exploiting vulnerable server-side functionality. AppSecEngineer’s Server-Side Request Forgery: Attack & Defense covers everything a developer needs to know to get started in learning how to mitigate SSRF attacks that they can incorporate when writing code. From attack types and defense to the history and impact of SSRF, this lesson is designed to train developers about the attack and defense perspective with real-world scenarios.

3. Attacking and Defending Containers - Attacking and Defending Containers is an introduction to making sure that the applications living in containers are protected from potential vulnerabilities and threats. In this lesson, the basics of  Docker security, container security engineering, and vulnerability assessment will be tackled through a hands-on approach that will allow developers to learn Container Security through real-world strategies and techniques.

Don’t let insecure code hold you back

Now, if training developers is that simple then: why do most developers struggle with secure coding? The answer is usually the same for most developers — it's either they have so many responsibilities to bother with security, or they’re not trained to code securely.

To understand the true impact of secure coding, explore why secure coding training is vital for organizations.

AppSecEngineer has the answer to both of these issues. Aside from the hands-on experience that will keep your developers engaged, we also have dedicated developer security training to learn secure coding in 7 major programming languages to ensure that they have the complete arsenal of skills and tools to confidently release products.

Mastering the art of secure coding will ensure that your team adopts the best coding practices.