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• September 13, 2024
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With cyber threats continually advancing and the level of sophistication increasing, security testing is a critical activity for organizations large or small. Through these rigorous security testing practices, business owners can check out the vulnerabilities, estimate risks and implement better control over potential attacks on them. This detailed guide explores six core security testing patterns with concrete definitions and use. 

Types of Security Testing Methodologies and Checklists 

Here is a list of 5 security testing methodologies and checklists:

1. Vulnerability Scanning

What is vulnerability scanning Vulnerability Scanning — It is an automated process that helps identify security weaknesses in systems, networks and applications. This approach uses dedicated tools that can identify a wide range of security vulnerabilities such as missing patches, weak password practices, misconfigured settings or known flaws in software which attackers could (and do) exploit.

Through regular vulnerability scanning, organizations may stay ahead of their security standing and proactively find out which threats are real and where to focus remediation efforts. This procedure not only helps in keeping up with the business as usual standards followed by companies but it increases security overall where you can fix bugs before they are discovered to be exploited!

• External vulnerability scan: This scans to identify network and infrastructure based and facing toward internet systems. In particular, this methodology pertains to external-facing systems and is designed to identify vulnerabilities that might be exploited by an outside attacker.
• Internal Vulnerability Scan – performed within a private network, this scan pinpoints the internal assets of an organization It can be used to discover vulnerabilities that are even ready internally by the identification of insider threats or compromised internal devices
• Non-Intrusive Vulnerability Scan – This process checks a network for possible vulnerabilities without the need to actually exploit (use) any of them. This info can be used to find security holes without risking conflict with the system itself.
• Active Vulnerability Scan: An active vulnerability scan requires a scanner that will exploit vulnerabilities to determine the actual risk they present. This will allow an attacker to find important issues like administrative access or privilege escalation, but could potentially take down some system functionality so it should be handled carefully.

Comprehensive Checklist:

• Define the scope of the scan (external/internal).
• Select appropriate scanning tools.
• Schedule regular scans (e.g., weekly).
• Use authenticated scans for deeper insights.
• Identify and prioritize vulnerabilities based on severity.
• Review scan results and create a remediation plan.
• Conduct follow-up scans to verify fixes.

2. Penetration Testing

Commonly known as “ethical hacking,” penetration testing is simply a method of evaluating an organization’s security controls in the same way that real-world (criminal) hackers would gain control over systems.

It is another method of assessment which includes the authorized attempts to take advantage of any vulnerabilities within systems, networks or applications in order to determine how much a penetrator could penetrate into an organization defense. Through penetration testing you can see where your vulnerabilities lie, as they mimic the methods and approaches that are used by cybercriminals.

Organizations can use the results to build stronger defenses, choose fixes in a more informed manner and just otherwise enhance their security posture — so that they may hopefully be better equipped for combating real attacks.

Checklist for penetration testing includes the following:

•  Define the scope and objectives of the test.
• Obtain written authorization for testing.
• Gather intelligence on the target systems.
•  Identify and exploit vulnerabilities.
• Assess the impact of successful exploits.
•  Document findings and provide recommendations.
•  Conduct retesting to ensure vulnerabilities are fixed.

3. Risk Assessment

Risk assessment is a process used to identify, analyze and evaluate any vulnerabilities in an organization’s information assets which could be sued by actors of threat. This approach allows organizations to know what is likely, and what the potential effects of those threats would lead too so they can make informed decisions about how much risk still exists given their mitigations.

Based on their impact to the operations, organizations can assess these risks as both internal and external threats whish is struggled mainly due to a few notable exceptions. Reliable risk assessments not only reduce the danger to an organization but also help meet regulatory compliances, so that risks are addressed even before they evolve themselves.

Checklist for risk assessment includes the following:

•  Identify all critical assets and information.
• Analyze potential threats and vulnerabilities.
• Evaluate the likelihood and impact of risks.
• Prioritize risks based on severity.
• Develop a risk mitigation strategy.
• Review and update the risk assessment regularly.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.

4. Security Audit

It is an end-to-end assessment of the security policies, processes and procedures being implemented across your organization. This systematic review analyzes the security mechanisms that have been implemented and examines whether there are deficits or risks, as well as identifies regulatory requirements relevant to their enforcement in terms of industry standards. A security audit reveals more about a business´ point of view and helps them to realize their vulnerabilities.

Regular security audits will enable organizations to adjust their strategies as the threats evolve and ensure that they are protected by current best practices, which will ultimately preserve critical assets.

A security audit uses both automated vulnerability scanning and manual penetration testing to provide a full report of all common, unusual, overlooked vulnerabilities in your web page/application/nw

The result is a detailed report for every vulnerability, with rich analytical information regarding each one and the CVSS score alongside its potential business impact.

It also provides developers with expert advice and video proof of concept (PoC) regarding how the found security holes can be successfully fixed. Organizations can adopt a comprehensive look into their security shortfalls and get practical tips as well as gain access to resources that will help build up the broader cybersecurity framework.

Checklist for security audit includes the following:

• Define the scope and objectives of the audit.
•  Review existing security policies and procedures.
• Conduct interviews with stakeholders.
• Inspect physical and technical security controls.
• Analyze audit logs and security events.
• Identify gaps in compliance with standards.
• Provide a detailed report with findings and recommendations.

5. Secure Code Review

A secure code review is the systematic examination of an application, including its source code that finds and identifies security vulnerabilities or adherence to best practices. The objective of this process is to identify security weaknesses as early in the development lifecycle which hence reduce chances for vulnerability exploitation by attackers and cost associated with fixing these vulnerabilities on production environments. Organizations can thus make sure that, at every phase of the application development process, security is being well thought out by building in secure code review.

Taking this proactive approach not only increases the security of applications but also helps to promote a culture of awareness and respect for developers who seek more robust and secure software.

Checklist for source code review includes the following:

• Establish secure coding standards and guidelines.
•  Review application architecture for security flaws.
• Conduct manual and automated code analysis.
• Check for common vulnerabilities (e.g., SQL injection, XSS).
•  Validate input validation and error handling.
• Document findings and recommend fixes.
• -Ensure ongoing training for developers on secure coding practices. 

Conclusion 

A recent research says, it takes some 287 days to a security breach detected in the year of 2021. A little more that $9 million is the average cost of a security breach for companies in the USA. That’s a kind of setback which most small and medium businesses can’t really recover from. The only way forward is to grow security awareness and consider security testing as a mandatory task in your business.