The Significance of Penetration Testing In Software Development

The Significance of Penetration Testing In Software Development

It is a type of testing in which the application's vulnerability is tested using various security measures. The main purpose of this testing is to find out flaws/risks that may be present in the application.

An unsafe system can be easily attacked by an attacker and it can be used in an unauthorized manner. Security risks are basic errors that occur accidentally when developing software. This may be a design error or configuration error or a software bug.

Why Is Penetration Testing Required?

In this type of testing, we usually evaluate the ability of the application to protect itself from any internal or external threat. It also ensures that the application is accessible only through authorized access or not and it also protects security controls.

The Importance of Penetration Testing

1. A simulation environment is identified that helps determine how the application can be attacked by an intruder using a white hat attack.

2. It also helps in analyzing vulnerable areas in the system where an intruder can attack to gain access to the application.

3. Black hat attack can be avoided and it also helps in saving the original data.

4. The intensity of an attack on occupation can also be estimated.

5. It makes us realize that there is a need to invest in security testing to help protect your system

When Should We Perform Penetration Testing?

Penetration testing should be done regularly to secure the functioning of the application, is a fundamental feature. Also, it should be done when:

1. New threats of attackers are discovered by the security system

2. New network infrastructure is added.

3. Any software is updated or installed

4. If your office has moved

5. A new end-user program or policy has been implemented.

Steps involved in penetration testing:

1. Planning & Preparation

2. Reconnaissance

3. Discovery

4. Analyse information and risk

5. Active intrusion attempts

6. Final analyses

7. Report preparation

Planning & Preparation

Goals and objectives are defined in the planning and preparation phase of penetration testing. Since both the client and the examiner must have the same purpose and understanding, they jointly define the goals at this stage. The general objectives of penetration testing are:

1. Identification and vulnerability of technical systems to improve their security.

2. Verifying IT security by external third party.

3. Organization/personnel security should be increased.

Reconnaissance

In this step, the basic information is analyzed because there are times when the tester does not have much information other than the primary information that may be an IP address or an IP address block. In this case, the examiner first analyzes the available information and then requests the system details or other clues from the client, such as the network plan. It can also be called Passive Penetration Test and aims to obtain accurate and holistic information of the system.

Discovery

In this phase of penetration testing, the tester will scan target assets using automated means to discover vulnerabilities. Commonly used devices have their databases through which we get the details of the latest vulnerabilities.

However, a tester may discover:

Network Discovery - This may be a search for additional systems, a server, or another device.

Host Discovery - Open ports are found out on these devices.

Service Inquiries - Ports are checked to discover the actual services that they run.

Analyzing Information and Risks

In this phase, all the information previously analyzed and assessed. This is a very time-consuming step because of the large number of systems and infrastructure sizes. The following elements are considered when analyzing:

1. Goals defined by the penetration tester.

2. Potential risks associated with the system.

3. Estimated time in which potential safety issues are to be evaluated for subsequent active penetration testing.

Nevertheless, the examiner will only test the system that has potential weaknesses.

Benefits of Penetration Testing

1. Expanding the management system: Detailed information about security threats is provided. The degree of vulnerability is also classified and it also informs you which threat is more vulnerable and which is weaker. By this, the security of the system can be easily and correctly managed by allocating security resources appropriately.

2. Avoiding fines: By doing penetration testing, all the organization's major activities are updated with the auditing system.

3. Protection from Financial Damage: A simple breach can result in a million-dollar loss. But if the system is tested using the penetration test, the risk is reduced.

4. Customer Protection: Even if the data of a single customer is breached, the company can suffer major financial loss and damage to its reputation. Penetration testing ensures that every customer's data is retained.

At Oodles ERP, we provide end-to-end ERP development services to cross-industry enterprises. Our custom ERP application development solutions include full-scale web and mobile application testing to render seamless app performance across devices. We have experienced QA engineers that specialize in performing a variety of software testing techniques to detect bugs and software glitches.