Introduction to Software Security Testing
Software security testing (SST) is the process of identifying and eliminating vulnerabilities in software. It’s a critical part of any software development project, but it can be difficult to get started with SST because there are so many different types of tests and security tasks that need to be performed.
Software security testing has become an essential part of the software development process and testing. A veteran security testing company such as ours offer on-demand software security testing services by security experts that are designed to identify flaws in the code before they can be exploited, providing peace of mind before release.
There are also many different tools available for performing these tests for security issues, which makes it even more confusing. This article will help you understand software security testing, types of software security testing, and the best way to ensure your software is secure.
There are two main categories of software security testing; manual testing and automated testing.
Manual Testing
Manual testing is a time consuming and painstaking process where an individual or team inspects software to discover weaknesses in the application and how it should be improved. There are many different types of manual tests, but they all have one goal: to find bugs. Though it can be time-consuming, manual testing can greatly improve the quality of a software product.
Automated Testing
Automated testing is the process of executing test cases automatically. Automated testing may be executed by running a software application under test through its path of execution in an automated fashion. The results of the execution might be checked and compared to expected results, or they might be disregarded if not within certain tolerances. Test automation has been widely used in software engineering for decades to improve efficiency, find bugs and reduce defects in systems. Automated tests are typically written using tools such as a test automation framework or an automated regression tester (ART). There have been many articles discussing the benefits of test automation, its impact on software development is one of the more popular topics.
What are Software Security Testing Services?
Software security testing services are services that provide software security testing for custom applications. Software security testing services intend to test the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of software to ensure that a certain level of protection is achieved for its users. They conduct tests at different stages such as requirements analysis, architecture design, development/test cycle, and production deployment. These tests can be conducted manually or automatically through tools such as software testing tools.
What are the advantages of Software Security Testing Services?
There are many advantages to software security testing services. Some of the advantages include:
- Identify potential security risks in software before it is released.
- Ensure that software meets all security standards.
- Improve the overall security of software.
- Reduce the chances of software vulnerabilities being exploited.
- Preventing data breaches
- Ensuring compliance with security standards and regulations
- Improving the overall security of the software
The main advantage of having a software security testing service by security experts is that your business will not be adversely affected by costly technology decisions, and you’ll have peace of mind knowing that your application is safe. You can also save time, money, and effort by outsourcing this work to an experienced team who has already done it before.
Why is Software Security Testing Required?
Software security testing is an important part of the software development cycle. It can be done in different phases of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). The goal of software security testing is to find vulnerabilities in the software before it gets deployed to production. This will minimize the impact of any potential vulnerabilities and prevent attackers from exploiting them later. Security testing also helps find bugs that are not related to security issues like performance or usability issues.
Software security is a key factor in the development of software systems. It is important to ensure that both the design and implementation of software are secure. There are various approaches to achieving this goal.
Software Security Testing: Our Approach
Architecture Study & Analysis
Most development initiatives begin by specifying software requirements that describe what the business wants from the project. In a technology project, software requirements often include specific functional or non-functional specifications that detail how the feature will work in practice, as well as business or performance requirements that help with project management and define how the feature will be built at the highest level.
Threat Identification
The first step we perform in developing secure software is to identify the threats that your software might be exposed to. We employ many approaches to developing secure software, including application penetration testing services, vulnerability assessment, code review and threat modeling. One of the most common types of threats faced by organizations today is cyberattacks. This includes malware and ransomware attacks as well as denial-of-service attacks which aim to disrupt or disable a computer network or system. Our team of experts provide services to identify, manage and resolve any possible threats and vulnerabilities that might arise from the use of information and communication technology at the level of people, processes and systems.
Test Planning
Test planning should take the insights gained during requirements or product analysis and turn them into an established QA strategy. The resulting strategy documentation is intended to convey exactly what testing is about to be performed, or will not be performed, using clearly defined requirements and goals. The testing strategy should be updated as requirements and user insights change and should be centrally located in the product management system. A testing strategy typically focuses on defining acceptance criteria, which are the set of conditions that must be met in order for a product to satisfy its need. Testing strategies may also include techniques such as “black box” testing,
Testing Tool Identification
In the software testing approach, test tools are the products used to support test activities. The testing tools can be used to support manual or automated test activities in developing applications. The kinds of software testing tools used in software development will depend on the nature of the application to be developed. In a unit software testing approach, test tools are typically used to test individual source code modules. In an integration testing approach, test tools are typically used to test the interactions between software modules.
Test Case Development
Test development entails employing both human and automated testing to ensure that the software’s functionality is fully covered, with the process being guided by the requirements established beforehand. Because human testing cases are presented in the form of cheat sheets, test cases for automated testing are frequently produced separately.
