Web application security is a sector of digital security that focuses on the security of web-based platforms, web applications, and other technologies. Web application security is important to protect web-based apps from malicious attacks and cyber threats. When breaching the security layers of web apps, attackers try to override or interject malicious code into the app code base so that the actual coded framework stops working or fails to do its job.
Companies and people are depending on web apps to a great extent these days. Web apps have access to a lot of sensitive and important data that needs protection. The loss of sensitive data can cause problems within an organization or for a person. Therefore, web application security testing methodology is important in the entire web application development lifecycle. In this article, you will know about the web application security testing steps that ensure that a web app is completely protected against cyberattacks.
Keep reading to understand what is web application security testing and how it helps achieve security objectives for web applications.
What is Web Application Security Testing?
Security tests are run to ensure that the security levels of an application or a website are up to date. The security test is run to verify that the security controls are strong and the defenses are not compromised. Web application security testing is done to check the security protocols of the web app and strengthen them.
Security tests are run periodically to see if there are any gaps in the security framework. The screened vulnerabilities are identified and then mitigated to make the web application completely secure. The security testing process for web apps works towards securing the app data and controls from cyber attacks.
The security tests aim to check vulnerabilities and validate security controls thoroughly. While security testing is important before the launch of the web application, it is also important to do security testing periodically to ensure that the security protocols meet compliance regulations.
There are some major terms and concepts that you need to master in order to understand web application security testing. For example, vulnerability is a word often used in web app security. A vulnerability is used by web application testing services to define a flaw or weakness present in a system’s design or framework that can lead to a security compromise later. On the other hand, a threat to web application security is anything that can cause harm and damage to the data and assets linked with the web app.
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Why is Security Testing Crucial?
Security testing services have to deal with the most common security threats that might exist around a web app. A SQL injection attack can be a prominent threat identified by cybersecurity experts. By initiating such an attack, the cybercriminal gets access to the app system and data. He can then manipulate, steal, and delete important data from the app code framework. Cross-site activities like scripting and forgery are also common ways of conducting cyberattacks on a web app.
Security vulnerabilities and cybersecurity risks allow the attackers to take advantage of the weak defenses. Breaching a web app becomes easy when there are many security vulnerabilities present in the framework. If the security layers are not updated and validated on time, there could be unavoidable security breaches in the web app framework.
Types of Security Testing
The most basic form of security testing for any web app is manual testing. However, the use of automated tools and techniques has expedited the speed and accuracy of security tests. Manual vs. Automated testing has different advantages. The OWASP web application security testing checklist includes both approaches.
Manual tests use expertise from professional testers to not have any false positives. Moreover, manual tests are more specific and thorough in screening for security threats. However, automated tests are more accurate in screening vulnerabilities. Automated tests are also very efficient and rapid, allowing for continuous scans and less human intervention on repetitive cycles.
There are two approaches to running security tests on web applications. The static web application security approach is one where the testers look at the source code of the web app. This is an inside-out approach that allows the tester to look at code snippets in real-time.
When the testing team takes a dynamic application testing approach, it goes from the outside to the inside architecture of the web app. The testing team tries to find the vulnerabilities of the security layers that cyber-attacks can exploit. This approach does not need access to the code base on which the application is built.
Black box testing is an approach that focuses on the functionality of a web app from a user’s point of view. It is done without any prior knowledge of the internal components of the web app. On the other hand, white box testing is a technique that tests the software after taking the internal data and architecture into account.
This white box method of testing looks at the web app through the developer’s lens. Another approach to testing is grey box testing, which is a combination of the black-and-white approaches. It is a balanced approach between the input and reaction, focusing on code, which is why it is good for web application security testing.
How To Prepare for Security Testing?
How to test security testing in web applications first needs to be clear on the preparatory process of the test. The security testing process needs a clear statement of the objectives and scope of the testing project.
1. Setting Objectives and Scope
Before you start going ahead with the web application security testing checklist, you need to identify the critical assets of the application framework. The identification of critical assets allows the team to maintain the architecture of the web app while testing each component of the security protocol thoroughly.
