diff --git a/1-5-running-docker-compose/app-python/Dockerfile b/1-5-running-docker-compose/app-python/Dockerfile
index a0f53b6..b1d2fd6 100644
--- a/1-5-running-docker-compose/app-python/Dockerfile
+++ b/1-5-running-docker-compose/app-python/Dockerfile
@@ -1,20 +1,30 @@
 # Use an official Python runtime as a parent image
-FROM python:2.7-slim
+FROM python:3.11-slim
 
 # Set the working directory to /app
 WORKDIR /app
 
+# Create a non-root user to run the application
+RUN groupadd -r appuser && useradd -r -g appuser appuser
+
 # Copy the app code and dependencies file into the container at /app
-ADD . /app
+# Use COPY instead of ADD for better transparency (security best practice)
+COPY requirements.txt /app/
+RUN pip install --no-cache-dir -r requirements.txt
+
+COPY . /app
 
-# Install any needed packages specified in requirements.txt
-RUN pip install -r requirements.txt
+# Change ownership of the app directory to the non-root user
+RUN chown -R appuser:appuser /app
 
 # Make port 80 available to the world outside this container
 EXPOSE 80
 
 # Define environment variable
-ENV NAME World
+ENV NAME=World
+
+# Switch to non-root user
+USER appuser
 
 # Run app.py when the container launches
 CMD ["python", "app.py"]
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/1-5-running-docker-compose/app-python/app.py b/1-5-running-docker-compose/app-python/app.py
index ed77610..f3f0016 100644
--- a/1-5-running-docker-compose/app-python/app.py
+++ b/1-5-running-docker-compose/app-python/app.py
@@ -1,23 +1,85 @@
-from flask import Flask, render_template
-from redis import Redis, RedisError
+"""
+Flask application with Redis counter.
+
+This application demonstrates a simple Flask web server that maintains
+a visitor counter using Redis as a backend store.
+"""
+import logging
 import os
 import socket
 
-# Connect to Redis
-redis = Redis(host="redis", db=0, socket_connect_timeout=2, socket_timeout=2)
+from flask import Flask, render_template
+from redis import Redis, RedisError
+
+# Configure logging
+logging.basicConfig(
+    level=logging.INFO,
+    format='%(asctime)s - %(name)s - %(levelname)s - %(message)s'
+)
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+# Configuration from environment variables
+REDIS_HOST = os.getenv("REDIS_HOST", "redis")
+REDIS_DB = int(os.getenv("REDIS_DB", "0"))
+REDIS_TIMEOUT = int(os.getenv("REDIS_TIMEOUT", "2"))
+FLASK_HOST = os.getenv("FLASK_HOST", "0.0.0.0")
+FLASK_PORT = int(os.getenv("FLASK_PORT", "80"))
+FLASK_DEBUG = os.getenv("FLASK_DEBUG", "False").lower() == "true"
+
+# Connect to Redis with proper error handling
+try:
+    redis = Redis(
+        host=REDIS_HOST,
+        db=REDIS_DB,
+        socket_connect_timeout=REDIS_TIMEOUT,
+        socket_timeout=REDIS_TIMEOUT
+    )
+    # Test connection
+    redis.ping()
+    logger.info("Successfully connected to Redis at %s", REDIS_HOST)
+except (RedisError, ConnectionError) as e:
+    logger.warning("Failed to connect to Redis: %s. Counter will be disabled.", str(e))
+    redis = None
 
 app = Flask(__name__)
 
+
 @app.route("/")
 def hello():
-    try:
-        visits = redis.incr("counter")
-    except RedisError:
+    """
+    Main route handler that displays a greeting page with visit counter.
+
+    Returns:
+        str: Rendered HTML template with greeting message, hostname, and visit count
+    """
+    visits = None
+    
+    if redis is not None:
+        try:
+            visits = redis.incr("counter")
+            logger.debug("Visit counter incremented to: %s", visits)
+        except RedisError as e:
+            logger.error("Redis error while incrementing counter: %s", str(e))
+            visits = "cannot connect to Redis, counter disabled"
+    else:
         visits = "cannot connect to Redis, counter disabled"
 
     name = os.getenv("NAME", "world")
     hostname = socket.gethostname()
-    return render_template('hello.html', name=name, hostname=hostname, visits=visits)
+    
+    return render_template(
+        'hello.html',
+        name=name,
+        hostname=hostname,
+        visits=visits
+    )
+
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
-    app.run(host='0.0.0.0', port=80)
\ No newline at end of file
+    logger.info(
+        "Starting Flask application on %s:%d (debug=%s)",
+        FLASK_HOST,
+        FLASK_PORT,
+        FLASK_DEBUG
+    )
+    app.run(host=FLASK_HOST, port=FLASK_PORT, debug=FLASK_DEBUG)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/1-5-running-docker-compose/app-python/requirements.txt b/1-5-running-docker-compose/app-python/requirements.txt
index 8862084..e3e2d0a 100644
--- a/1-5-running-docker-compose/app-python/requirements.txt
+++ b/1-5-running-docker-compose/app-python/requirements.txt
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
-Flask
-Redis
\ No newline at end of file
+Flask>=3.0.0
+redis>=5.0.0
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/2-building-images/Dockerfile b/2-building-images/Dockerfile
index a0f53b6..b1d2fd6 100644
--- a/2-building-images/Dockerfile
+++ b/2-building-images/Dockerfile
@@ -1,20 +1,30 @@
 # Use an official Python runtime as a parent image
-FROM python:2.7-slim
+FROM python:3.11-slim
 
