One of the critical parts of software development is security testing. It is very important because it plays crucial roles in identifying and cubbing the problems that software vulnerabilities may cause to the users and business owners. There are best practices in security testing that must be followed for security testing to be properly done.
In this article, we will be walking you through the best practices in security testing. Let us get started, shall we?
What is Security Testing?
Security testing identifies and addresses vulnerabilities and security risks in software. Security testing techniques can help secure application software and protect all sensitive data against external attacks and unauthorised access.
What Are the Best Practices In Security Testing?
Here are some best practices in security testing:
- Start Early: Starting early is an important step in security testing. You do not have to wait until the last stages of development or when your product is already in the market before you can begin testing
- Understand the system architecture: Understanding the whole design of the software to be tested is crucial in security testing. It is a step that helps you see potential attacks before they occur. Also, if you understand the architectural design, you can determine the best security testing methods and approaches. With this, you can also quickly identify any unexpected behaviours during testing. For example, knowing unanticipated behaviours and when someone is trying to access unauthorised data.
• Use a combination of testing techniques: A variety of automated and manual testing techniques make up some of the best practices in security testing. With these testing techniques, you can quickly identify vulnerabilities no matter how complex.
• Test Data Protection Level
Make sure to check the data protection level of your software. Doing this will help in protecting user data in all forms.
• Test in different environments: Testing in different environments is one of the common best practices in security testing. This practice helps you ensure that your software can work well in different scenarios with developing security concerns for the users. To test your software in different environments, consider using different browsers, operating systems and networks.
• Perform penetration testing: You should not forget to simulate different forms of attacks on your software to single out all the vulnerable positions of your product. This will make it more difficult for attackers to take advantage of any security loopholes. We highly recommend that this test should be regularly performed with upgraded forms of security testing
• Involve security experts: Ensure that all the above best practices in Security testing are performed by experts with extensive experience in the field of security testing. Only expert testers can properly perform the right security tests, give detailed and useful reports/recommendations, identify and mitigate vulnerabilities.
• Document and prioritize vulnerabilities: Experts will always agree that documentation of test rest results is as important as testing. During documentation, ensure your testers know how to rate different vulnerabilities based on their levels of severity.
- Check for Error Handling: Check for error handling pages to see what messages or data is returned. All corresponding error pages should not display a different message or data to users.
- Test regularly: As we have mentioned earlier, one of the best practices in security testing is to perform regular tests. Do not forget, attackers are always upgrading their techniques, so it is only wise for you too to upgrade your testing skills and carry out more frequent security tests.
- Session Management: Perform a robust security test with the session management of your software using multiple actions. See how long it takes for sessions to expire and if the users are automatically logged out as expected.
You can guarantee the security and integrity of software systems by following best practices in security testing.
How to Perform Security Testing
Wondering how to perform security testing? Here are some steps you can take to perform security testing:
- Define the scope: it is very crucial to have a clear breakdown of the security test you are trying to do. This will help everyone on the team to know their roles and expected outcomes. Defining the scope goes a long way in helping to ensure that all important testing areas are well covered.
- Identify potential threats: After defining the scope of your security test, you can easily point out the threats/attacks and vulnerabilities that your software may be exposed to.
- Create test scenarios: The third step on how to perform security testing is to simulate test scenarios such as attacks. Doing this will expose the loopholes that may give room for attacks and data breach.
- Evaluate the results: The next step is to gather the results of the test scenarios so as to analyse how severe the vulnerabilities can be. While writing the report of this stage, it is important to arrange them based on their levels of risk so that the development team can do the needful.
- Report and remediate: Right! At this stage you would have gotten your reports of the vulnerabilities and weaknesses of your software. The next move on how to perform security testing is to report them to the right team. Make sure you have prioritised them based on their levels of severity.
- Repeat the process: Security testing is not a one-time process so in order to be safe, you must repeat the process, again and again and again. The best practices in security testing require you to perform these tests on a regular basis so as to keep you ahead of attackers and unauthorised access.
Using the Best Security Testing Tools: Best Practices in Security Testing
Cybersecurity requires the use of security testing tools to identify flaws. Security testing tools aim to find weaknesses in a system or network. It is overwhelmingly helpful in identifying and averting risks to people, companies, and security professionals.
Scanners for security
Tools for security testing come in a variety of forms. One example is scanners created to find security loopholes in computer networks and systems. They can identify potential weaknesses and offer possible solutions to lessen the dangers they introduce.
Tool for Penetration Testing
Another tool used to check for security flaws is the penetration testing tool. By simulating assaults, these tools enable testing of computer networks and systems for security weaknesses. Employing this technology allows businesses to evaluate their security posture more accurately.
Tool for Cracking Passwords
The strength of the passwords used to secure computers and networks is tested using password-cracking tools. With the aid of these tools, weak passwords that attackers can exploit by employing a variety of techniques to guess or break passwords can be identified and promptly corrected.
