OWASP Top 10 Defensive Strategies Quiz Quiz

Deepen your understanding of OWASP Top 10 security risks with this quiz focused on best-practice defensive strategies for web application security testing and mitigation. Learn to identify effective controls and techniques to prevent common vulnerabilities highlighted by OWASP.

1. Input Validation Basics

   Which defensive strategy is most effective for preventing injection vulnerabilities when processing user-entered data, such as names in a registration form?

   1. Validating and sanitizing all user inputs on the server side
   2. Storing user input without modification
   3. Allowing only client-side validation
   4. Encoding data only before storage

   Explanation: Validating and sanitizing user inputs on the server side ensures that malicious payloads are detected and neutralized before any processing, greatly reducing the risk of injection attacks. Storing input without modification does not protect against malicious data. Relying solely on client-side validation is risky because users can bypass it. Encoding only before storage is not a complete defense because it does not address all the points where input might be used unsafely.

2. Authentication Security

   What is an effective defensive measure to protect against broken authentication as described in the OWASP Top 10?

   1. Enforcing strong password policies and multi-factor authentication
   2. Using cookies without the Secure attribute
   3. Allowing password hints to be displayed in plaintext
   4. Implementing only client-side authentication checks

   Explanation: Enforcing strong password policies and multi-factor authentication helps prevent unauthorized account access and reduces the risk of broken authentication vulnerabilities. Using cookies without the Secure attribute exposes credentials over unencrypted channels. Displaying password hints in plaintext can give away sensitive information. Relying solely on client-side checks is insecure, as they can easily be bypassed.

3. Sensitive Data Exposure

   When storing sensitive user information such as credit card numbers, which defensive practice aligns with the OWASP Top 10 recommendations?

   1. Encrypting sensitive data both in transit and at rest
   2. Storing all user data in plain text
   3. Transferring data only via HTTP
   4. Encoding data as Base64 before storage

   Explanation: Encrypting sensitive data in transit and at rest provides comprehensive protection against unauthorized access, which is crucial for sensitive data exposure prevention. Storing data in plain text means any breach will expose all information. Transferring data over HTTP does not provide adequate protection during transmission. Base64 encoding is not a security measure; it's easily reversible and does not protect the data.

4. Access Control Testing

   What strategy should be employed to prevent insecure direct object references (IDOR), such as when users can access records by modifying a URL parameter?

   1. Enforcing server-side authorization checks for every access request
   2. Allowing users to access any resource with a valid session
   3. Obscuring record IDs by using sequential numbers
   4. Implementing access checks only in the user interface

   Explanation: Server-side authorization checks ensure that users can access only the resources they are permitted to, which directly mitigates IDOR vulnerabilities. Merely having a valid session does not guarantee correct access control. Obscuring IDs with sequential numbers does not prevent unauthorized access. Access checks on the user interface can easily be bypassed through direct API calls.

5. Security Misconfiguration Prevention

   Which of the following is a key defensive measure to prevent security misconfigurations according to OWASP Top 10 guidance?

   1. Regularly reviewing and updating security settings in all environments
   2. Using default passwords for applications
   3. Permitting detailed error messages to all users
   4. Disabling security features to improve performance

   Explanation: Regular review and update of security settings help ensure that vulnerabilities from misconfigurations are identified and corrected promptly. Using default passwords is highly insecure and a common root cause of breaches. Displaying detailed error messages provides attackers with valuable insight. Disabling security features for performance introduces unnecessary risk.