{"id":660,"date":"2020-02-11T11:36:00","date_gmt":"2020-02-11T11:36:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/?p=660"},"modified":"2025-04-28T12:24:04","modified_gmt":"2025-04-28T12:24:04","slug":"what-is-owasp-your-guide-to-the-open-web-application-security-project","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/blog\/what-is-owasp-your-guide-to-the-open-web-application-security-project\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is OWASP? Your Guide to the Open Web Application Security Project"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

OWASP is the kickass foundation that develops open source solutions developers & appsec pros can use to improve security \u2014 here\u2019s what you need to know<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re someone who\u2019s just trying to wrap your brain around understanding what the biggest cybersecurity risks are, it can be confusing. There are a lot of different resources to look at, and there\u2019s one in particular that you might have heard of but know nothing about. That\u2019s likely something called OWASP. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what is OWASP and why is it something you definitely\nneed to know? Let\u2019s break down what it is and some of the things it\nencompasses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is OWASP and What Does OWASP Stand For?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Graphic:<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

OWASP, which stands for the Open Web Application Security Project<\/a>, is a credible non-profit foundation that focuses on improving security for businesses, customers, and developers alike. It does this through dozens of open source projects, collaboration and training opportunities. Whether you\u2019re a novice or an experienced app developer, OWASP has something to offer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s because OWASP is well-known throughout the appsec\ncommunity \u2014 and it\u2019s no small thing. In fact, OWASP is a massive, goal-oriented\ncommunity that consists of tens of thousands of members across more than 275\nlocal chapters around the world! Since 2001, it has enabled professionals to\ncome together to work toward a greater goal of improving application security. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When most people think of OWASP, their thoughts tend to automatically\nfocus on the OWASP top 10 list. But what if I told you that there was more to\nOWASP than just its best-known top 10 list? Let\u2019s explore them, starting with\nthe first (and best known) list of vulnerabilities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exploring the OWASP Top 10 Vulnerabilities<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We won\u2019t go too deeply into the topic of the OWASP top 10 vulnerabilities\nhere, but we\u2019d be remiss if we didn\u2019t at least take the time to mention them. That\u2019s\na critical part of answering the question \u201cwhat is OWASP?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The list of the OWASP top 10 vulnerabilities<\/a> is much like\nhow it sounds \u2014 it\u2019s a list of the 10 most critical security risks to web\napplications that have been identified by developers. It\u2019s an invaluable\nresource that can help you to increase security and implement change within\nyour organization by minimizing risks. Updated every few years, it\u2019s something\nthat developers and organizations worldwide have come to rely upon for\ninformation on critical cyber security-related vulnerabilities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, what are the top 10 application security\nvulnerabilities?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Injection<\/li>
  2. Broken Authentication<\/li>
  3. Sensitive Data Exposure<\/li>
  4. XML External Entities (XXE)<\/li>
  5. Broken Access Control<\/li>
  6. Security Misconfiguration <\/li>
  7. Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)<\/li>
  8. Insecure Deserialization<\/li>
  9. Using Components with Known Vulnerabilities<\/li>
  10. Insufficient Logging & Monitoring<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    As I said just moments ago, I\u2019m not going to drill-down into the specifics here. If you want to learn more about what these individual vulnerabilities are and how to mitigate them, be sure to check out our other blog that specifically focuses on the OWASP top 10 vulnerabilities<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Next, we\u2019re going to move on to the next and newest list of\nOWASP vulnerabilities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    OWASP Top 10 Internet of Things Project<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    The Internet of Things (IoT) is growing at an unprecedented rate. Gartner forecasts<\/a> that by 2021, there will be 25 billion connected devices in use. This gives a glimpse into the level of growth that we\u2019re talking about here. That\u2019s a lot of devices \u2014 potentially insecure devices \u2014 that are connected to networks and creating vulnerabilities that hackers can exploit.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This is another place that OWASP can help. OWASP\u2019s top 10\ninternet of things aims to help all stakeholders \u2014 everyone from manufacturers\nand developers to the end users \u2014 better understand the risks of connected\ntechnology in an ever-increasing IoT world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Now, they\u2019ve put out a list of the 10 most critical pitfalls<\/a> to avoid when developing, deploying, and\/or managing IoT systems. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    So, what items make the list of the OWASP top 10 Internet of\nThings vulnerabilities?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. Weak, Guessable, or Hardcoded Passwords<\/li>
    2. Insecure Network Services<\/li>
    3. Insecure Ecosystem Interfaces<\/li>
    4. Lack of Secure Update Mechanism<\/li>
    5. Use of Insecure or Outdated Components<\/li>
    6. Insufficient Privacy Protection<\/li>
    7. Insecure Data Transfer and Storage<\/li>
    8. Lack of Device Management<\/li>
    9. Insecure Default Settings<\/li>
    10. Lack of Physical Hardening<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      We\u2019ll go more into this in a future article on Infosec\nInsights. But for now, let\u2019s move on to one example of how these lists of\nvulnerabilities are applied within the community. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      What Is OWASP Juice Shop?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      According to the OWASP website, the name \u201cjuice shop<\/a>\u201d actually comes from a word-by-word reverse translation from German\u2019s saftladen<\/em>, which roughly means \u201cdump\u201d or \u201cuseless outfit.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Um, yeah. Well, that definition probably doesn\u2019t help much.\nLet\u2019s dig a little deeper. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Basically, OWASP\u2019s Juice Shop is a place where developers,\npen testers, and other users can go to test out and exploit vulnerabilities on\nan insecure system. That\u2019s because, despite its unintuitive name, the juice shop\nis a modern and sophisticated web application that\u2019s intentionally designed to\nbe insecure. It is designed with the OWASP Top Ten list of vulnerabilities\nbuilt into it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      But why would someone create something like that, that\u2019s\ncompletely insecure? Essentially, the OWASP Juice Shop was created to serve as\na guinea pig and testing ground for dev and IT security experts alike. This\npowerful platform is useful for awareness demonstrations, capture the flag\n(CTF) events, security trainings, and other purposes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      What are the benefits of using the OWASP Juice Shop? <\/p>\n\n\n\n