OWASP Top 10

The OWASP Top 10 is the definitive list of the most critical security risks facing web applications today. Published by the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP), this list is updated periodically based on data from security assessments, bug bounty programs, and real-world breaches.

Understanding these vulnerabilities isn't just about passing security audits—it's about protecting your users, your data, and your organization's reputation. Every developer, DevOps engineer, and security professional should be familiar with these risks and know how to prevent them.

This guide covers the 2021 OWASP Top 10, the most recent version, with practical examples and prevention strategies you can implement immediately.

What You'll Learn

This guide consists of the following parts:

1. A01: Broken Access Control - When users can act outside their intended permissions
2. A02: Cryptographic Failures - When sensitive data is exposed due to weak cryptography
3. A03: Injection - When untrusted data is sent to interpreters as commands
4. A04: Insecure Design - When security isn't baked into the architecture
5. A05: Security Misconfiguration - When systems are configured insecurely
6. A06: Vulnerable Components - When you use components with known vulnerabilities
7. A07: Authentication Failures - When identity and session management fail
8. A08: Software Integrity Failures - When code and infrastructure aren't verified
9. A09: Logging Failures - When attacks go undetected due to poor monitoring
10. A10: Server-Side Request Forgery - When servers are tricked into making unintended requests

Why This Matters

The OWASP Top 10 isn't just a theoretical exercise. These vulnerabilities are responsible for:

• 94% of applications tested have some form of broken access control
• Billions of dollars lost to data breaches caused by injection attacks
• Countless records exposed due to cryptographic failures

As a DevSecOps practitioner, understanding these risks helps you:

• Write more secure code from the start
• Design security into your CI/CD pipelines
• Configure systems securely by default
• Respond quickly when vulnerabilities are discovered

Who This Guide Is For

This guide is designed for:

• Developers who want to write secure code
• DevOps engineers implementing security in pipelines
• Security engineers doing code reviews and assessments
• Team leads establishing secure development practices
• Anyone building or maintaining web applications

No prior security expertise is required, but familiarity with web development concepts will help you get the most from the practical examples.

Let's dive into the Top 10 and learn how to protect your applications!