WGU Courses and Certificates Secure-Software-Design Question # 23 Topic 3 Discussion

The issue described involves a session management vulnerability where the user’s session remains active even after the browser window is closed, allowing another user on the same machine to access the application without logging in. To prevent this security risk, it’s essential to adjust the session management controls to include an automatic timeout feature. This means that after a period of inactivity, or when the browser window is closed, the session should automatically expire, requiring a new login to access the application. This adjustment ensures that even if a user forgets to log out, their session won’t remain active indefinitely, reducing the risk of unauthorized access.

References:

Secure SDLC practices emphasize the importance of security at every stage of the software development life cycle, including the implementation of proper session management controls12.

Best practices for access control in security highlight the significance of managing session timeouts to prevent unauthorized access3.

Industry standards and guidelines often recommend session timeouts as a critical security control to protect against unauthorized access4.