In software development, security often gets postponed until the product is complete. But in today’s environment, writing secure code is an essential part of good engineering practice.
That’s where OWASP comes in.
OWASP (Open Worldwide Application Security Project) is a nonprofit organization that offers free, open-source tools and resources to help developers build secure applications. Its most well-known contribution is the OWASP TOP 10 — a regularly updated list of the most critical security risks in web applications.
But OWASP offers much more than just the Top 10. It provides detailed, practical guidance that teams can use throughout the development lifecycle — from architecture and design to code review and testing.
Here are some valuable OWASP resources to explore:
- 🔐 OWASP Top 10 - The most common and impactful web application security vulnerabilities.
- 📚 OWASP Cheat Sheet Series - Practical, concise guides for secure coding, covering key topics like authentication and input validation.
- ✅ OWASP ASVS (Application Security Verification Standard) - A structured framework for assessing application security at different assurance levels.
For experienced engineers and engineering managers, OWASP offers a shared foundation for integrating security into the development process — not as an afterthought, but as a key component of building reliable, high-quality software.
Leveraging OWASP can help your team reduce risk, write better code, and align with modern security expectations.