An Application Security Engineer is a professional with essential and fundamental skills to develop secure and robust applications. Secure programmers have mastery and skills to code securely, identify common application flaws, and debug the errors.
Become a Certified Application Security Engineer (CASE)
The CASE certification is an perfect title for application security engineers, analysts, testers, and anyone with exposure to any phase of SDLC. Holding this title proves capabilities to build secure applications that are robust enough to meet today’s challenging operational environment by focusing not just on secure coding, but much more.
CASE .Net Certification:
The CASE .Net certification is intended for software engineers who are responsible for designing, building and deploying secure Web based applications with .NET framework.
CASE Java Certification:
The CASE Java certification is intended for software engineers who are responsible for designing, building and deploying secure Web based applications with Java.
Note:
Both the above certifications are independent of each other, candidates may choose to sit either or both these exams if eligible.
Benefits of holding this certification:
Immediate Credibility:
The CASE program affirms that you are indeed an expert in application security. It also demonstrates the skills that you possess for employers globally.
Pertinent Knowledge:
Through the CASE certification and training program, you will be able to expand your application security knowledge.
Multifaceted Skills:
CASE can be applied to a wide variety of platforms, such as, mobile applications, web applications, IoT devices, and many more.
A Holistic Outlook:
Ranging from pre-deployment to post-deployment security techniques, covering every aspect of secure – software development life cycle, CASE arms you with the necessary skills to build a secure application.
Better Protect and Defend:
By making an application more secure you are also helping defend both organizations and individuals globally. As a CASE, it is in your hands to protect and defend and ultimately help build a safer world.
Exam Information:
Number of Questions
50
Test Duration
2 Hours
Test Format
Multiple Choice
Proctored
Yes
Remote exam availability
Yes
Availability
EC-Council Exam Portal
Exam Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible to apply to sit for the CASE Exam, the candidate must either:
Complete the official EC-Council CASE training through an accredited EC-Council Partner (Accredited Training Centre/ iWeek/ iLearn) (All candidates are required to pay the USD100 application fee unless your training fee already includes this) or be an ECSP (.NET/ Java) member in good standing (you need not pay a duplicate application fee, as this fee has already been paid) or have a minimum of 2 years working experience in InfoSec/ Software domain (you will need to pay USD 100 as a non-refundable application fee) or have any other industry equivalent certifications such as GSSP .NET/Java (you will need to pay USD 100 as a non-refundable application fee) For more information click CASE Exam Eligibility.
In the past decade, cybercrime has witnessed an exponential surge, leading to tremendous financial and critical data losses across nearly all domains. From smartphones to computer systems, existing and new vulnerabilities have left gaping holes in device security. Most of these security vulnerabilities are caused by powerless coding practices, driving to the program code’s low integrity. There are 5 main types of application attacks, wherein hackers control application-layer loopholes to dispatch their attacks on poorly coded systems.
The method of defending websites and online resources from numerous security attacks that target bugs in the application code is called web application security. Content management systems (e.g., WordPress), database administration solutions (e.g., phpMyAdmin), and Software as a Service (SaaS) frameworks are typical targets for web application assaults.
Types of Application Attacks
SQL Injection Attack
An SQL injection attack is essentially a code infusion method that is used to attack web-based and data-driven applications. The use of this attack methodology is aimed at getting access to sensitive/secure information. The SQL injection attack entails the embedding of malicious SQL scripts in a section field of a web application. Such attacks exploit open fields to infiltrate a database. The impact of an SQL injection attack considers the targeted database and the roles and privileges in the existing SQL policy. There are two types of SQL attacks, namely:
◉ First Order Attacks: In this attack type, a malicious string is inserted into the SQL script to modify the code for immediate execution.
◉ Second Order Attacks: In this attack form, the SQL manipulation is carried out via injecting a persistent storage module, e.g., a table row. The storage system is considered as a trusted source by the target machine, thus allowing the hacker to execute the attack via other activities.
Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) Attack
Cross-site scripting, or more commonly known as XSS, is yet another powerful attack vector that exploits a vulnerability in network protection, thus enabling an attacker to exploit compromised applications. The XSS attack allows the hacker to infiltrate the policy of origin that distinguishes multiple websites from each other. This attack type masks the attacker as an ordinary user, thus giving access to a user’s data and the space to perform activities which a typical user can using his/her login credentials.
Parameter Tampering
One of the most dangerous forms of application attacks is parameter tampering. Using this attack vector, a hacker can access the information shared between the client and the server, which typically consists of credentials and authorizations, product cost and amount, etc. Web Scarab and Paros Proxy are primarily used when conducting a parameter tampering attack.
Directory Traversal
Directory traversal, also referred to as route traversal, allows a hacker to infiltrate a web server’s root directory using a loophole and then gain access to other server file system locations. The loophole is dependent on the type of web server and the operating system in use.
For example: The webserver process can be made to access files beyond the root of the web document, if a bug is present in the system. This can lead to a path traversal loophole that can be exploited to carry out a directory traversal attack. The attacker can then gain access to a host of arbitrary files, including application source code, device files, server logs, and other files that containing sensitive information.
Denial-of-Service (DoS) Attack
A Denial-of-Service (DoS) attack is carried out to shut down a system or network, thus making it unavailable to the intended users. DoS attacks overwhelm the target with traffic, giving it information that causes a crash. In all cases, the DoS attack deprives legal users of the facility or resource they were anticipating. DoS attack victims also threaten high-profile organizations’ web servers, spanning sectors such as finance, trade, media, and government. While DoS attacks usually do not result in fraud or destruction of valuable data or other assets, they will cost the victim a lot of time and resources.
Why Applications Become Vulnerable to Attacks
Web apps do pose a range of security issues arising from inappropriate coding, notwithstanding their benefits. In a web application attack, significant weaknesses or flaws allow hackers to obtain direct and public access to databases.
Web apps are an easy target when programmers make mistakes that allow confidential data to be obtained by unauthorized persons or permit them to receive administrative access privileges to the web application itself or even the server. Attacks commonly exploit the reality that web applications recognize user feedback and will not screen this input for malicious content. Web apps are particularly vulnerable to design threats and firewalls do not secure them. If they are on the internet, they must be open all the time. Malicious hackers will, however, attempt to access them quickly.
Many of these databases have useful data that makes them a popular target for attacks. While such acts of vandalism as defacing company websites are still prevalent, perpetrators now tend to gain access to the confidential data residing on the database server because of the large payoffs in selling the results of data breaches.
Most Common Reasons for Application Attacks
1. To deliver the required support to consumers, staff, vendors, and other stakeholders, websites and associated software apps must be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
2. No security against a web application attack is offered by firewalls and SSL solely because links to the website must be made public.
3. All modern database systems may be easy to access through specific ports. Anyone can attempt direct connections to the databases, effectively bypassing the operating system’s security mechanisms, and can access both the current database through particular ports. Anyone can try to easily circumvent the operating system’s protection protocols through direct links to the databases. This allows contact with legal traffic, and so these ports remain open and constitute a significant weakness.
4. Web apps also have direct access to backend information such as client databases, which possess sensitive information and are far more challenging to protect. Some scripts facilitate data collection and dissemination and would be accessible to those who do not have access. They will easily divert unsuspecting traffic to another location and illegitimately hive off sensitive information if an intruder becomes aware of such writing vulnerabilities.
5. Many web applications are custom-made and thus need a lower level of review than off-the-shelf software. Custom programs are, however, more vulnerable to attacks.
Therefore, web applications are a gateway to databases, especially personalized applications that are not established in compliance with security best practices and do not undergo routine security audits.
