The security of your business’s data is of utmost importance. It is essential to perform regular security testing to ensure your systems are safe. In this blog post, we will discuss what security testing is, why it’s important, and how to choose the right security testing software for your needs. We will also take a look at some of the best security testing software available in the current market.
What is Security Testing?
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The practice of security testing involves examining a computer system or application’s security. Security testers look for flaws that attackers could use to access sensitive data or disrupt business operations. Security testing can be performed manually or with the help of specialized security testing software.
Why is Security Testing Required?
With so much of our lives and businesses taking place online, attackers have more opportunities than ever to exploit vulnerabilities and steal data. Security testing software helps identify potential security risks, so they can be addressed before attackers have a chance to exploit them.
What is a Security Testing Software?
A security testing software is a tool that helps security testers automate the security testing process. Security testing software can be used to scan for vulnerabilities, simulate attacks, and monitor systems for suspicious activity.
Security Testing: Different Approaches
There are seven different approaches to security testing:
- Vulnerability Scanning: This is accomplished through automated software that searches a system for known vulnerability signatures.
- Security Scanning: It entails detecting network and system vulnerabilities, as well as resolving any potential hazards.
- Penetration testing: This is a type of testing that simulates a hacker’s attack. This involves studying a specific system to identify any potential security holes that an external hacking attempt could exploit.
- Risk Assessment: This testing includes an analysis of the organization’s security concerns. Low, medium, and high risks are identified. This test identifies controls and procedures that may be used to reduce risk.
- Security Auditing: It’s a thorough internal evaluation of apps and operating systems for security holes. A line-by-line examination of the code can also be used for an audit. Additionally, it’s essential to tokenize sensitive data during security auditing to protect confidential information.
- Ethical Hacking: Hacking a company’s software systems is what it’s all about. Unlike malicious hackers, who steal for personal gain, ethical hackers try to discover security flaws in order to help people.
- Posture Assessment: This approach combines security scans, Ethical Hacking, and Risk Assessments to provide a comprehensive view of a company’s overall security posture.
Best Security Testing Software Tools in the Current Market
There are many security testing software products available in the market, each with its strengths and weaknesses. Here is a list of some of the best security testing software products available:
Astra Security
The Network Security Solution from Astra Security is a one-of-a-kind product developed by Astra Security, a leading provider of network security services. It can help you discover and repair security vulnerabilities on your network. Astra’s solution helps identify network security holes and fills those gaps.
The solution examines and verifies your network to detect network devices, ports, and protocols that are vulnerable to attacks.
Nmap
Nmap, or Network Mapper, was created to scan huge networks rapidly, but may also be used on single machines. Nmap employs non-standard IP packet patterns in innovative ways to identify which hosts are accessible on the network, what services (including application names and versions) they provide, what operating systems (and their versions) they run, and a wide range of other information.
OpenVAS
OpenVAS is a network vulnerability scanning software that performs a comprehensive security assessment of the network infrastructure. The OpenVAS project is a worldwide collaboration that has been used by numerous organizations around the world. It’s available for free and can be used with commercial solutions.
Greenbone Software is the creator of OpenVAS, which is a free and open-source vulnerability scanning tool. Greenbone Security feed is the paid version, while the Greenbone Community feed is the free one.
Things to Consider Before Selecting a Security Testing Software
Do Your Research
There are several tools to select from, and each one comes with its own set of benefits and drawbacks. For example, a certain tool may produce reports rapidly but also cause too many false alarms. Another one might have excellent capabilities but be difficult to use. You want to pick a solution that has the appropriate combination of functionality, speed, accuracy, and user-friendliness for your organization.
The fewer the false positives, the better
When an automated vulnerability scanner signals a problem that isn’t a security concern or doesn’t exist, it’s known as a false positive. Because they engage knowledge workers in a pointless search for no reason, false positives are very difficult to handle. It involves the needless expenditure of time and resources. You’ll need some software to categorize potential false positives into a separate category.
A savvy tool may help you save a lot of time
With each use, a machine learning-based security testing software that learns more about your network over time and becomes increasingly efficient should be on your radar. When there’s an update to the web application you’re using on, an automated security testing tool should be able to perform a scan. There are minor features, such as integration with CI/CD tools or scanning after login, that might make a big difference in terms of user experience and efficiency.
A detailed vulnerability report
You want your vulnerability report to be comprehensive, thorough, and easy to comprehend. It should correctly identify the flaws based on their severity and CVSS scores. It should provide guidance for security improvements. If you hire a penetration testing service, the report should include extensive developer guidelines for reproducing and fixing the exploit. The tool should be able to assign vulnerabilities to developers if necessary.
A legitimate certificate
If you’re undergoing a penetration test, you’ll get a freely verifiable certificate (of course, after you’ve fixed the flaws and rescanned your site). Businesses dealing with consumer data or sensitive information require special security testing certificates. Many industry sectors, therefore, insist on such certifications. You must make certain that the security testing software you’re using issues a publicly verifiable certificate.
Conclusion
Security testing is critical to the security of your apps and systems. There are a variety of alternative tools on the market, some of which may be difficult to choose between. Consider the criteria listed above when making an informed selection. Do your research and pick a tool that best suits your needs. Whichever security testing software you choose, ensure it meets all your organization’s requirements. Happy security testing!