Test Case Execution
The tests are carried out using pre-written test documentation and a properly setup test environment. The test management system keeps track of all test outcomes. Negatively passed tests, in which the actual result differs from the intended result, are marked as errors, and sent to the development team for revision, with rechecking after repair. The tests are executed in the test environment without a live user interface.
Reporting
The testing team submits a test closure report at this point, summarizing and communicating its results to the rest of the team. This report usually contains summaries of the testing effort and findings, as well as an appraisal of the testing and the approval of the manager. The test closure report may be submitted directly to the project sponsor or manager, or it may be routed through a QA lead, product manager, quality assurance director, and other stakeholders. The report may also include contact information for the team members so that these individuals can receive further questions and inquiries from the project sponsor.
What is a Software Security Vulnerability?
Software security vulnerability is a weakness in the code of a software. Many programs contain flaws in the code that allow hackers to take advantage of the computer.
Software security vulnerabilities can be classified into two main categories: software bugs and design flaws. A bug is a mistake in the code that causes it to behave incorrectly, while a flaw is an error in the way the program was designed or implemented.
Examples of Software Security Vulnerabilities
Some examples of software security vulnerabilities are buffer overflows, cross-site scripting, and SQL injection.
- Buffer overflows occur when a program tries to store more data in a buffer than it is allocated to hold. This can cause the program to crash or allow an attacker to execute code on the system.
- Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities occur when an attacker injects malicious code into a web page that is then executed by unsuspecting users who visit the page. This can allow the attacker to steal sensitive information or hijack the user’s session.
- SQL injection occurs when malicious code is inserted into a SQL query, which can allow the attacker to steal sensitive information or use the database for malicious purposes.
Here is a list of the most common of software security vulnerabilities that software developers should be aware of:
- Malware. Also known as malicious software, malware is a general term that refers to any type of software, including viruses, worms, trojans, adware and spyware. These programs are designed to do things like steal your personal information, damage your hard drive, or even harm you physically.
- Phishing. A form of social engineering that involves the fraudulent use of email to obtain sensitive information such as usernames, passwords and credit card details. The perpetrator sends an email pretending to be from a legitimate source in order to trick users into revealing their credentials.
- Pharming. A technique used by attackers to redirect a victim’s browser request to a website controlled by the attacker. In some cases, phishing attacks are combined with pharming to bypass firewalls.
- Proxies
- Spyware. A type of malware that can be installed on your computer without you knowing. It gets into your system and monitors all the information you do online, such as your search history, browsing habits, emails, chats, etc
- Adware. A type of malware that displays advertisements on the computer screen. It can be used to make money for its creators, or it may simply be a way for them to promote their own websites and products. The ads are usually
- Botnets. A botnet is a network of computers that has been infected with malicious software. The malware then uses the infected machines to send spam, launch denial-of-service attacks or steal sensitive data from other computers on the Internet.
- Spam. Unsolicited bulk e-mail (UBE) is an electronic communication sent to many recipients. It can be used for commercial purposes such as advertising and marketing, but it may also be used by spammers to distribute viruses, worms, spyware, adware, and other types of malware. Spamming is illegal in many countries.
- Missing data encryption
- OS command injection. A vulnerability that allows an attacker to execute arbitrary commands on a target system. This can be used for privilege escalation, or simply to gain access to the compromised host.
- Injection Flaws/ SQL injection. These occur when untrusted data is fed into an application, resulting in the execution of unintended actions or commands. SQL injection is a well-known type of injection flaw.
- Buffer overflow. A common vulnerability in software. They occur when the size of an array or buffer used to store data exceeds its capacity. The attacker can then use this flaw to overwrite memory that will be used by other parts of your
- Missing authentication for critical function
- Missing authorization
- Unrestricted upload of dangerous file types
- Reliance on untrusted inputs in a security decision
- Cross-site scripting (XSS). These allow attackers to inject malicious code into webpages viewed by other users.
- Template injection. This is an example of an attack where the attacker tries to insert a malicious HTML or PHP script in a vulnerable page.
- A download of codes without integrity checks
- Use of broken algorithms
- URL redirection to untrusted sites
- Path traversal. In computer science, path traversal is the process of walking along a graph or tree structure to reach some goal. The term “path” can be used to refer to either an ordered sequence of nodes (a walk) or a set of paths through the same node(s).
- Software Bugs. A bug is a mistake in the code. It’s not necessarily an error, but it can be and often is. A bug is usually caused by a programmer making a mistake while writing or testing the program. The programmer might
- Weak passwords
Types of Software Security Testing
There are many types of software security testing used to identify software vulnerabilities and weaknesses. One of the most common types of software security testing is Black Box testing, which involves examining the input and output without looking at the code. White Box testing, on the other hand, involves examining both the input and output as well as the code. A third method called Grey Box testing examines only the code and input. In situations where any kind of testing is required but no one knows how white-box testing can be employed to check for bugs.
