.NET, C# and ASP.NET Security Development Training Course

Foundations of IT Security and Secure Coding

• Core concepts in threat modeling, including STRIDE, attack surfaces, and privilege escalation vectors.
• Integrating security into the SDLC through shift-left strategies, threat-aware design reviews, and defense-in-depth approaches.
• Applying the principle of least privilege, defense by contract, and establishing secure default configurations.
• Workshop: Map a .NET microservice to a threat model and identify necessary architectural controls.

Web Application Security in ASP.NET

• Analysis of the ASP.NET request pipeline, middleware execution order, and filter interception points.
• Mitigating HTTP protocol risks, including header injection, request smuggling, and CORS misconfigurations.
• Best practices for session management, state persistence, and secure cookie handling.
• Securing remote procedure calls and patterns for consuming external APIs.
• Lab: Exploit and subsequently patch a vulnerable middleware chain within a sample ASP.NET application.

.NET Security Architecture and Built-in Services

• Overview of the CLR security model, covering evidence, permissions, and the evolution of Code Access Security (CAS).
• Implementation of ASP.NET Core Identity, various authentication schemes, and token-based security mechanisms such as JWT, OAuth2, and OpenID Connect.
• Utilizing the Data Protection API for encryption, key rotation, and secure data serialization.
• Application of cryptographic primitives in .NET, including RNG, hashing, symmetric/asymmetric encryption, and signature validation.
• Lab: Implement secure token issuance, key rotation, and data protection across microservice boundaries.

Common Coding Errors, Vulnerabilities, and Mitigation Strategies

• Defense against deserialization attacks, ViewState tampering, and string termination/overflow issues in .NET.
• Managing configuration drift in web.config/appsettings.json, securing environment variables, and implementing robust secret management.
• Preventing injection vectors such as SQL, command, XSS, and LDAP in C# data access and routing layers.
• Addressing insecure defaults, hardcoding issues, and improper error handling that leads to information leakage.
• Lab: Reverse-engineer a vulnerable .NET module, apply secure coding patterns, and validate fixes using static and dynamic analyzers.

Security Testing, Validation, and Continuous Improvement

• Static Application Security Testing (SAST) using Roslyn analyzers, Security Code Scan, and CI/CD integration.
• Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) leveraging OWASP ZAP, Burp Suite workflows, and automated scanning tools.
• Implementing runtime protection through application guardrails, memory safety practices, and secure logging/auditing.
• Managing patches, tracking dependencies, and responding to .NET/ASP.NET security advisories.
• Lab: Build pre-commit hooks and pipeline security gates for a .NET solution.

Knowledge Sources and the Secure Development Ecosystem

• Reviewing official Microsoft security guidance, .NET security documentation, and ASP.NET hardening references.
• Utilizing CVE databases, advisory feeds, and responsible disclosure workflows for open-source dependencies.
• Leveraging secure library ecosystems, including PGP, crypto-operations, authentication scaffolds, and compliant cryptography.
• Establishing internal secure coding standards, enabling developers, and creating security champion programs.
• Workshop: Curate a personalized secure development toolkit and establish ongoing security monitoring practices.