CS 4403: Web Application Security

This course focuses on securing web applications and the technologies that support them. Students will study common application-layer vulnerabilities such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), cross-site request forgery (CSRF), broken authentication, insecure session management, and privilege escalation, along with corresponding defenses including secure coding practices, input validation, proper authentication, session management, and access control. The course emphasizes understanding web application architectures, frameworks, and protocols, rather than lower-level network security. Hands-on labs using virtual machines, containers, and cloud environments provide practical experience in penetration testing and securing real-world web applications.