STIG Security | Application Security and Development (DISA STIG Training)

Course Objectives

Students who attend this course will leave armed with the skills required to recognize actual and potential software vulnerabilities, implement defenses for those vulnerabilities, and test those defenses for sufficiency. This course introduces developers to the most common security vulnerabilities faced by web applications today. Each vulnerability is examined from a Java/JEE perspective through a process of describing the threat and attack mechanisms, recognizing associated vulnerabilities, and, finally, designing, implementing, and testing effective defenses. 

Multiple practical labs reinforce these concepts with real vulnerabilities and attacks.  Students are then challenged to design and implement the layered defenses they will need in defending their own applications.

Working in a dynamic, lab-intensive hands-on coding environment students will learn to:

• Understand potential sources for untrusted data
• Understand the consequences for not properly handling untrusted data such as denial of service, cross-site scripting, and injections
• To test web applications with various attack techniques to determine the existence of and effectiveness of layered defenses
• Prevent and defend the many potential vulnerabilities associated with untrusted data
• Understand the vulnerabilities of associated with authentication and authorization
• To detect, attack, and implement defenses for authentication and authorization functionality and services
• Understand the dangers and mechanisms behind Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) and Injection attacks
• To detect, attack, and implement defenses against XSS and Injection attacks
• Understand the concepts and terminology behind defensive, secure, coding
• Understand the use of Threat Modeling as a tool in identifying software vulnerabilities based on realistic threats against meaningful assets
• Perform both static code reviews and dynamic application testing to uncover vulnerabilities in Java-based web applications
• Design and develop strong, robust authentication and authorization implementations within the context of JEE
• Understand the fundamentals of XML Digital Signature and XML Encryption as well as how they are used within the web services arena
• To detect, attack, and implement defenses for both RESTful and SOAP-based web services and functionality
• Understand techniques and measures that can used to harden web and application servers as well as other components in your infrastructure
• Understand and implement the processes and measures associated with the Secure Software Development (SSD)
• Acquire the skills, tools, and best practices for design and code reviews as well as testing initiatives
• Understand the basics of security testing and planning
• Work through a comprehensive testing plan for recognized vulnerabilities and weaknesses

The course provides a solid foundation in basic terminology and concepts, extended and built upon throughout the engagement.  Students will examine various recognized attacks against web applications.  Processes and best practices are discussed and illustrated through both discussions and group activities.  Attending students will be led through a series of advanced topics comprised of integrated lectures, group discussions and comprehensive demonstrations.

Need different skills or topics?  If your team requires different topics or tools, additional skills or custom approach, this course may be further adjusted to accommodate.  We offer additional STIG, application security, secure coding, secure software development, hacking, database security, bug hunting and other related topics that may be blended with this course for a track that best suits your needs. Our team will collaborate with you to understand your needs and will target the course to focus on your specific learning objectives and goals.

Course Prerequisites

This is an intermediate -level programming course, designed for experienced Java developers who wish to get up and running on developing well defended software applications using the STIG guidelines.  Familiarity with Java and JEE is required and real world programming experience is highly recommended.  Ideally students should have approximately 6 months to a year of Java working knowledge.

Take Before: Students should have basic development skills and a working knowledge in the following topics, or attend these courses as a pre-requisite:

• TT5102  JEE Web Application Development Essentials

Course Agenda

Session: Securing Applications Foundation

Lesson: DISA’s Security Technical Implementation Guides (STIGS)

• Purpose
• Process
• Areas Covered
• Checklists
• Scripts (SRRs)
• Resources

Lesson: Removing Bugs

• Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP)
• OWASP Top Ten Overview
• Web Application Security Consortium
• CERT Secure Coding Standards
• Bug Hunting Mistakes to Avoid
• Tools and Resource

Lesson: Principles of Information Security

• Security Is a Lifecycle Issue
• Minimize Attack Surface Area
• Layers of Defense: Tenacious D
• Compartmentalize
• Consider All Application States
• Do NOT Trust the Untrusted
• Tutorial: Working with
• Lab: Case Study Setup and Review

Session: Bug Stomping 101

Lesson: Unvalidated Data

• Buffer Overflows
• Integer Arithmetic Vulnerabilities
• Unvalidated Data: Crossing Trust Boundaries
• Defending Trust Boundaries
• Whitelisting vs Blacklisting
• Lab: Defending Trust Boundaries

Lesson: A1: Injection

• Injection Flaws
• SQL Injection Attacks Evolve
• Drill Down on Stored Procedures
• Other Forms of Injection
• Minimizing Injection Flaws
• Lab: Defending Against SQL Injection