Training Vision Institute is partnering with EC-Council to provide an Advanced Diploma in Cyber Security, as part of the 2021 in-demand skill sets required in the workforce. The collaboration aims to promote a quality and in-depth cybersecurity course and elevate the very popular industry in Singapore. Singapore’s Smart Nation initiative, plus the growing need to go digital because of COVID-19, have increased the demand for cybersecurity professionals who can effectively protect Singapore from disruptive cyber attacks.
Learners who complete the Advanced Diploma in Cyber Security will receive three cybersecurity certifications from EC-Council alongside the Training Vision Institute diploma.
“It is an important collaboration to put Singaporeans ahead in the South East Asia (SEA) region for the need for cybersecurity experts with its global recognition. Training Vision Institute (TVI) is proud to be a training partner of EC-Council in Singapore and offer these certifications as part of SSG supported courses. The collaboration aims to ensure that every TVI learner will become a cybersecurity expert and build a career in this very exciting field,” said Branson Lee, HOD Pracademy of Technology.
“This is an important industry-academia collaboration led by Wissen, to bring EC-Council cybersecurity certifications to the students at Training Vision Institute. The partnership will benefit the students by allowing them to earn specialized skills in cybersecurity and acquire leading positions in the growing cybersecurity industry in Singapore. The collaboration will also bring greater opportunities for EC-Council help in filling the talent gap in Singapore,” said Sean Lim, Chief Operating Officer, EC-Council.
The EC-Council cybersecurity certifications are as follows:
Certified Application Security Engineer (CASE) – Tests the critical security skills and knowledge that are required throughout a typical software development life cycle, focusing on the importance of the implementation of secure methodologies and practices in today’s insecure operating environment. CASE is developed to prepare students to effectively join the workforce as software professionals who are able to create secure applications.
Certified Network Defender (CND) – Based on the cybersecurity education framework and work role task analysis presented by the National Initiative of Cybersecurity Education (NICE), CND provides learners with a comprehensive approach to deal with modern security and network issues. This course is also mapped to the Department of Defense (DoD) roles such as system/network administrators, cybersecurity engineer, and network defense technician.
Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) – Renowned as the most trusted ethical hacking certification and recommended by employers globally, CEH is the most desired information security certification. CEH will teach learners the latest commercial-grade hacking tools, techniques, and methodologies used by hackers and information security professionals to lawfully hack an organization.
Application security is no longer an afterthought but a foremost one. Applications across platforms, especially the unsecured ones, pose grave security threats since hackers can always find ways to bypass defenses or hit unpatched vulnerabilities.
Given the growing number of organizations developing their own applications and integrating them with open-source code, the potential vulnerabilities and risks linked with these apps have also increased significantly. Thus, security testing for applications is critical.
This is why EC-Council offers the Certified Application Security Engineer (CASE) training program. CASE goes beyond the regulations on secure coding practices and incorporates secure requirement gathering, strong application design, and security challenge management in the post-development phase of application development.
But, before we delve into why application security certification is important and why you should care, let’s first talk about what application security is.
What Is Application Security?
Application security is the process of developing, inserting, and testing security components within applications. This protocol is vital for application development as it mitigates security weaknesses against potential threats like unsanctioned access and modifications. The aim of application security is to prevent code or data within an application from being stolen or compromised.
Simply put, application security includes all the activities involved in making your application more secure, including identifying, fixing, and improving the security of your applications. For instance, installing a router to prevent outsiders from accessing a computer’s IP address from the Internet is a form of hardware application security.
Other forms of application security include software, hardware, and other practices that can detect or reduce security vulnerabilities. An application security practice or procedure can include activities such as an application security routine that involves protocols like constant testing.
3 Reasons Why Application Security Is Important
1. Guarantees the security of sensitive information
Based on a Veracode report, 83% of the 85,000 applications that were tested had at least one security issue or more. 50% had more than one issue, while 20% of all apps had no less than one high severity flaw. While not every flaw poses a substantial security risk, the sheer number is quite disturbing.
