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Secure coding fundamentals: OWASP top 10, input validation and least privilege

A ready-made course you customise for your organisation, with a live session deck and two surveys. You only add the 8 details that are specific to your organisation.

See the live deckSee the full outline
Try the coursePreview the survey
Length
45 min
Lessons
6 lessons
Frequency
At onboarding and as an annual refresher for developers
Last reviewed
21 Oct 2026
Validating input and encoding output
What would you do?

Code builds "SELECT * FROM orders WHERE id = " + id

Try it: this is one of 15 interactive activities in the course.

What's included

Three pieces that work together

Copy once, get everything. Learners prepare on their own, you answer questions live, and the surveys tell you what stuck.

Self-paced course

Short lessons with real workplace scenarios, not walls of text.

  • 6 lessons, about 45 minutes
  • Sorting activity, scenario, timeline, accordion and quizzes

Live session deck

An AhaSlides presentation to run after the course, in person or online.

  • 10 slides
  • Quiz, poll, ranking, word cloud slides
  • A closing slide for your contacts

Two surveys

Find out what landed, and whether people use it on the job.

  • Post-course feedback, about 2 minutes
  • 30-day check-in
  • Anonymous by default
  • Results feed your next refresher

Learning objectives

At the end of this course, learners can

Each objective and the lesson that covers it.

IDObjectiveSourceWhere it's covered
TO 347.0Achieve ≥ 80% on the final assessment-Whole course
SO 347.1Explain the main OWASP Top 10 risks in plain languageOWASP Top 10 (voluntary)Whole course
SO 347.2Validate input and encode output so that user data is never run as codeOWASP ASVS (voluntary) [check before build]Whole course
SO 347.3Handle authentication, sessions and secrets safely in codeOWASP ASVS (voluntary)Whole course
SO 347.4Apply least privilege and check dependencies before useBest practiceWhole course
SO 347.5Record completion as annual developer training where your organisation requires it + your infoPCI DSS v4.0 requirement 6.2.2 [check before build]; EU Cyber Resilience Act [check before build]Whole course

Your part: what a template can't do for you

  • Your workplace details: fill in the 8 highlighted fields so the course describes your own policies, contacts and locations.
  • Records: record completion in your own LMS or record system.

Course outline

6 lessons, about 45 minutes

Minutes per lesson are an estimate, shared out by page count.

ContentInteractiveVideoYou customise
1

How a one-line query exposed a customer table

3 pages

9 min
Before you beginNoteList
The search boxTextImage
What went wrongTimelineQuiz
2

The OWASP Top 10 in plain language

3 pages

8 min
The listAccordion
Rank by riskSorting activity
CheckFlashcardsMatching quiz
3

Validating input and encoding output

3 pages

8 min
The ruleProcess
Find the flawScenarioQuiz
CheckMulti-select quiz
4

Authentication, sessions and secrets in code

2 pages

6 min
Do and do notTable
The committed keyScenarioYour infoQuiz
5

Dependencies and least privilege

3 pages

8 min
Check what you pull inChecklist
Least privilegeSorting activity
CheckQuiz
6

Fixing flaws in review and final assessment

2 pages

6 min
Security review checklistChecklistYour infoKey fact
PracticeQuizKey factNoteButtonYour info

Live deck and surveys

10 slides to run live, two surveys to close the loop

Pink slides are interactive. Both surveys are anonymous; pink questions are written for this course.

ContentTitle, agenda, "bring a query you wrote
PollWhere do secrets live in your code today?
QuizWhich is safest for database queries from user input? (Parameterised query ✔ · Joined text · Strip quotes · Browser validation)
Content · customiseThree Top 10 risks in plain words; the review checklist {{ENGINEERING_STANDARDS_LINK}}
RankingRank by urgency: exposed key, missing alt text, SQL concatenation, outdated library, long function
QuizA key is in the repository history. First action? (Revoke and replace ✔)
Word cloudThe security flaw you found in your own code
ScaleHow confident are you spotting an injection flaw?
Q&AAsk the trainer anything
Content · customiseClosing {{HELP_CONTACT}}, {{COURSE_URL}}, {{SURVEY_2_URL}}
Post-course feedback: 11 questions, about 2 min
  1. Overall rating 5 stars
  2. Relevant, realistic, right length, helpful activities agree/disagree grid
  3. What was most useful? multi-select
  4. Confidence before this course, and now 1-5 scale
  5. Confidence in injection · input handling · authentication · secrets · dependencies grid
  6. How are dependencies checked? multiple choice
  7. Which security topic do you want covered? short text
  8. I can report my own security mistake without feeling judged. 1-5 scale
  9. One thing we should change or add open text
  10. Would you recommend this course? NPS
30-day check-in
  1. Have you used what you learned since the course? multiple choice
  2. How confident are you today? Compare with day 1 1-5 scale
  3. Do you know where to find the secure coding checklist and security contact? yes / no / not sure
  4. A moment where the training helped, or where you weren't sure open text
  5. Which topics should the next refresher focus on? ranking

Results show whether people use the training on the job, not just whether they finished it.

Make it yours

8 fields to fill in, and you're ready

Everything else is done. These are the details only your organisation knows; each one is highlighted inside the course.

  • Security team contact{{SECURITY_CONTACT}}
  • Link to the engineering standards or style guide{{ENGINEERING_STANDARDS_LINK}}
  • Where completion is recorded{{LMS_OR_RECORD_SYSTEM}}
  • Link to the post-course and 30-day survey{{SURVEY_2_URL}}
  • Who to ask for help or to report a concern{{HELP_CONTACT}}
  • Link to the self-paced course{{COURSE_URL}}
Show all 8 fields
  • List of approved tools and versions{{APPROVED_TOOLS}}
  • Link to the baseline survey{{SURVEY_1_URL}}

FAQ

Common questions

Can I run secure coding fundamentals: OWASP top 10, input validation and least privilege training online?

Yes. The course is self-paced and online, and the live deck lets you add a live session in the room or online.

How often is this training needed?

At onboarding and as an annual refresher for developers.

Who needs this training?

Developers on web and back-end teams, including junior developers who handle user input; run by security champions and engineering managers with L&D.

What records should I keep?

Record completion in your own LMS or record system, so you can show who finished the course and when.

Can I edit the content?

Yes, everything. Change the wording, swap scenarios for ones from your workplace, add your logo, or remove parts that don't apply.

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Last reviewed: 21 October 2026Templates are a starting point, not legal advice.

Ready to run it?

Open the live deck to see how the session runs alongside the course and both surveys.

See the live deck