What Productive Enterprise Application Security Testing Should Look Like

Enterprise applications (EAs) are more vulnerable to security threats than common mobile software. The latter have smaller size and reward prospects for hackers. So, you’d spend much less resources on protecting it. Plus, blackhats wouldn’t want to waste time on something “unfulfilling.” EAs, on the other hand, are huge structures with extra sensitive data and destruction potential.

Think of it this way: is it more fun to light a firecracker or a big firework ensemble? The result a hacker can get from bringing down titans like enterprise apps is what makes EAs big targets. A malware planted into SolarWinds software compromised 18,000 enterprises and government entities. An insider leak cexposed 100 gigabytes of Tesla’s employee and company data.

Bigger doesn’t mean better (or safer, in this context). It means you’ll need to put in a lot more effort. And we’re here to discuss how to make enterprise security testing easier and more effective.

Challenges in Enterprise Application Security Testing

Frankly, there are three core aspects that make cybersecurity in general tricky.

For most, security is a “side hustle”, not a continuous thread that runs through the development. Savanti revealed that over 80% of firms claimed cybersecurity as a priority. Yet, less than half actually took action on the issue. So, problem number one is the lack of practices like security by design and security as a culture.

Next up is sacrificing quality to SDLC realities. Security can be seen as a roadblock to swift delivery, as though a critical process, it can’t halt development. A report by Checkmarx showed that over 90% of companies “have knowingly released vulnerable applications.” The main reason for that was business pressures, like meeting deadlines. But firms also hold hope that a vulnerability won’t be exploited or fixed later. Thus, problem number two is unoptimized security processes.

Last but not least – security is about resources. Here, we’re referring specifically to budgets and talent. The issue of money isn’t as straightforward as “if you don’t have it, don’t spend it.” It’s about allocating funds properly and seeing cybersecurity as a vital aspect and not a money drain. (Even the best security in the world has no 100% guarantee. So, why bother?). And when it comes to people who make digital protection possible, well, there aren’t many of them now. The tech talent shortage further undermines a business’ chances for resilience.

So, security testing of enterprise applications is doomed to operate under these three crushing boulders. For now, at least. Yet, even the tech side isn’t free of integral struggles.

Evolving Security Threats

Hackers evolve alongside technology. If you find a solution, soon, a new problem will pop up as well. Fresh vulnerabilities, such as zero-day exploits, are constantly emerging. Existing threats progress with sophisticated techniques. And the increasing frequency and severity of cyberattacks demand highly adaptive security measures.

Complexity of Enterprise Applications

EAs are the blue whales of the IT ecosystem. They’re huge, complex, and a bit odd in their own ways. These attributes hinder effective enterprise app security testing due to the expanded attack surface. The size of an EA doesn’t necessarily make it formidable. It makes it an entity that one can target from many more points. Plus, vulnerabilities in third-party systems and APIs can compromise the app, too.

Integration with Existing Workflows

Security testing needs to integrate with SDLC without impeding development velocity. As we’ve discussed above, this is an issue on its own. But on the other side, this aspect calls for impeccable team collaboration, which not many can secure (or care to secure). So, what firms are commonly left with is a bunch of people who can’t do their job properly.

Often, in an effort to balance the development pace and testing productivity, companies employ automated software testing services. And just as often, companies find out that AT isn’t the silver bullet they were hoping for. It’s another process to set up, manage, and monitor. Automation is indispensable for enterprise security testing. Yet, with no strategy, it’s likely to become a drag instead of a boon.

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False Positives & False Negatives

Teams working with an EA are most likely to use automated tools. The prevalent vulnerability scanners and enterprise penetration testing tools generate a high volume of alerts. Many of them are false positives (which is common for EAs due to size and complex code logic). This trait can lead to alert fatigue and wasted resources. Conversely, false negatives can expose the app to significant risks.

Maintaining Test Environments

Test environments are replicas of your app. They’re spaces dedicated to only testing, allowing you to do what you need without messing with the original. But they also need lots of time and resources to maintain and keep them in the state of a perfect doppelganger. You must treat them not as a playground, but a trial chamber. So, data privacy, configuration management, and adapting to production changes become concerns here as well.

Identifying Hidden Vulnerabilities

Many vulnerabilities are deeply embedded within the EA code or infrastructure. For example, improper input validation can lead to injection attacks. Simply put, some frailties can be buried so deep within the app that they’re difficult to detect through traditional testing methods.

