A recent security audit at a software development company revealed a high number of Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities across several web applications. The development teams have patched the immediate issues. To prevent recurrence, the security team is designing a mandatory training program for all developers. Which of the following should be the primary focus of this training to most effectively prevent the reintroduction of XSS vulnerabilities?
Reporting security issues according to the vulnerability disclosure policy
Analyzing reports from the dynamic application security testing (DAST) scanner
Using the company's new web application firewall (WAF)
Secure coding practices for input validation and output encoding
The correct answer is training on secure coding practices for input validation and output encoding. This directly addresses the root cause of XSS vulnerabilities, which is the improper handling of user-supplied data. By teaching developers how to correctly validate and sanitize input and encode output, the training provides the skills needed to prevent these vulnerabilities from being introduced into the code in the future. While using a Web Application Firewall (WAF) can mitigate attacks and analyzing DAST scanner reports can detect vulnerabilities, these are reactive and detective controls, respectively; they do not prevent the flaw at its source. Following a vulnerability disclosure policy is a procedural control for managing the reporting of vulnerabilities, not for preventing their creation.
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What is input validation and why is it important for preventing XSS vulnerabilities?
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What is the role of output encoding in XSS prevention?
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How do Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) differ from secure coding practices in mitigating XSS vulnerabilities?