Security testing plays a key role in the software product and application development process, as it helps in making sure that the product or application that is being developed is robust and fully secured. With a steady rise in cyber threats and organizations looking forward to embracing security solutions, it eventually becomes a necessity to build a foolproof and highly secured product or application. In this article, you will get to know the steps involved in conducting security testing.
What is security testing?
It is a testing method wherein security threats and issues are identified and resolved before they turn out to be quite problematic. To optimize the process of security testing, there are a few security testing methodologies that can be leveraged.
The following are the steps involved in implementing security testing:
The security requirements should be identified: Identifying security requirements will help make sure that the crucial security concerns and issues are focused and worked upon. The security policies and regulatory standards need to be reviewed so that they can be applied to the software accordingly. The software's risk profile should be validated, so that the various security-related attacks and threats can be ascertained.
Security tests should be designed accordingly: Previously unknown security weaknesses and vulnerabilities will be identified by designing security tests. Different types of security tests need to be identified for designing security tests. The objective and scope of each test should be defined.
Test cases and scenarios are developed that will in turn help in simulating real-world attacks. The security testing efforts can be prioritized based on risk assessment. Security testing methodologies can also be considered as and when required, depending upon the need.
Executing security tests: The design plan should be followed by the team so that all the tests can be performed accurately. During the testing process, the documentation is done by the team to record issues and analyze them at a later point in time. A systematic approach is used. Security testing tools can be used, so that the testing process can be automated and vulnerabilities can be documented in the form of reports.
Scrutinizing results: The results of security testing should be properly analyzed by the team. The data collected during testing is examined, so that potential security issues can be addressed. The results of security tests can be properly analyzed, if the testing results are documented accurately and thoroughly. Details of the tests (that have been performed) should be included in the documentation.
The priority and severity of each issue can be properly ascertained through this information and thus a plan can be developed for addressing them.
The vulnerabilities need to be fixed: Once the team identifies the vulnerabilities, they are systematically fixed to make sure that the software is secure. When the vulnerabilities are fixed, they are prioritized based on their severity. Vulnerabilities with high severity are addressed first and then medium and low severity vulnerabilities are worked out. A plan can be developed for the purpose of remediation so that all identified vulnerabilities can be addressed accordingly.
Retesting software: The software is retested to make sure that the fixes have been effective. The testing procedures and plan that were developed in the previous testing phase should be followed when the software is being retested. In order to maintain consistency, the same testing tool can be maintained.
Results are reported: The results of the security testing process help the concerned team members know of the potential security issues and the ways to solve them.
Conclusion: If you are looking forward to implementing security testing for your specific software development project, then do get connected with a leading software testing services company that will provide you with a tactical roadmap in line with your project requirements.