Sometimes, you might need to turn to manual testing services (beneficial but time-consuming). Sometimes, you might need to adopt advanced techniques, like dynamic or interactive testing (useful but challenging). So, it all turns into an endless cycle of finding a solution and trying to keep it valuable.

Compatibility with Diverse Technologies

EAs often employ a heterogeneous mix of technologies. As they grow, they adopt new functionalities and integrations. As a result, you’re likely to have an amalgamation of different PLs, databases, OSs, and frameworks. With such diversity, it’s challenging to select and implement testing tools that can adequately cover the entire app stack.

Real-Time Threat Detection

Traditional security testing methods often rely on scheduled scans. They are reactive (see a present issue and fix it). And this is definitely not enough for an EA processing huge volumes of data at once. Real-time threat detection relies on tools, AI, and ML. It surveys network traffic, system behavior, and user activities to respond to threats as they occur. Yet, organizing and upkeeping continuous monitoring and threat intelligence is another taxing process.

Managing Large Volumes of Test Data

Many enterprise apps now handle data in the terabyte range. The sheer volume of information makes it difficult to manage and protect, impacting testing efficiency and accuracy.

Ensuring Comprehensive Coverage

Achieving complete test coverage for EAs is impractical. This is because of all the challenges we’ve discussed so far. Briefly, executing a full-scale, meticulous enterprise security testing would likely take years. And we know you don’t have this time. To deal with that, teams need to balance speed and depth through:

• Prioritization of testing efforts.
• Effective test case design.
• Smart tool selection.
• Productive collaboration.
• Continuous learning and upskilling.
• Targeted automation.

To overcome these enterprise application security testing challenges, you’d generally need three things:

1. To hire QA engineers and security specialists proficient in the industry.
2. To set up a security testing strategy enriched with best practices and project-specific procedures.
3. To place enterprise security testing at the core of your development.

We’ll discuss all these aspects further. So, read on.

The Challenges and Solutions of Enterprise Software Testing

Key Components of Enterprise Security Testing

First, let’s focus on the essentials your enterprise application security testing should involve. It’ll be a blend of automated and manual techniques, guided by the skilled hands of cyber security experts (the true key component).

• Static testing analyzes application code without running it. And dynamic testing assesses the app in a live environment. These methods help identify vulnerabilities early and in real-world conditions.
• Vulnerability scanning automatically checks software, hardware, and networks for known vulnerabilities. It quickly identifies potential weaknesses, allowing for prioritization and timely remediation.
• Enterprise penetration testing simulates authentic attacks. It assesses your overall security posture, locating issues before hackers do.
• Enterprise web app security testing focuses on identifying frailties specific to web applications, such as SQL injection or CSRF.
• Enterprise mobile security testing evaluates mobile applications for vulnerabilities related to data leakage, insecure storage, and improper authentication.
• Enterprise network security testing assesses the security of network infrastructure, including firewalls, routers, and switches.
• API testing evaluates the security of application programming interfaces (APIs) to identify vulnerabilities in endpoints, authentication, and data handling.
• Cloud security testing checks the security of cloud infrastructure, platforms, and applications.
• Risk assessment and management provide a structured approach to managing security risks, ensuring that resources are allocated effectively to protect critical assets.
• Security awareness training investigates the effectiveness of security measures for employees. It reduces the risk of human error and social engineering attacks.

Combining these techniques allows you to:

• Distribute funds better and not drain your resources.
• Check your app’s security on various levels.
• Gauge how protected your app is from different angles.

So, as you can see, strong security testing isn’t about picking one “perfect” process. It’s about combining a myriad of practices and adapting them to your app’s needs.

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Building an Enterprise Security Testing Strategy

Surely, nothing from what we’ve talked about will work without a strategy. For instance, you may have the best art supplies in the world. Yet, if you don’t know what you want to paint, you’ll just sit in front of a blank canvas, wasting time.

Setting Clear Objectives and Choosing the Provider

You should precisely know what you aim to achieve from security testing or any QA services, for that matter. The goals you set give direction and shape to your efforts. It’ll help guide the organization and the process. It’ll also help you pick suited experts, whether from an in-house team or a provider. For the latter, consider factors such as expertise, industry experience, and alignment with your goals.

Integrating Security into the SDLC

Enterprise security testing must be an indivisible part of SDLC, not some sort of appendage or, IT gods forbid, a snag. In other words, you ought to incorporate security testing activities at various development stages:

• Requirements gathering stage: identify potential security risks early in the development process.
• Design stage: incorporate security principles into the app architecture.
• Development stage: conduct code reviews and static analysis to detect vulnerabilities.
• Testing stage: perform dynamic testing, penetration testing, and vulnerability scanning.
• Deployment stage: implement security controls and monitoring for post-deployment vulnerabilities.
• Maintenance stage: carry out regular security assessments and updates.