 # Set the working directory to /app
 WORKDIR /app
 
+# Create a non-root user to run the application
+RUN groupadd -r appuser && useradd -r -g appuser appuser
+
 # Copy the app code and dependencies file into the container at /app
-ADD . /app
+# Use COPY instead of ADD for better transparency (security best practice)
+COPY requirements.txt /app/
+RUN pip install --no-cache-dir -r requirements.txt
+
+COPY . /app
 
-# Install any needed packages specified in requirements.txt
-RUN pip install -r requirements.txt
+# Change ownership of the app directory to the non-root user
+RUN chown -R appuser:appuser /app
 
 # Make port 80 available to the world outside this container
 EXPOSE 80
 
 # Define environment variable
-ENV NAME World
+ENV NAME=World
+
+# Switch to non-root user
+USER appuser
 
 # Run app.py when the container launches
 CMD ["python", "app.py"]
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/2-building-images/app.py b/2-building-images/app.py
index ed77610..f3f0016 100644
--- a/2-building-images/app.py
+++ b/2-building-images/app.py
@@ -1,23 +1,85 @@
-from flask import Flask, render_template
-from redis import Redis, RedisError
+"""
+Flask application with Redis counter.
+
+This application demonstrates a simple Flask web server that maintains
+a visitor counter using Redis as a backend store.
+"""
+import logging
 import os
 import socket
 
-# Connect to Redis
-redis = Redis(host="redis", db=0, socket_connect_timeout=2, socket_timeout=2)
+from flask import Flask, render_template
+from redis import Redis, RedisError
+
+# Configure logging
+logging.basicConfig(
+    level=logging.INFO,
+    format='%(asctime)s - %(name)s - %(levelname)s - %(message)s'
+)
+logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+# Configuration from environment variables
+REDIS_HOST = os.getenv("REDIS_HOST", "redis")
+REDIS_DB = int(os.getenv("REDIS_DB", "0"))
+REDIS_TIMEOUT = int(os.getenv("REDIS_TIMEOUT", "2"))
+FLASK_HOST = os.getenv("FLASK_HOST", "0.0.0.0")
+FLASK_PORT = int(os.getenv("FLASK_PORT", "80"))
+FLASK_DEBUG = os.getenv("FLASK_DEBUG", "False").lower() == "true"
+
+# Connect to Redis with proper error handling
+try:
+    redis = Redis(
+        host=REDIS_HOST,
+        db=REDIS_DB,
+        socket_connect_timeout=REDIS_TIMEOUT,
+        socket_timeout=REDIS_TIMEOUT
+    )
+    # Test connection
+    redis.ping()
+    logger.info("Successfully connected to Redis at %s", REDIS_HOST)
+except (RedisError, ConnectionError) as e:
+    logger.warning("Failed to connect to Redis: %s. Counter will be disabled.", str(e))
+    redis = None
 
 app = Flask(__name__)
 
+
 @app.route("/")
 def hello():
-    try:
-        visits = redis.incr("counter")
-    except RedisError:
+    """
+    Main route handler that displays a greeting page with visit counter.
+
+    Returns:
+        str: Rendered HTML template with greeting message, hostname, and visit count
+    """
+    visits = None
+    
+    if redis is not None:
+        try:
+            visits = redis.incr("counter")
+            logger.debug("Visit counter incremented to: %s", visits)
+        except RedisError as e:
+            logger.error("Redis error while incrementing counter: %s", str(e))
+            visits = "cannot connect to Redis, counter disabled"
+    else:
         visits = "cannot connect to Redis, counter disabled"
 
     name = os.getenv("NAME", "world")
     hostname = socket.gethostname()
-    return render_template('hello.html', name=name, hostname=hostname, visits=visits)
+    
+    return render_template(
+        'hello.html',
+        name=name,
+        hostname=hostname,
+        visits=visits
+    )
+
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
-    app.run(host='0.0.0.0', port=80)
\ No newline at end of file
+    logger.info(
+        "Starting Flask application on %s:%d (debug=%s)",
+        FLASK_HOST,
+        FLASK_PORT,
+        FLASK_DEBUG
+    )
+    app.run(host=FLASK_HOST, port=FLASK_PORT, debug=FLASK_DEBUG)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/2-building-images/requirements.txt b/2-building-images/requirements.txt
index 8862084..e3e2d0a 100644
--- a/2-building-images/requirements.txt
+++ b/2-building-images/requirements.txt
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
-Flask
-Redis
\ No newline at end of file
+Flask>=3.0.0
+redis>=5.0.0
\ No newline at end of file