Advanced Android Security Training

Certificate: N/A
Duration: 3 days
Course Delivery: Classroom
Accreditor: None
Language: English
Credits: N/A

Course Description:
Android is an open platform for mobile devices such as handsets and tablets. It has a large variety of security features to make developing secure software easier; however, it is also missing certain security aspects that are present in other hand-held platforms. This advanced course gives a comprehensive overview of these features putting an equal emphasis on both native code issues and Java security, allowing a deeper analysis of the vulnerabilities, attacks, protection techniques and counter attacks in three days.
The course is recommended to those developers who extensively use both Java and native code to develop complex Android applications.

Learning Objectives:
Individuals certified at this level will have demonstrated:
● Understand basic concepts of security, IT security and secure coding
● Learn the security solutions on Android
● Learn to use various security features of the Android platform
● Get information about some recent vulnerabilities in Java on Android
● Get understanding on native code vulnerabilities on Android
● Learn about typical coding mistakes and how to avoid them
● Get practical knowledge in using security testing tools
● Get sources and further reading on secure coding practices

Useful tips and good examples from real life situations. Easy to follow topics.
Oulu, Finland

Prerequisites:
None
Course Materials:
You will receive the following as part of this course:
● A participant handbook with reference materials
● Virtual machine with the exercises (to be distributed by the instructor on a USB drive)

Course Outline:
IT security and secure coding
● Nature of security
● IT security related terms
● Definition of risk
● IT security vs. secure coding
● From vulnerabilities to botnets and cybercrime
● Classification of security flaws
Android security overview
● Android fragmentation challenges
● The Android software stack
● OS security features and exploit mitigation techniques
● The Linux kernel
● Filesystem security
● Dalvik
● Deploying applications
Application security
● Permissions
● Writing secure Android applications
● Digital Rights Management (DRM)
● Reverse engineering and debugging
Basics of cryptography
● Cryptosystems
● Symmetric-key cryptography
● Other cryptographic algorithms
● Asymmetric (public-key) cryptography
● Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)
● Cryptography on Android
Android native code security
● Buffer overflow possibilities in Android
● ARM architecture
● Buffer overflow on the stack
● Protection techniques – ASLR, XN, RELRO, …
Android and Java vulnerabilities
● Input validation
● SQL Injection
● Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
● Improper use of security features
● Improper error and exception handling
● Code quality problems
Testing Android code
● Testing Android code
● Android Lint
● Android Lint – Security features
● Lint exercise
● PMD
● PMD exercise
● FindBugs
● FindBugs exercise
Advices and principles
● Matt Bishop’s principles of robust programming
● The security principles of Saltzer and Schroeder
Knowledge sources
● Secure coding sources – a starter kit
● Vulnerability databases

Audience:
Android application developers, architects and testers

Examination:
There are no exams associated with this course