Enroll Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/previous-owasp-risks
In the ever-evolving landscape of cybersecurity, staying ahead of emerging threats is paramount. Coursera’s ‘Previous OWASP Risks’ course offers a crucial deep dive into security vulnerabilities that, while perhaps consolidated in newer OWASP Top Ten lists, remain highly relevant and impactful. This course is an essential resource for anyone serious about understanding and mitigating web application security risks.
The course meticulously dissects three critical areas: XML External Entities (XXE), Cross-Site Scripting (XSS), and Insecure Deserialization. Each of these topics, though now sometimes part of broader categories in the OWASP Top Ten 2021, deserves individual attention to truly grasp their nuances and potential for exploitation.
**XML External Entities (XXE)**: This section provides an in-depth look at how XXE vulnerabilities arise from the improper parsing of XML input. Understanding XXE is vital for protecting applications that process XML data, preventing attackers from accessing sensitive files, performing denial-of-service attacks, or even initiating server-side request forgery (SSRF).
**Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)**: XSS remains one of the most prevalent web security threats. The course breaks down the different types of XSS (reflected, stored, and DOM-based) and demonstrates how attackers leverage them to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users. Learning to prevent XSS is fundamental to protecting user sessions and data integrity.
**Insecure Deserialization**: This module tackles the dangers of deserializing untrusted data. When applications improperly handle serialized objects, attackers can inject malicious code during the deserialization process, leading to remote code execution and complete system compromise. The course effectively illustrates the risks and mitigation strategies for this complex vulnerability.
**Recommendation**: I highly recommend ‘Previous OWASP Risks’ to web developers, security analysts, penetration testers, and anyone involved in building or securing web applications. The instructors clearly explain the concepts with practical examples, making complex security topics accessible. By mastering these ‘previous’ risks, you gain a foundational understanding that directly translates to better security practices and a more robust defense against current and future threats. It’s an investment in your cybersecurity knowledge that pays significant dividends.
Enroll Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/previous-owasp-risks