Network Security Tools
Network security tools perform different security-related functions, including identifying and blocking unwelcome intruders, locating and stopping suspicious vehicles, etc.
Web App Security Tool
Web application security tools help to protect apps from external threats and attacks. This tool should be used to test the security strength of the app regularly so as to take care of any vulnerability in the web app that may put the software at risk with hackers and bad actors. The security tool is also handy and active in protecting against data theft.
Security Testing Software
Security testing software are tools designed and created to easily identify vulnerabilities in computer systems, applications, networks, etc. Security testing software can be used to assess the security posture of a system in the following ways;
- Simulating attacks
- Testing security controls
- Identifying vulnerabilities/weaknesses
Types of Security Testing Software/Tools
Software for security testing often comes in the following varieties:
Vulnerability scanners: These programs search for vulnerabilities in applications and networks and notify the user of them.
Penetration Testing tools. Penetration testing tools simulate attacks to find gaps in a system’s security defences.
Security scanners for web applications: These programs look for flaws like SQL injection, cross-site scripting, and other issues.
Network security scanners: These programs check for security holes in networks and produce thorough reports on any potential problems.
Malware scanners: These tools search a system for malware and other potentially harmful programs that may have infected it.
Remembering that security testing software shouldn’t be the only tool to evaluate a system’s security is vital. It should be used along with other security measures like routine security audits and employee training on best practices in security testing.
Tips for successful security testing
Following best practices in security testing will help you find vulnerabilities and potential weaknesses in your systems when it comes to security testing. These procedures include thorough planning, comprehension of the system, application of a range of tools and techniques, regular testing, documentation of results, follow-up on results, and involvement of stakeholders.
Here are tips for successful security testing
Plan Ahead
One of the best practices in security testing is to plan ahead. Before beginning the test, it is crucial to define its scope, specify its objectives, and choose the right tools and methodologies. This will make the test more efficient and targeted.
Understand your System
Understanding the system you are testing is another best practice in security testing. You need to have a solid understanding of the system’s functionality, the data it processes, and its security requirements in order to evaluate a system’s security properly. You can use this to find potential system flaws and vulnerabilities.
Utilise Various Testing Methods/Tools
A best practice in security testing is utilizing various tools and methods. It’s possible that no one security testing tool can find every vulnerability. Utilizing a variety of tools and techniques, such as manual testing, automated tools, and specialized tools for particular kinds of vulnerabilities, is advised.
Carry Out Routine Testing
Another best practice in security testing is routine testing. Regular security testing is necessary to ensure that any new vulnerabilities are found and fixed right away. By doing this, you’ll be able to keep your systems safe and defend them against potential threats.
Involve Stakeholders
Stakeholder involvement is also a best practice in security testing, to sum up. To guarantee that all viewpoints are taken into account and the proper steps are taken, security testing should engage all essential stakeholders, including developers, system administrators, and business owners. By doing this, it will be possible to guarantee that security flaws are fixed quickly and effectively.
Best Practices in Security Testing for Your Business: How Can Prometteur Help You?
There are several ways in which Prometteur can help your business grow. We can design and implement security testing for your software following best practices in security testing. Our security testing services are designed for our customers to enjoy all the benefits that comes with outsourcing their testing needs.
Our Services Best Practices in Security Testing
We Provide Best Practices in Security Testing Including;
- Performing a thorough risk assessment,
- Testing for all known and undisclosed vulnerabilities,
- Using both human and automated testing.
- Security testing is also implemented in the CI/CD pipeline.
- Record and disclose all vulnerabilities found.
- Employ a range of security testing instruments:
- Inform testers and developers about security best practices:
FAQs
What are the best practices in security testing?
The best practices in security testing include:
- Starting early
- Conducting risk assessment
- Testing for vulnerabilities
- Performing manual and automated testing
- Implementing security testing
- Documenting and reporting vulnerabilities
- Regularly updating and maintaining security testing tools and techniques.
Why are best practices in security testing important?
Best practices in security testing ensure that applications are secure and protected from potential cyberattacks. They give security testing a systematic and organized methodology, which lowers the chance of missing important flaws that could result in data breaches or other security issues.
How do best practices in security testing improve the security of applications?
Best practices in security testing improve the applications’ security by identifying and eliminating potential vulnerabilities before attackers can exploit them.
What are some common challenges in implementing best practices in security testing?
Some common challenges in implementing best practices in security testing include:
- Lack of resources, including skilled personnel and budget
- Difficulty in prioritizing security testing among competing priorities
- Limited awareness and understanding of security testing best practices among development teams
- Lack of buy-in from senior management
- Resistance to change and reluctance to adopt new tools and techniques.
What tools can organizations use for best practices in security testing?
Here are some tools organizations can use for best practices in security testing,
- Vulnerability scanners
- Penetration testing tools
- Code analysis tools
- Web application firewalls
