Web Security Fundamentals: Defending Against XSS and CSRF

Understanding how malicious actors exploit websites is the first step toward building resilient software. This text-based course helps you demystify the core vulnerabilities that threaten modern web applications, focusing on practical defense mechanisms. You will transition from a basic understanding of web mechanics to confidently identifying and neutralizing critical security flaws. Through clear written explanations and code-based scenarios, you will learn to think like both an attacker and a defender to secure your digital assets. What you'll learn: - Understand foundational web security concepts, including the Same-Origin Policy and session management. - Identify Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) types and implement robust defenses using Content Security Policy (CSP). - Prevent Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) using SameSite cookie attributes and anti-CSRF tokens. - Analyze vulnerable code patterns to spot potential injection risks and security misconfigurations. - Apply secure headers and modern browser-based security controls to mitigate common web risks. - Practice evaluating realistic security scenarios through targeted written review questions. The course begins with essential security terminology and basic web protocols before diving deep into specific attack vectors and their modern mitigations. This text-only format allows you to study at your own pace, focusing closely on the conceptual logic of secure development. This course is designed for beginner developers, software testers, and technology students looking to establish a strong foundation in application security. No prior security experience is required. Equip yourself with the knowledge to write secure code and protect your users from modern web threats.