Static application security testing (SAST)
Static application security testing (SAST), or static analysis, is a testing methodology that assesses the security of a source code application to find potential vulnerabilities before the code is compiled and executed.
The three forms of security testing are done in a completely different manner. Black box means the type of testing involves the evaluation of the source code from outside the application. SAST is a form of black box testing that analyzes source code for the presence of security vulnerabilities. Whereas static analysis is performed from inside the application. Static analysis is much more thorough than black box testing because it allows you to analyze the source code line by line.
The most popular SAST tools are:
- BinScope Binary Analyzer
- Coverity Scan
- Fortify SCA
- Klocwork Static Code Analyzer
- Parasoft C/C++test
Compliance Testing
Compliance testing is a process that verifies the compliance of an organization with the applicable laws and regulations. It’s also known as internal audit, risk management or quality assurance. The purpose of this testing is to ensure that your business complies with all relevant legal requirements.
- Standards-based security testing, OWASP Top 10, and SANS Top 25
- GDPR Compliance
- HIPAA Penetration Testing
- PCI Penetration Testing
- NERC CIP Compliance
Application Penetration Testing
Application Penetration Testing (also known as pen testing) is a security exercise in which a cyber-security professional tries to uncover and exploit flaws in a computer system. The goal of this simulated attack is to find any vulnerabilities in a system’s defenses that attackers could exploit. to gain access to the system. The term “penetration testing” is often used interchangeably with the term “ethical hacking”. However, unlike ethical hacking, application penetration testing services are not limited to a particular scope of knowledge or skill set. It can be performed by even highly technical and novice individuals.
Red Teaming
Red teaming is the technique of using an adversarial approach to thoroughly challenge plans, policies, systems, and assumptions. A red team can be a hired outside firm or an inside group that employs tactics to stimulate outsider thinking and provide a check on insiders’ thinking. The red teaming process is based on the premise that plans are often flawed. It’s also based on the understanding that every plan, policy, or strategy will be related to a set of assumptions. Those assumptions need to be brought into question and confirmed or replaced with new ones. The process typically involves having an outside group (typically hired by a corporation or the government) develop, test, and refine a plan within the group. The red teaming process allows for realistic testing of a plan or strategy with different assumptions and provides an opportunity for multiple perspectives to contribute valuable insights.
Load Testing
Load Testing is a form of software testing that focuses on the performance of an application when accessed by multiple users at the same time. It is performed to improve performance bottlenecks and to ensure that the application is stable and runs smoothly before it is deployed. The backbone of this testing is a stress test system. The stress test system typically consists of one or more client machines and a server machine. The server machine is the focus of the exercise, and it runs real-time applications on multiple virtual machines hosted by the provider. It can also be known as load testing, performance testing, stress testing, and responsiveness testing.
Tracing the Origin of Defects
Tracing the origin of defects or debugging is a tedious process, therefore it is very important to be able to identify the source of the software defects. It is even more important to be able to identify the source of the software defects before new features or modifications are introduced. into the system. Software defects include, but are not limited to, the following items:
- Division by zero
- Out of bounds memory access
- Invalid pointer dereference
- Stack overflow
- Numeric overflow
SQL Injection Testing
SQL injection testing is a method of testing an application to see if it is possible to inject data into the application so that it executes a user-controlled SQL query in the database. Developers use SQL injection testing to check if they are vulnerable to SQL injection attacks. The code fragments shown are all valid queries that can be injected.
Thick Client Testing
Thick client pen-testing involves both local and server-side processing and often uses proprietary protocols for communication. Thicker client testing may involve both client-side and server-side evaluation and may use proprietary protocols for communication. Thick client pen-testing often delays the attack for hours or even days. This makes it particularly effective against a constantly changing target, as well as in situations where an attacker is attempting to remain undetected.
IoT and Embedded Software Testing
Embedded testing is the process of discovering defects in a newly developed software or hardware. It ensures that a newly created software or hardware is defect-free. Embedded software testing is primarily conducted by the developers themselves but may also be carried out by external testers. Testing embedded software can be broken down into three processes: Unit Testing, Integration Testing, System Testing
Unit testing, also known as component or module testing, is done on specific pieces of application source code and is often used to test the individual parts of an application. This method of testing ensures that the necessary components are working together to create a whole system that works as it should.
Mobile Application Security Testing
Apps that allow users to send text messages or download files from unknown apps without the app store reviewer vetting them may not be secure. Mobile Application Security Testing ensures that apps do not store personal information or files from another app without the user’s knowledge and permission. In many cases, apps store personal information or files from another app on their servers to make it easy for the users to download files when they need them. The app developer must take care not to expose the user’s personal information or files when sending text messages or downloading files from an unknown app.
