This is an intermediate course that deliberately spans two audiences who usually get trained separately. It carries enough technical grounding for the people who build and configure web applications, and enough plain-language framing for the system owners, ISSOs and contracting staff who oversee them without writing code. The shared vocabulary is the point, because a system owner, an ISSO and a developer can take this course together and come out able to talk to each other, which is what actually makes security reviews go faster. There is no lab, and that is deliberate: there is no environment to provision and no technical prerequisites, so the course can be assigned to oversight staff and developers at the same time. All interactivity is drag-and-drop and scenario prompts of the form "given this situation, what is the most appropriate action", and no lab environment is required for any module or for the final assessment.
Every topic is anchored to the federal policy landscape rather than taught generically. Module 1 is intentionally policy-heavy so the later technical modules can refer back to it, covering FISMA, the Risk Management Framework and the authorization process, Executive Order 14028 and its amendments, and Cybersecurity Framework 2.0, and it teaches something rarely taught at all: how to recognize when a memorandum has been superseded, and why confirming currency matters before relying on a policy for compliance, a skill that is rare in commercial training and directly relevant to federal compliance work. Module 2 uses the OWASP Top 10, 2025 edition, as its organizing frame and stays focused on recognizing risk rather than writing exploit code, and from there the course moves through the secure development lifecycle and the Secure Software Development Framework, then identity, access control and data protection including Zero Trust and FIPS-validated encryption, before closing on continuous monitoring, event logging and incident reporting. Assessment is by ungraded quick checks in each module plus a graded final covering all five modules proportionally, weighted toward applying concepts rather than recalling facts, at 70% to pass with unlimited retakes.
Basic familiarity with general cybersecurity concepts and everyday web application use. No development experience required.
Receive instruction from subject‑matter experts who bring proven government experience.
Courses that are regularly updated based on feedback and industry developments, ensuring versions are mapped to federal competencies.
The instructor was wonderful and so knowledgeable. The course materials were extremely relevant to what my job is. I feel like I can be better because of this class.
— 2025 student
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Attend this course live online or as self-paced training. Engage with expert instructors, ask questions, and get feedback on your exercises and projects.
Get the same interactivity and access to the instructor as in-person students. There are no extra fees and we’ll work with you to ensure your remote setup is perfect.
Learn at your own pace with pre-recorded video lessons and hands-on exercises. Work through the material on your schedule with access to course content and resources.
Upon completion of this course, you’ll receive an official certificate testifying to your mastery of the curriculum. We’ll send you a link where you can download your certificate, share it online with your friends, post it to your professional network on LinkedIn, and view all your earned certificates. Congratulations on your achievement!
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We offer a single free retake of the class within a year.
You can also access recordings of each session in your student portal within one business day of the session’s end. Recordings are available for one month after the session.
Since 1921, Graduate School USA has partnered with over 125 federal agencies and trained more than one million federal employees. Led by instructors with deep, real-world knowledge of federal regulations, policies, and practices, our private group programs are practical, mission-driven, and tailored to your agency’s objectives. We offer expertise across key federal domains—including human resources, financial management, acquisition and contracting, leadership, and more—to deliver training where and how your team needs it.
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