Lesson: A2: Broken Authentication

• Quality and Protection of Authentication Data
• Handling Passwords on Server Side
• SessionID Risk Reduction
• HttpOnly and Security Headers
• Lab: Defending Authentication

Lesson: A3: Sensitive Data Exposure

• Protecting Data Can Mitigate Impact
• In-Memory Data Handling
• Secure Pipes
• Failures in TLS/SSL Framework
• Lab: Defending Sensitive Data

Lesson: A4: XML External Entities (XXE)

• XML Parser Coercion
• XML Attacks: Structure
• XML Attacks: Injection
• Safe XML Processing
• Lab: Safe XML Processing
• Lab: Dynamic Loading Using XSLT (Optional)

Lesson: A5: Broken Access Control

• Access Control Issues
• Excessive Privileges
• Insufficient Flow Control
• Unprotected URL/Resource Access
• Examples of Shabby Access Control
• Sessions and Session Management
• Lab: Unsafe Direct Object References
• Lab: Spotlight on Verizon Exploit

Session: Bug Stomping 102

Lesson: A6: Security Misconfiguration

• System Hardening: IA Mitigation
• Application Whitelisting
• Least Privileges
• Anti-Exploitation
• Secure Baseline

Lesson: A7: Cross Site Scripting (XSS)

• XSS Patterns
• Persistent XSS
• Reflective XSS
• DOM-based XSS
• Best Practices for Untrusted Data
• Lab: Defending Against XSS

Lesson: A8/9: Deserialization/Vulnerable Components

• Deserialization Issues
• Identifying Serialization and Deserializations
• Vulnerable Components
• Software Inventory
• Managing Updates
• Lab: Spotlight on Equifax Exploit

Lesson: A10: Insufficient Logging and Monitoring

• Fingerprinting a Web Site
• Error-Handling Issues
• Logging In Support of Forensics
• Solving DLP Challenges
• Lab: Error Handling

Lesson: Spoofing, CSRF, and Redirects

• Name Resolution Vulnerabilities
• Fake Certs and Mobile Apps
• Targeted Spoofing Attacks
• Cross Site Request Forgeries (CSRF)
• CSRF Defenses
• Lab: Cross-Site Request Forgeries

Session: Moving Forward

Lesson: What Next?

• Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures
• CWE/SANS Top 25 Most Dangerous SW Errors
• Strength Training: Project Teams/Developers
• Strength Training: IT Organizations
• Leveraging Common AppSec Practices and Controls
• Lab: Recent Incidents
• Lab: Spotlight on Capitol One Exploit

Session: Secure Development Lifecycle (SDL)

Lesson: SDL Process Overview

• Revisiting Attack/Defense Basics
• Types of Security Controls
• Attack Phases: Offensive Actions and Defensive Controls
• Secure Software Development Processes
• Shifting Left
• Actionable Items Moving Forward

Session: Taking Action Now

Lesson: Application Security and Development Checklists

• Checklist Overview, Conventions, and Best Practices
• Generic Application Checks and Procedures
• .Net Framework Checks and Procedures (Optional)
• Web/Java Checks and Procedures (Optional)

Lesson: Asset Analysis

• Targets: Data/Entity Assets
• Targets: Functional/Service Assets
• Classifying Based on Value and Risk Escalation
• Asset Inventory and Analysis
• Lab: Case Study Asset Analysis

Lesson: Design Review

• Asset Inventory and Design
• Assets, Dataflows, and Trust Boundaries
• Risk Escalators in Designs
• Risk Mitigation Options
• Lab: Reviewing Design Features

Lesson: Secure Code Review

• Secure Code Review Process
• Organizational Aspects
• Technical Aspects
• Best Practices
• Code Crawling
• Lab: Secure Code Review

Lesson: Making Application Security Real

• Cost of Continually Reinventing
• Paralysis by Analysis
• Actional Application Security

Additional Tools for the Toolbox

Course Materials

Student Materials: Each student will receive a Student Guide with course notes, code samples, software tutorials, diagrams and related reference materials and links (as applicable). Our courses also include step by step hands-on lab instructions and and solutions, clearly illustrated for users to complete hands-on work in class, and to revisit to review or refresh skills at any time. Students will also receive related (as applicable) project files, code files, data sets and solutions required for the hands-on work.

Classroom Setup Made Simple:  Our dedicated tech team will work with you to ensure your classroom and lab environment is setup, tested and ready to go well in advance of the course delivery date, ensuring a smooth start to class and seamless hands-on experience for your students. We offer several flexible student machine setup options including guided manual set up for simple installation directly on student machines, or cloud based / remote hosted lab solutions where students can log in to a complete separate lab environment minus any installations, or we can supply complete turn-key, pre-loaded equipment to bring ready-to-go student machines to your facility.  Please inquire for details, options and pricing.