Network Security Penetration Testing
Network security penetration testing is a process of evaluating the security of an information system by testing the system against a set of predetermined threats. Wireless, ethernet, hardware/IoT (internet of things), phishing emails, and physical access are common ways hackers gain access to networks and data. Testing in these mediums can lead to security risks and breaches. A network security tester is typically responsible for identifying vulnerabilities in computer networks and systems, as well as assessing the risks and potential consequences related to these vulnerabilities.
Static Application Security Testing
Analyzing the application source code itself is called static application security testing (SAST). SAST is a form of black box testing, is the process of analyzing source code for the presence of security vulnerabilities. The two forms of security testing are done in a completely different manner. Black box means the type of testing involves the evaluation of the source code from outside the application. Whereas static analysis is performed from inside the application. Static analysis is much more thorough than Black Box testing because it allows you to analyze the source code line by line.
Dynamic Application Security Testing
Dynamic Application Security Testing or DAST is a security assessment tool that can detect certain web application weaknesses if an expert attempts to enter the production web applications. Dynamic Application Security Testing uses an experienced DAST tester also called a black box tester to use the same techniques that an attacker would use to find weaknesses.
Security Risk Assessment
A security risk assessment is a process by which an organization identifies and evaluates the risks of an application (e.g., a mobile application, a business application, etc.). It is primarily used to identify key security controls as well as application defects and vulnerabilities. A vulnerability is a condition that might allow an attacker to compromise the security of a system, application, or network. Vulnerabilities can be classified as either technical vulnerabilities (e.g., design flaws in software) or nontechnical vulnerabilities (e.g., human error). An exploit is any attack technique designed specifically to take advantage of a security vulnerability. Exploits happen when an attacker uses a vulnerability in an application, operating system, or network to take control of the affected systems and then potentially to use them maliciously. An exploit launched by a software vulnerability typically targets a specific target computer with the intention of taking advantage of that computer’s resources and/or confidential data. An exploit launched by a hardware or software vulnerability typically targets the computer system’s resources and/or confidential data.
Cloud Security Penetration Testing
Cloud or server-based attacks threaten the confidentiality and integrity of data on the Internet. To detect all those threats, cloud or server-based attackers need to know how to test the systems. Cloud Security Penetration Testing has four basic steps: Determine your target, discover if the cloud is trustworthy, exploit vulnerabilities, fix vulnerabilities and close security holes To do this, it is important to determine their target. This will help you decide what kind of cloud security penetration tests to perform.
Web Application Security Testing
Web Application Security Testing is type of software security testing often used by hackers and cyber-security experts, to gauge the security strength and security posture of a Web application to determine if it is secure. This testing is often done using manual and automated security testing techniques.
API Security Penetration Testing
API security penetration testing is a process that involves scanning your API (Application Programming Interface) to ensure that it is secure. This has traditionally been done manually by your enterprise security team. In recent years, API security testing has become a popular process, in which hackers utilize various techniques to uncover flaws in the APIs.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) Penetration Testing
With Amazon Web Services (AWS) Penetration Testing the security engineers focus on reviewing the configuration of the cloud and applications being utilized by the company. AWS Penetration Testing services is different from normal pen-testing which is a process usually employed by companies to find potential security flaws in the infrastructure and applications behind a Web site’s operations.
Why choose Euro-Testing Software Solutions
Quality Assurance
The use of software security services is a way to ensure that the software code is free from vulnerabilities and defects. This type of service, such as penetration testing, is usually outsourced and can be an integral part of the software development process. Such services are increasingly used in other sectors of industry, with software development companies using them to protect their products from vulnerabilities such as buffer overflow attacks. We focus on software security services that deliver using a proactive approach and strong defense for each one of our customers instead of a passive one by implementing security policies. Using the latest cybersecurity solutions, we provide requirements for security compliance and develop security policies to ensure data protection using the latest products and our well-cultivated expertise in this niche.
Cyber Security Assessment
Cyber Security Assessment is a process of identifying, classifying and prioritizing risks to an organization’s cyber assets. It is a process that we at ETSS, incorporate to increase the efficiency of the information security team. By successfully combining our expertise with the understanding and flexibility every company needs, we create comprehensive cyber security solutions that help customers and partner run a secure digital business.
Our Knowledge and Expertise of Software Security Services
Software security is a huge issue that affects all of us. The more we use technology, the more we put our personal data at risk. Hackers are always looking for ways to exploit software vulnerabilities and steal information from unsuspecting users.
Our team of experts ensure that you’re protected against the latest threats and exploits with common penetration testing and other application security testing services and security tasks. With over 14 years of expertise of Software Security Services and hundreds of client projects successfully delivered, we provide high-end software security testing services, the best way to ensure your software is secure.