Published on
Instead of chasing threats, it pays to be proactive. OWASP noticed the increase in technology's complexity and interconnectivity and recognized that it would become more difficult to secure our applications. That is what the OWASP Top 10 Proactive Controls are all about. It has become vital that we address all security problems, even the simple ones that we may have tolerated in the past.
What are the OWASP Top 10 Proactive Controls?
OWASP’s Top 10 Proactive Controls is a curated list designed to address key appsec challenges. It aims to raise awareness about application security by describing the most important areas of concern for a developer. This list is a starting point for application security. These are the basic rules to follow; they are not, in any way, the entirety of a secure development process. Rather, these controls provide a solid foundation that can be used consistently throughout an application. A complete secure development process will include many other activities, such as tool usage, automation, and following requirements from a comprehensive standard like the OWASP ASVS.
Why These Controls Work
These controls are especially useful because they are short and to the point. Each one briefly describes the issue it addresses, highlights related threats, and then jumps right into how to fix the issue. This is incredibly convenient for developers looking to answer their questions quickly.
There are controls for every basic question you may have. You can go to C1: Implement Access Control to find minimum access control requirements or to C6: Keep your Components Secure to learn how to identify and secure trusted libraries. These controls should form the foundation of your secure development process and be found throughout your entire infrastructure.
Where to Learn More
The OWASP Top 10 Proactive Controls list, like their other resources, is shared freely on their webpage. Beyond the OWASP resources, Security Journey released 10 brand-new lessons covering the top 10 list. These quick, focused lessons explain each individual control in detail, concisely and thoroughly.
OWASP Top 10 Proactive Security Controls
C1. Implement Access Control
This control focuses on ensuring users only access what they’re authorized to. OWASP’s top 10 proactive controls highlight access control as foundational for any software development project. This proactive control describes key security techniques such as enforcing least privilege, role-based access, and secure session handling, core requirements for building secure software.
C2. Cryptography to Protect Data
Developers must use proven cryptographic libraries instead of creating custom logic. This control category focuses on encryption in transit, encryption at rest, and proper key management. A strong cryptography strategy protects sensitive data throughout the SDLC and ensures your software development project cannot be easily compromised.
C3. Validate Input and Handle Exceptions
Input validation remains one of the most effective items in the list of security techniques to reduce injection risks. This proactive control describes steps to sanitize, encode, and validate data to maintain application integrity. Exception handling prevents attackers from learning internal logic through error messages.
C4. Address Security from the Start
Security must be integrated during planning, architecture, and early development—not bolted on later. This approach ensures every software development project incorporates secure software principles from its design phase. The earlier security is considered, the lower the long-term remediation cost.
C5. Use Secure by Default Configuration
Systems should ship with secure baselines. This includes disabling unnecessary features, enforcing strong authentication defaults, and hardening configuration files. These control categories reduce misconfiguration risks, which are among the most common causes of real-world security breaches.
C6. Keep Your Components Secure
Outdated dependencies are a major threat. This proactive control describes using tools like SCA (Software Composition Analysis) to identify vulnerable libraries. Keeping components updated ensures your software development project does not inherit known weaknesses.
C7. Implement Identity and Authentication Controls
Identity is the backbone of secure access. This control emphasizes the use of MFA, strong hashing, proper password storage, and secure session management. These techniques help prevent impersonation and ensure the users interacting with your secure software are who they claim to be.
C8. Leverage Browser Security Features
Modern browsers include built-in security techniques such as Content Security Policy (CSP), security headers, and cookie flags. Leveraging these mitigates XSS, clickjacking, and data exposure. This proactive control describes browser-level protections that reinforce application security.
C9. Implement Logging and Monitoring
To detect and respond to attacks early, organizations must implement security logging across authentication, access control, and data operations. Monitoring ensures suspicious behavior is caught before it escalates. This control is essential for long-term observability and incident response.
C10. Stop Server Side Request Forgery (SSRF)
SSRF attacks allow attackers to force your server to make unintended internal requests. This proactive control describes validation of outbound requests, network segmentation, and controlled allowlists. Protecting against SSRF is critical for cloud environments and modern microservices.Want to dive deeper? Security Journey’s new learning path covers each Proactive Control in a developer-friendly format, perfect for teams looking to build secure code habits. Schedule a demo.
