Module Details

Module Code: SECU
Module Title: Secure Application Development
Title: Secure Application Development
Module Level:: 8
Credits:: 5
Module Coordinator: Nigel Whyte
Module Author:: Richard Butler
Domains:  
Module Description: To provide learners with a theoretical knowledge and practical skills of developing secure software applications, with particular emphases on web technologies.
 
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module the learner will be able to:
# Learning Outcome Description
LO1 Evaluate and discuss the most prevalent software application security issues.
LO2 Perform security testing to identify and validate the existence of software vulnerabilities.
LO3 Formulate and deploy strategies to fix or mitigate against identified vulnerabilities.
Dependencies
Module Recommendations

This is prior learning (or a practical skill) that is recommended before enrolment in this module.
No recommendations listed
Co-requisite Modules
No Co-requisite modules listed
Additional Requisite Information
No Co Requisites listed
 
Indicative Content
Secure Software Development
Secure software life cycle, secure application design, secure mobile application development, cryptographic Design & implementation.
Data Validation & Access Control
Input validation and sanitisation, output encoding, authentication and password management, session management, access control.
Error Management and Information Disclosure
Error handling and logging, environment configuration, minimising Information Disclosure
Resource Security
Communication security, system configuration, database security, file access management, memory management.
System Penetration Testing & Code Analysis
Vulnerabilities code analysis and mitigations as outlined by leading industry security bodies such as OWASP, ISC2 and SANS.
Module Content & Assessment
Assessment Breakdown%
Continuous Assessment10.00%
Project40.00%
End of Module Formal Examination50.00%

Assessments

Full Time

Continuous Assessment
Assessment Type Examination % of Total Mark 10
Timing Week 7 Learning Outcomes 1,3
Non-marked No
Assessment Description
Examination on content up to week 7
Project
Assessment Type Project % of Total Mark 40
Timing Week 10 Learning Outcomes 2,3
Non-marked No
Assessment Description
Analyse the security flaws in a web application and perform code analysis and edits to mitigate identified vulnerabilities.
No Practical
End of Module Formal Examination
Assessment Type Formal Exam % of Total Mark 50
Timing End-of-Semester Learning Outcomes 1,2,3
Non-marked No
Assessment Description
The terminal exam will be a 3 hour written test
Reassessment Requirement
Exam Board
It is at the discretion of the Examination Board as to what the qualifying criteria are.

SETU Carlow Campus reserves the right to alter the nature and timings of assessment

 

Module Workload

Workload: Full Time
Workload Type Workload Category Contact Type Workload Description Frequency Average Weekly Learner Workload Hours
Lecture Contact No Description 12 Weeks per Stage 2.00 24
Laboratory Contact No Description 12 Weeks per Stage 2.00 24
Independent Learning Time Non Contact No Description 15 Weeks per Stage 5.13 77
Total Weekly Contact Hours 4.00
 
Module Resources
Supplementary Book Resources
  • Michał Zalewski. (2012), The Tangled Web: A Guide to Securing Modern Web Applications, 1st Edition. O’ Reilly Media.
  • Ryan C. Barnett. (2012), Web Application Defender's Cookbook: Battling Hackers and Protecting Users, O’ Reilly Media.
  • Microsoft Corporation. (2011), Improving Web Application Security: Threats and Countermeasures, Microsoft Corporation.
  • Michael Cross. (2007), Developer's Guide to Web Application Security, Syngress Press, p.489, [ISBN: 9781597490610].
This module does not have any article/paper resources
This module does not have any other resources
Discussion Note: