Mandragore Learning Academy
DE EN ES FR IT NL PT PT-BR
Careers & jobs

Application security: vulnerabilities, testing and secure development

Application security prevents untrusted inputs, identities, dependencies or design flaws from becoming unauthorised access, data exposure or malicious execution. Security should be built into development.

Who is this article for?

This article is for professionals and learners who want to understand the skill before applying it at work or choosing training.

What you need to understand

This is a professional capability, not just a list of tools. Core foundations include OWASP, Validation, AuthN, AuthZ.

Mastery develops through a clear progression: understand the principles, apply them to a real case, validate the result, then operate and maintain the solution.

Why this skill matters today

This capability is directly relevant to modern digital projects and to teams building reliable, integrated and maintainable systems.

Professional value comes from combining understanding, hands-on practice, quality controls, security and the ability to explain technical choices.

What you actually do with this skill

Valider les entréesValidate format, type, size and allowed values on the server before external data reaches a database, system or interpreter.
Sécuriser l’authentificationProtect passwords, sessions, MFA and recovery mechanisms while limiting token lifetime and scope.
Contrôler les autorisationsFor every resource, verify the user’s identity and actual permissions instead of trusting an identifier supplied by the client.
Tester les dépendancesInventory libraries and versions, scan known vulnerabilities and update dependencies without breaking application behaviour.
Revoir le codeReview data flows, access controls, error handling and dangerous patterns rather than focusing only on code style.

Concrete example: Corriger une API vulnérable

Users, data, existing systems, security, quality and operational constraints.

Problem : Make a process or system more reliable, maintainable and less dependent on manual work.

Context : Users, data, existing systems, security, quality and operational constraints.

Skills : OWASP, Validation, AuthN, AuthZ, Secrets.

Example : Build a small, observable and testable solution before scaling it.

Hands-on application : Test normal and failure cases, document the result and define maintenance controls.

Skills to master

Mastery develops through a clear progression: understand the principles, apply them to a real case, validate the result, then operate and maintain the solution.

BeginnerUnderstand foundations, terminology and first practical operations.
IntermediateBuild structured, integrated and tested workflows.
Advanced / autonomousDesign, secure, operate and improve the solution in a professional environment.

Errors, limitations and points of attention

  • Skipping controls and tests.
  • Using excessive permissions or exposed secrets.
  • Changing systems without traceability.
  • Ignoring documentation and maintenance.
  • Depending on a tool without understanding its limits.

How to progress

BeginnerUnderstand foundations, terminology and first practical operations.
IntermediateBuild structured, integrated and tested workflows.
Advanced / autonomousDesign, secure, operate and improve the solution in a professional environment.
Mandragore Learning Academy

Train with Mandragore Learning Academy

Mandragore Learning Academy connects this article to training paths that are actually present in its catalogue.

The objective is to move from understanding to practical, controlled and professionally reusable skills.

View the related training →
Related competency path

Related competency path

The related competency path places this skill in a broader professional objective and shows essential, recommended and complementary capabilities.

Sources and references

Mandragore source: catalogue configuration files remain the source of truth for the training actually offered.

  • OWASP — OWASP Top 10
  • OWASP — API Security Top 10