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"Then it starts to scan the computer and transmit bits of information every time he clicks the mouse while he's surfing. After a while, [...] we've accumulated a complete mirror image of the content of his hard drive [...]. And then it's time for the hostile takeover." -- Lisbeth Salander in Stieg Larsson's "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" Hacker dramas like the Stieg Larrson book make for good fiction, but we know that real life rarely matches drama. And with all the security features that Rails 3 has added, surely it is difficult to hack a typical Rails web site. Right? Wrong! Without deliberate attention to the details of security, it almost certain that your site has flaws that a knowledgeable hacker can exploit. This talk will cover the ins and outs of web security and help you build a site that is protected from the real Lisbeth Salanders of the world. Help us caption & translate this video! http://amara.org/v/GZCd/
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The video titled "Securing Your Rails App" features speakers Jim Weirich and Matt Yoho discussing the critical importance of security in Ruby on Rails applications. Despite built-in security features in Rails 3, the talk emphasizes that without careful attention, vulnerabilities can easily be overlooked. The presenters relate personal experiences and insights into web security challenges, guiding developers on how to protect their applications from potential threats. Key points of the presentation include: - **Understanding Security**: Developers must recognize that they cannot trust any components of their application, including user inputs through browsers and data from databases. - **Common Vulnerabilities**: - **SQL Injection**: Explains how failing to sanitize user inputs can lead to SQL injections, potentially compromising the entire database. The presenters provide examples of how attackers can manipulate queries by injecting malicious inputs. - **Mass Assignment**: Highlights the need to whitelist attributes for mass assignment in Rails to prevent unauthorized users from manipulating data. - **Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)**: Discusses how failing to sanitize user-generated content can allow attackers to execute malicious scripts, stealing user credentials. - **Privilege Escalation and CSRF**: Warns about unauthorized access to restricted functionalities and how CSRF attacks can manipulate actions on behalf of legitimate users. - **Security Practices**: Recommends using Rails' built-in methods for database queries and focusing on proper input and output sanitization. The importance of maintaining vigilance over code and conducting regular security audits is also stressed. - **Resources for Further Learning**: Suggests reading the Rails security guide and the OWASP resources to build a strong foundation in web application security. In conclusion, while Rails provides strong security mechanisms, developers must actively engage in protecting their applications by understanding vulnerabilities, applying protective measures, and thinking from a hacker's perspective to identify potential issues before they can be exploited. The talk encourages an ongoing commitment to security best practices, reminding developers that security is a continuous process.
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