Security Testing — Primary need of an application

It seems as though a day doesn’t go by without a news story about yet another computer security issue. Hackers, viruses, worms, spyware, backdoors, Trojan horses, and denial-of-service attacks have become common terms.

Security is an important factor in today’s life. We have multiple stories that can tell you that you can face a big loss if you ignore the security factor and the latest & general example that is having a very bad effect on mankind is Covid19.

In today’s world, there is no such thing as complete security but if you think about how security can be compromised, you can avoid harm. We are going to discuss how security testing doing an important role in organizations and we know how is security is important in organizations as well as in life.

Security Testing

SECURITY TESTING is a type of Software Testing that uncovers vulnerabilities, threats, risks in a software application and prevents malicious attacks from intruders. The purpose of Security Tests is to identify all possible loopholes and weaknesses of the software system which might result in a loss of information, revenue, repute at the hands of the employees or outsiders of the Organization.

Why Security Testing is important?

Application security is important because today’s applications are often available over various networks and connected to the cloud. The rising number of information violations, privacy breaches, unauthorized accesses, hacking attacks, and also finance-related cyber-criminal offenses have placed immense pressure on companies to make sure complete safety in their electronic products and also offerings. Consequently, the security testing of digital items like apps, software programs, repayment portals, and so on has become an important part of the total development lifecycle.

The main goal of the security testing is to identify the threats in the system and measure its potential vulnerabilities, so the threats can be encountered and the system does not stop functioning or can not be exploited. We are not 100% secure in any security but in today’s competitive world we should not make a simple mistake that will make it easier for hackers who want to break into your system. Developers can also code applications to reduce security vulnerabilities.

WarGames — The Movie

One of the first mainstream examples of computer hacking that brought it into the public eye was the 1983 movie WarGames. In this movie, Mathew Broderick’s teenage character uses his IMSAI 8080 home computer and a 300 baud acoustic modem to hack into the US government's NORAD computer system.

How did he gain access? Pretty simply. He programmed his computer to sequentially dial phone numbers from say 555–0000 to 555–99999 and listen for another computer modem to answer.

Now today we are in 2021, the technology has changed, I know that we have not yet fully recovered from the Covid19 virus that came into existence in 2020, the way all humans are dealing with the virus is a great example of a technology upgrade.

Software and computer systems are now much more interconnected and there are many more hackers. Now, security testing is a must and should be created as a separate task in an organization.

Types of Security Testing

Types of Security Testing

There are seven main types of security testing as per Open Source Security Testing methodology manual.

• Vulnerability Scanning: Vulnerability scanning is an inspection of the potential points of exploitation on a computer or network to identify security holes. A vulnerability scan detects and classifies system weaknesses in computers, networks, and communications equipment and predicts the effectiveness of countermeasures. This is done through automated software to scan a system against known vulnerability signatures.

• Security Scanning: Security Scanning is a flaw in a product that makes it infeasible even when using the product properly to prevent an attacker from usurping privileges on the user’s system. It involves identifying network and system weaknesses, and later provides solutions for reducing these risks. This scanning can be performed for both Manual and Automated scanning.

• Penetration testing: Penetration testing, also called pen testing, is the practice of testing a computer system, network, or web application to find security vulnerabilities that an attacker could exploit. Penetration testing can be automated with software applications or performed manually. This kind of testing simulates an attack from a malicious hacker. This testing involves analysis of a particular system to check for potential vulnerabilities to an external hacking attempt.

• Risk Assessment: The security risks facing the app/ software/ network are identified, analyzed, and classified. Mitigation measures and controls are recommended thereon, based on the priority. This testing involves an analysis of security risks observed in the organization. Risks are classified as Low, Medium, and High. This testing recommends controls and measures to reduce the risk.

• Security Auditing: This is an internal inspection of Applications and Operating systems for security flaws. An audit can also be done via line-by-line inspection of code. A security audit is an exhaustive process that can take some time to complete. That’s because auditors don’t just look at the technical side of network security (such as a firewall or system configurations), but also at the organizational and human side of security policies.

• Ethical hacking: It is legally breaking into computers and devices to test an organization’s defenses. It’s hacking an Organization's Software systems. Unlike malicious hackers, who steal for their own gains, the intent is to expose security flaws in the system. A comprehensive term and penetration testing are one of its features. An ethical hacker essentially needs to have a comprehensive knowledge of software programming as well as hardware.

• Posture Assessment: This combines Security scanning, Ethical Hacking, and Risk Assessments to show an overall security posture of an organization. It is done to ensure that cybersecurity is strong in an organization. To increase the maturity level of the cybersecurity level, many steps must be undertaken which are hence a part of posture assessment.

These are the types of security testing that are considered in every organization to avoid data loss.

Any business is dependent on its customers for growth. Customers provide sensitive data such as credit card details or healthcare information depending on the services they avail. A data breach can make them lose their trust in an organization permanently. Moreover, it’s not just the personal information of customers that’s at risk, but also an organization’s or an individual’s ideas, patents, and plans potentially worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Data breaches can be destructive for any business and can hamper the reputation of an organization. Years of hard work in building a brand name can be ruined by one severe data breach. We should make sure our security and avoid data loss.

We have discussed that what is security testing and why it doing an important role in today’s world. We will go on to discuss some interesting facts in the next blog, Why someone would want to break into a computer and How to do security testing on every level of SDLC to make sure our security.

If the above information is helping you to understand the Security Testing better then share your feedback and also give a shot in the form of claps.

Thank you.

Security Is Important