The team of web app security testers outlines the scoped-out area of the imminent tests. The scope includes the components and areas that will be tested. The scope gives a definite flow to the test cycles and lays out the objectives of web application testing for the team members.
2. Gathering Information
The testing professionals have to first analyze and understand the app architecture to identify the vulnerabilities later. To check the security levels, the team has to be clear about the framework structure, the components, and their functions. This allows the tests to run thoroughly and also helps in the proper interpretation of the security tests.
The testing team has to collaborate with the web application development team to gather information about the tech stack and tools used for the app. Information on tech stack and development approach gives testers the room to plan the tests accordingly so the app can be tested on various aspects. This allows the objectives of the web app security testing process to be achieved.
3. Selecting Tools and Frameworks
Once all the objectives and information about the web application are available, the web app testing team chooses the tools to run the web application security test. Based on the code and framework, the tools are chosen. The team chooses open-source testing tools as well as paid testing tools based on the budget and need. While open-source tools are free and easy to use, paid testing tools come with better features and testing methods.
Web application testing tools are digital tools that help scan the code and framework of the web app for malicious code, errors, security vulnerabilities, etc. Many tools are manual in nature, while the new security testing tools are automated. Automated tools crawl over the code frameworks and identify the security risks. Some of the popular web application security testing tools are ZAP, Jit, Spectral, etc.
Step-by-Step Web Application Security Testing Approach
Here is a lowdown on the web application security testing approach that most security testing teams follow. This section includes the testing steps for security frameworks around web apps.
1. Initial Reconnaissance
Firstly, the team of testers has to collect all the available information related to the web application framework. The information about the app framework and security layers will help the team know the areas that could be vulnerable. With the information gathered, the security testers can design accurate test cases.
Reconnaissance widely refers to information gathering about the web app framework. The information is acquired through both passive and active approaches. Passive reconnaissance techniques do not directly target the web application framework. The technique uses ways to get information without referring to the web app head-on.
For example, open-source intelligence is used to gather publicly available information about the web app. Today, the internet is a viable source of technical and general information about a web app. The team uses passive open-source intelligence techniques and fingerprinting to gather information without directly interacting with the application.
On the other hand, there are active reconnaissance techniques, which include social engineering, active footprinting, and war driving. Social engineering includes creating an employee profile or user profile to access the software and gain information about it directly. Moreover, active footprinting happens by sending information to the application and observing how it reacts to the received information.
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2. Vulnerability Scanning
Automated tools are best for vulnerability scanning as they can continuously scan the code framework. The automated tools are very precise and speedy. Automated scanning finds out all the weaknesses in the internal architecture and defenses. The automated vulnerability scanning tool identifies the vulnerabilities and calculates the risks that arise from them. Using automated tools for scanning streamlines the entire process and generates a thorough report.
Automated security testing tools conduct continuous scanning to identify common vulnerabilities. Security testing tools can scan the internal and external structure to find minor as well as major weaknesses in the framework. You should always choose an easy-to-use and efficient automated vulnerability scanning tool.
3. Manual Testing Techniques
In any kind of application, it is important to check the access control system to see if the authentication and authorization process is working properly. In order to check for authentication and authorization flaws, the manual testers create several user accounts and try to access the application.
For role-based access control systems, multiple role-based user accounts are created for the test. The tester then reviews if the user accounts get access to their designated profiles, layouts, and features based on their roles. If any discrepancies are flagged, then there is an authorization and access flaw in the system.
The security tester has to create test cases to check the application’s input process. The test case should check the integrity of the data handling process. The tester sets the validation requirements and creates channels for data collection before checking the data handling processes.
The web application and its features are created to fulfill some of your organization’s business objectives. If the way the web app functions does not align with the business logic at the core of the organization, then there could be business logic vulnerabilities. These kinds of vulnerabilities arise when the objectives are not followed properly, or there are some unseen use cases of the web app.
Screening business logic risks on time will obliterate the chance of financial loss from security issues. Automated tools are not completely successful in finding business logic vulnerabilities. Therefore, it is best if a manual tester with a thorough understanding of the business logic creates the test cases. The testing team has to create scenarios of possible misuse for the web app and then test the app on the criteria.
