Essential Security Tests for your Business
Blog|by Leanne Bevan|30 September 2024
You may have implemented several cyber security solutions to protect your business or done your best to ensure your app is secure. But how can you be sure there aren’t any security gaps that could lead to a potential breach? That’s why security tests are so important.
The benefits of security tests
- Protect sensitive data from cyberattacks
- Remediate any gaps in security before you’re exposed to a breach
- Comply with regulations that require full-proof security defences in place and testing
- Protect your brand’s reputation by avoiding data breaches
- Strengthen security with a proactive approach
Below, we list a handful of the various tests you should consider implementing to make sure your defence against cyber threats is the best it can be.
Automated testing
One of the primary advantages of automated security testing platforms is the efficiency and speed with which these platforms can identify vulnerabilities. Manual testing can be time-consuming and occasionally prone to human error. Whereas automated tools can quickly scan large codebases and systems. This provides comprehensive coverage and ensures no potential security gaps are overlooked. This rapid detection allows organisations to address vulnerabilities promptly, reducing the window of opportunity for attackers.
Automated platforms follow predefined rules and algorithms, ensuring that each test is conducted with the same level of rigour and precision. This consistency is crucial for maintaining a high standard of security across all applications and systems, especially in environments where frequent updates and changes are made.
Automated security testing platforms also offer scalability. As organisations grow and their IT environments become more complex, the need for robust security measures increases. Automated tools can easily scale to accommodate larger and more intricate systems without a corresponding increase in resource requirements. This scalability ensures that security testing remains effective and manageable, even as the organisation’s infrastructure expands.
Moreover, these platforms often come with detailed reporting and analytics features. They provide clear, actionable insights into the vulnerabilities detected, along with recommendations for remediation. This not only helps in prioritising security efforts but also aids in compliance with various regulatory standards.
By leveraging automated security testing platforms, organisations can maintain a proactive security stance, continuously monitoring and improving their defences against evolving threats.
AppCheck
AppCheck is an automated security testing platform designed to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities in web applications, networks, and cloud environments. It performs comprehensive scans to detect potential security issues, such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and other common threats. By providing detailed reports and actionable insights, AppCheck helps organisations strengthen their security posture, ensure compliance with industry standards, and protect against evolving cyber threats.
Penetration testing
According to PCI Security Standards Council, on average, penetration testing (often referred to as ethical hacking) identifies 17.9 vulnerabilities per test. This highlights the importance of regular testing to uncover and address security weaknesses.
Early detection of vulnerabilities through penetration testing can significantly lower the costs associated with fixing security issues. It also reduces the potential damage from cyberattacks, such as operational downtime and reputational harm.
Penetration testing helps uncover hidden weaknesses in a company’s network, applications, or systems. By simulating cyberattacks, businesses can identify and address vulnerabilities before malicious actors exploit them. It reveals weak spots in encryption protocols, data storage, and access control systems, helping to safeguard sensitive information.
Regular penetration tests provide valuable insights into a company’s defences, highlighting areas that require attention. This proactive approach helps in continuously improving security measures.
Penetration testing is thorough and carried out by cyber security experts, covering a wide range of areas. You get a comprehensive report at the end of the process highlighting where the vulnerabilities are and advice on how to remediate them effectively.
Secure Impact
Grey Matter works with Secure Impact, a leading cyber security consultancy that provides a wide range of services to enhance the security posture of organisations. They specialise in penetration testing, incident response, and strategic security planning, leveraging the expertise of globally renowned consultants. Secure Impact’s team includes top-tier experts who deliver tailored solutions to meet specific security needs, ensuring that clients can navigate the complex cyber security landscape with confidence.
Software testing
Software testing tools are essential in ensuring the quality and reliability of software applications.
Smartbear
For instance, SmartBear offers a suite of tools designed to automate and streamline the testing process. The tools make it easier for developers and testers to identify and fix bugs before software is released. One of the most popular tools from SmartBear is TestComplete, which supports automated testing for web, mobile, and desktop applications. It allows testers to create and run tests across multiple platforms and devices, ensuring comprehensive coverage and reducing the risk of defects in the final product.
Using tools like SmartBear can significantly enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the testing process. Automated testing tools can execute repetitive tasks much faster than manual testing, freeing up testers to focus on more complex and critical aspects of the software.
Additionally, these tools often come with advanced features such as AI-driven test creation and maintenance. This can further streamline the testing process and improve accuracy. For example, SmartBear’s ReadyAPI is specifically designed for API testing, providing robust capabilities for functional, security, and performance testing of APIs.
Integrating SmartBear tools into the software development lifecycle can lead to better collaboration and communication among team members. Features like detailed reporting and real-time analytics help teams quickly identify and address issues, ensuring that everyone is on the same page. This collaborative approach not only improves the quality of the software. It also accelerates the development process, allowing for faster time-to-market.
Azure health checks
Grey Matter’s Azure Health Check (provided by our technical division, Climb Global Services) helps you enhance your cloud security by thoroughly reviewing your Azure infrastructure. This service ensures that your setup aligns with the five pillars of the well-architected Azure Framework: reliability, security, cost-optimisation, operational excellence, and performance efficiency.
Key benefits include:
- Security Verification: Tests and verifies your infrastructure’s security configurations against regulatory compliance recommendations.
- Optimisation: Identifies opportunities to optimise Azure consumption costs and overall performance.
- Scalability and Reliability: Checks for scalability and reliability, including failover and disaster recovery settings.
- Detailed Reporting: Provides a comprehensive health-check report with recommended fixes, which can be used to improve your Azure infrastructure design.
This service is particularly beneficial if your Azure environment has grown organically, hasn’t been reviewed for best practices recently, or if you’ve recently migrated to Azure.
Ready for testing?
Get in touch with Grey Matter to arrange a demo/consultation, free trial or a quote for any of the security tests above. Fill out the contact form below and a member of our team will be in touch.
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