Sensitive information protection is a major concern for most people, which is why they are reluctant to share their personal information online. Therefore, most organizations go to great lengths to assure their customers, clients, or end users that their personal information would not be shared with a third party. This is particularly practiced in the retail industry and by credit card companies.
2. Increases consumer trust and boosts business reputation
In this day and age where no organization is safe from cyberattacks, application security limits a cyber attacker’s attempts to get to your organization. There is an increasing demand for security at the network level and at the application level. The sooner and quicker you can discover and resolve security issues, the safer your business will be.
Without a doubt everyone makes mistakes, but the issue is how to detect those mistakes in a timely manner. Organizations that have managed to scale this issue have seen a larger consumer base, increased sales, improved consumer loyalty, and better reputation, all based on their implementation of the best security practices.
3. Helps prevent potential attacks
Today, applications face more attacks than ever before. Application security testing can expose vulnerabilities at the application level, which when patched helps to prevent further attacks.
Similarly, when integrated into your application development settings, application security tools can simplify workflow and make the process more efficient. These tools are helpful for performing compliance audits. It saves time and money by identifying issues before cyber attackers notice them.
The Challenges of Ensuring Application Security
The bulk of most organizations’ strategic business procedures are promoted by applications. The question remains, why is application security not getting as much attention as network security?
Traditionally, Java Security Engineers and other app security professionals must satisfy too many masters before they can secure their apps. Their foremost challenge is to keep up with the ever-changing security landscape and the application development tools market, while gunning for approvals.
The following are the challenges faced in application security:
Shortage of sufficiently skilled workforce
The lack of accessible talent for cybersecurity jobs has made cybersecurity experts very costly to hire and maintain. According to Salary.com, as of September 2020, an Entry Level Security Engineer’s salary averaged at $87,741 in the United States. Include the cost of benefits and overheads, and you’re looking at a huge investment for a very specialized skill set.
Even if your organization can fill in these positions, the levels of expertise needed for this new employee will span across numerous domains as software security programs evolve geometrically. These specialized domains include testing, authentication, design flaws, data protection, bugs, encryption, and client-side applications, among others.
Inconsistent demand
Given that most organizations don’t follow a fixed-release schedule, there are inconsistencies in testing demands. To this effect, continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) has become obligatory for organizations to remain competitive and meet customer demands.
Let’s assume you work in an agile development setting. What this means is that you could be facing nearly continuous feature releases, with each of these updates carrying varying levels of technical risks and business impacts. Your app security program must be able to accommodate this.
A timely response is critical
Your business is not only dealing with a lumpy release schedule but also battling with the ever-changing security environment. Your security team must be ready to respond in a timely fashion when new threats are discovered, and they must be able to meet different compliance and regulatory demands.
Without an effective application security team, your organization will be scrambling to test and clean up codes. Even worse, you could be battling against time to deploy patches to software already released to the masses.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution
There is no master tool that can keep you safe. Even though automated tools have become more sophisticated, each security testing tool has varying support. Just applying one or even two is not enough to guarantee that you won’t miss critical issues that could sabotage your security.
The downside is, if you don’t have the skill set to replicate security protocols and verify findings, you might end up spending long hours chasing false positives. Besides, tools are not enough to guarantee your organization’s security. There are new threats and attack vectors coming up daily, while new regulations are elevating compliance requirements.
To address all this, you must improve your testing strategies and preventive measures if you’re to keep up with these changes. Enroll for our CASE training program to get started.
What Can You Do To Resolve These Application Security Challenges?
There are different things you can do to resolve these issues. Being on top of the situation and using proactive security measures will allow you to invest your time more effectively. When security issues are left unattended, they can escalate into a crisis, and all you’ll be focused on are remediation and damage control, as your business goes on a downward spiral.
With the right resources and tools, you can design secure architectures and develop secure codes that won’t slow down the development process or affect user experience. Organizing software security training such as EC-Council’s CASE can go a long way in ensuring the security of your critical data and applications.
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