4. Exploiting Vulnerabilities
The OWASP web application security testing guide includes many security checkpoints and test runs. Pen tests are created by manual testers to generate a cyber attack against the web app. These tests help in finding the vulnerabilities of a web application firewall. The vulnerabilities of the web application firewall are then identified and minimized for total security.
The pen tests are run, and the vulnerabilities in the firewall are identified. After the identification of the exploited vulnerabilities, the testing team lists them and goes ahead with further analysis of the risks so that the information can be used for risk mitigation.
The results of the penetration tests are documented in reports with details about the vulnerabilities. These tests are run by testers who gather the information and create extensive reports on the observed vulnerabilities.
5. Reporting and Analysis
The penetration test results go in a report with details like the specific vulnerabilities exploited in the test sessions. The test report also includes the sensitive data accessed during the penetration. Ideally, the test reports should also include the amount of time taken to breach through the security vulnerability. The time for which the tester was able to stay in the app framework as a foreign entity without an alarm is also added to the report. These details are analyzed thoroughly to see how secure the app is.
The vulnerabilities that could be exploited are flagged and prioritized on the basis of their scale. The identification also depends on how easily the vulnerability was exploited.
When all the derived insights are on the table, the team creates a comprehensive security report. Based on the vulnerabilities detected, the team patches the issues and minimizes the possibility of security breaches. The security report should be detailed and include insights that help improve the security provisions around the web application.
Post-Testing Actions for Web Application Security Testing Methodology
Even after the testing is done for the security frameworks of the web application, the team has to take remediation steps before re-testing the application. Decisive actions taken for the web app security make sure that the framework is safe from future threats.
1. Remediation Strategies
The remediation process for a web application security vulnerability includes some steps. The minimization of the vulnerabilities will protect the web app from future attacks. At a time when web apps see high traffic rates, there is zero tolerance for downtime and a slow application. The web app framework should be without any vulnerabilities so it can maintain a high performance.
The web app framework is scanned for vulnerabilities and prioritized. After singling out the cyber vulnerabilities, the team patches the vulnerabilities and fixes the issues. The security firewalls are also updated to block future attacks and reduce risks. Once the fixes are done, the testing team also monitors the app performance and security frameworks to observe any future issues.
For the identification and fixing of the application vulnerabilities, the security testing team should be able to collaborate with the web application development team. Collaboration with the development team will ease the process of information gathering, testing, and feedback sharing.
This can create a transparent workflow for the web application development company that benefits every member of the team. The output of the testing process and the application will be high quality because of the coordinated efforts of the development and testing team.
2. Re-testing
Once the web application security testing process is completed, the team deploys the fixes needed for the vulnerabilities. After creating and applying the fixes, the team tests the web application again to ensure that the web app is secure and safe for launch. The re-tests are done to validate the security protocols and ensure that the application maintains its performance.
The security testing team also has the responsibility of strengthening the security firewalls so that the application is not open to new vulnerabilities. The web application security has to be updated so that no risks and vulnerabilities arise later.
3. Continuous Security Monitoring
The security testing team also has to apply continuous monitoring practices. The testers have to monitor the application security framework to find minor vulnerabilities and reduce their impact. Continuous monitoring keeps the security levels maintained and gives the power to deal with external threats swiftly. With automated tools, the team can conduct continuous security assessments.
Regular security assessments and timely tests can flag minor risks and issues before they lead to major security breaches. There are many security assessment tools like NMAP, OpenVAS, and Nikto that can screen applications for vulnerabilities. Vulnerability scanners and other tools also continuously crawl the code frameworks to find vulnerabilities and latent security issues.
Secure Your Web App Now: Start Your Security Testing Today!
A web application testing company will have an extensive team of security testing professionals who are adept at both automated and manual testing. Security vulnerabilities can lead to data breaches and malicious code injections, which can lead to a web app malfunction. To protect the web app and its performance, web application development teams and businesses should attach more importance to web application security tests.
Thorough web application testing and continuous web security testing keep the web application performance high and profitable. A balance between manual and automated testing helps in finding all the security vulnerabilities that might pose a threat later on. A good security testing team will know how to perform security testing in web applications.