Embedding security testing into development allows for proactivity. So, you won’t be chasing present or emerging issues.

Building Collaboration Between Teams

Developers possess in-depth knowledge of the application. Security experts bring specialized expertise in identifying and mitigating risks. Allowing them to productively combine and apply their skills should be task number one. Aim to foster a culture of shared responsibility and open communication. Hold meetings, knowledge sharing sessions, and joint problem-solving initiatives.

Setting Up Comprehensive Reporting & Documentation

Reporting and documentation aren’t technicalities. They let you track security testing progress, locate trends, and adhere to compliance. Basically, the more detailed these two are, the more data you have. So, keep clear records of testing activities, findings, remediation actions, and lessons learned. Also, share these wisdom scrolls with management, development teams, and security specialists.

Securing Continuous Monitoring & Testing

Security is an ongoing process, not a one-time event. If you stay the same for long, you give hackers time to properly learn your software and hit it where it really counts. That’s why you should implement tools and processes to monitor system vulnerabilities and conduct regular security assessments. Keep up with the realities and adapt. Incessantly.

Building an Enterprise Security Testing Culture

The concept of a security culture is about making cyber resilience an ever-present aspect for all people and processes within your organization. And according to Cisco, “[those] with a strong security culture displayed a 46% higher resilience score.”

The Importance of Security Awareness

A strong security testing culture begins with a shared understanding of the risks. This calls for a comprehensive security awareness program that extends to all levels of the organization.

• Ensure that top management understands the potential financial and reputational damage of a security breach. This will drive the necessary resource allocation and prioritization.
• Conduct frequent security awareness training on phishing, social engineering, and password hygiene.
• Simulate security incidents to test your preparedness and identify areas for improvement.

Training & Development for Security Testing Teams

An originally skilled security testing team is great. But a crew that strives to develop alongside your app is better. Yes, you need to assemble a group of experts. Yet, you also need to advance them so your software’s security can level up. Staying atop risks is more valuable than resolving them after they blossom into a mess.

• Provide training on a variety of security testing methodologies. Strive to go for holistic education and upskilling, from enterprise network penetration testing to code review.
• Develop strong collaboration skills to effectively convey risks and work with development teams.
• Encourage team members to obtain industry-recognized certifications to validate their expertise.

Fostering Collaboration Between Teams

With many teams and processes, departments often end up separated. They turn into isolated units, focused solely on their direct duties. What can you do about it? Make security everyone’s duty.

• Promote a shared ownership mentality for security. Help teams understand how everyone is responsible for protecting the organization’s assets.
• Create cross-functional teams to work on security initiatives.
• Establish regular communication channels between teams to facilitate information exchange and collaboration.

Organizing all of this isn’t as straightforward as many resources try to portray it. And we, too, can’t offer you all the ins and outs of building security processes within one article. We’d probably have to write a book or a few. So, perhaps it’d be easier for you to work with specialists who already know how to transform security into your app’s soul and revenue driver.

How QA Madness Handles Your Security

We are not a company that offers security software testing services. The people of QA Madness made it possible for us to evolve into something more. We’re a team of passionate experts who make your cyber resilience their only mission. Our security experts have been working with projects worldwide in industries from fintech and banking to retail and e-commerce. And we specialize in all techniques that make your app an exemplary protected fortress:

• Ethical hacking (penetration testing, enterprise web application security testing, source code reviews, etc.).
• Cyber security audits (compliance, gap analysis, outsourcing cyber security, etc.).
• Cyber security business consulting (strategy alignment, risk management, incident recovery, etc.).

Most beneficially for you, we don’t center on “standard methods.” Of course, we never forget about best practices. But at the core of our approach is a combination of our expertise and your needs and goals. The result? A tailored strategy that’s both effective and profitable for your product’s future.

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To Sum Up

Cyber incidents have been the number one risk for companies for four years in a row now. And as the complexity and quantity of applications grow, so do the threats they face. So, building productive security practices is no longer up for debate. It’s a necessity. A strategic investment that impacts your project’s success and longevity.

If you’re feeling this insightful wave and want to learn more, we’ll be glad to talk. And if you’re ready to take action and make your app doomsday-proof – click the button below.