Microsoft is pleased to announce the release of _Improving Web
Application Security: Threats and Countermeasures_

This guide helps you build hack-resilient applications. A hack-resilient
application is one that reduces the likelihood of a successful attack
and mitigates the extent of damage if an attack occurs. A hack-resilient
application resides on a secure host in a secure network and is
developed using secure design and development guidelines.

Web application security must be addressed across the tiers and at
multiple layers. A weakness in any tier or layer makes your application
vulnerable to attack. Figure 1 shows the scope of the guide and the
three-layered approach that it uses: securing the network, securing the
host, and securing the application. It also shows the process called
threat modeling, which provides a structure and rationale for the
security process and allows you to evaluate security threats and
identify appropriate countermeasures.=20

If you do not know your threats, how can you secure your system?

The guide is divided into five parts.

Part I, Introduction to Threats and Countermeasures
This part identifies and illustrates the various threats facing the
network, host, and application layers. By using the threat modeling
process, you can identify the threats that are relevant to your
application. This sets the stage for identifying effective
countermeasures. This part includes:

Foreword by Mark Curphey=20
Foreword by Joel Scambray=20
Foreword by Erik Olson=20
Introduction=20
Solutions at a Glance=20
Fast track=20
Chapter 1, Web Application Security Fundamentals=20
Chapter 2, Threats and Countermeasures=20
Chapter 3, Threat Modeling=20

Part II, Designing Secure Web Applications
This part provides the guidance you need to design your Web applications
securely. Even if you have an existing application, you should review
this section and then revisit the concepts, principles, and techniques
that you used during your application design. This part includes:=20

Chapter 4, Design Guidelines for Secure Web Applications=20
Chapter 5, Architecture and Design Review=20

Part III, Building Secure Web Applications
This part helps you to apply the secure design practices and principles
covered in the previous part to create a solid and secure
implementation. You'll learn defensive coding techniques that make your
code and application resilient to attack. Chapter 6 presents an overview
of the .NET Framework security landscape so that you are aware of the
numerous defensive options and tools that are at your disposal. Part III
includes:=20

Chapter 6, .NET Security Fundamentals=20
Chapter 7, Building Secure Assemblies=20
Chapter 8, Code Access Security in Practice=20
Chapter 9, Using Code Access Security with ASP.NET=20
Chapter 10, Building Secure ASP.NET Pages and Controls=20
Chapter 11, Building Secure Serviced Components=20
Chapter 12, Building Secure Web Services=20
Chapter 13, Building Secure Remoted Components=20
Chapter 14, Building Secure Data Access=20

Part IV, Securing Your Network, Host and Application
This part shows you how to apply security configuration settings to
secure the interrelated network, host, and application levels. Rather
than applying security randomly, you'll learn the reasons for the
security recommendations. Part IV includes:

Chapter 15, Securing Your Network=20
Chapter 16, Securing Your Web Server=20
Chapter 17, Securing Your Application Server=20
Chapter 18, Securing Your Database Server=20
Chapter 19, Securing Your ASP.NET Application and Web Services=20
Chapter 20, Hosting Multiple ASP.NET Applications=20

Part V: Assessing Your Security
This part provides you with the tools you need to evaluate the success
of your security efforts. It shows you how to evaluate your code and
design and also how to review your deployed application, to identify
potential vulnerabilities:=20

Chapter 21, Code Review=20
Chapter 22, Deployment Review=20


Finally, there are two extra sections, Checklists and and How-to
Articles:

Checklist: Architecture and Design Review=20
Checklist: Security Review for Managed Code=20
Checklist: Securing ASP.NET=20
Checklist: Securing Enterprise Services=20
Checklist: Securing Web Services=20
Checklist: Securing Remoting=20
Checklist: Securing Data Access=20
Checklist: Securing Your Network=20
Checklist: Securing Your Web Server=20
Checklist: Securing Your Database Server=20
How To: Implement Patch Management=20
How To: Harden the TCP/IP Stack=20
How To: Secure Your Developer Workstation=20
How To: Use IPSec for Filtering Ports and Authentication=20
How To: Use IISLockdown.exe=20
How To: Use the Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer=20
How To: Use URLScan=20
How To: Create a Custom Encryption Permission=20
How To: Use Code Access Security Policy to Constrain an Assembly


This _patterns and practice_ guide is available at:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en...Counter.asp=20
(note, this link may wrap in some email clients)

Cheers, Michael
Writing Secure Code 2nd Edition=20
http://www.microsoft.com/mspress/books/5957.asp