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ASP.NET and the .NET framework have provided web developers with tools that allow them an unprecedented degree of flexibility and productivity. On the other hand, these sophisticated tools make it easier than ever to miss the little details that allow security vulnerabilities to creep into an application. Since ASP.NET, 2.0 Microsoft has done a fantastic job of integrating security into the ASP.NET framework, but the onus is still on application developers to understand the limitations of the framework and ensure that their own code is secure.

During this four-day course we will analyze the defensive strategies and technical underpinnings of the ASP.NET framework and learn where, as a developer, you can leverage defensive technologies in the framework, where you need to build security in by hand. We'll also examine strategies for building applications that will be secure both today and in the future.

Rather than focusing on traditional web attacks from the attacker's perspective, this class will show developers first how to think like an attacker, and will then focus on the latest defensive techniques specific to the ASP.NET environment. The emphasis of the class is a hands-on examination of the practical aspects of securing .NET applications during development.

Have you ever wondered if ASP.NET Request Validation is effective? Have you been concerned that XML web services might be introducing unexamined security issues into your application? Should you feel uneasy relying solely only on the security controls built into the ASP.NET framework? Secure Coding in ASP.NET will answer these questions and far more.

Author Statement

Microsoft has provided a great development platform with .NET. There is a rich set of features, not only for building solid applications, but also for securing those applications. Even with a robust platform and decent security features, unfortunately, there is still a disconnect between building solid applications and building secure applications.

Developers are always up against rigid deadlines, sparse and changing requirements and constant production support issues, which leaves little time for keeping up with the current threats and defenses and inevitably makes security an afterthought. Bolting security on at the end of the development phase leaves applications vulnerable and requires significantly more effort than if the applications were architected with security in mind at the beginning. CWE defines approximately 658 software weaknesses that can be introduced at different points in the software development lifecycle, and an attacker only needs to expose one of these while developers feel pressure to defend against them all. The goal of this course is not to teach developers how to write 100% secure code, but instead to help developers nurture a mindset for creating defensible code from the early stages of the SDL that will allow applications to withstand an attack and provide feedback when under attack, so organizations can adjust and adapt to the changing threat landscape.

This course covers common attacks, including applicable topics from the CWE/SANS Top 25 Most Dangerous Programming Errors, the OWASP Top 10 and deficiencies in the .NET framework, while also providing solid defensive techniques. This course will change the way developers approach the design and implementation of software.

- Jason Montgomery