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Application Security Testing Best Practices

What is Application Security Testing and Why is it Important for Your Organization?

Application security testing is the process of evaluating and assessing the security of an application or software system to identify vulnerabilities and weaknesses that could be exploited by malicious attackers. It involves a series of techniques and methodologies, including: code reviews, vulnerability scanning, penetration testing, and security assessments, among others.

Application security testing is essential for organizations to ensure the security and protection of their valuable data and assets. As technology advances, more and more business operations and services are delivered through applications, making them the primary targets for cyber-attacks. These attacks can lead to data breaches, system crashes, financial losses, and reputational damage, among other consequences.

Best Practices for Application Security Testing

01. Implement a Comprehensive Security Testing Strategy

Develop a comprehensive security testing strategy that covers all stages of the software development lifecycle. This strategy should include a combination of automated and manual testing techniques, such as static analysis, dynamic analysis, and penetration testing.

02. Involve Security Experts Early On

Involve security experts early on in the development process to ensure that security is baked into the application from the start. This will help to identify potential vulnerabilities and address them before they become more difficult and expensive to fix. This is also particularly applicable if your organization is considering or beginning a digital transformation initiative like SAP S/4HANA or SAP RISE.

03. Use Multiple Testing Techniques

Use a variety of testing techniques, such as black-box, white-box, and gray-box testing, to identify different types of vulnerabilities. This will provide a more comprehensive view of the security posture of the application.

04. Test for Common Vulnerabilities

Test for common vulnerabilities, such as injection attacks, cross-site scripting, and cross-site request forgery, as these are among the most commonly exploited vulnerabilities by attackers.

05. Conduct Regular Testing

Conduct regular security testing throughout the software development lifecycle to identify and address new vulnerabilities as they are introduced. This will help to ensure that the application remains secure as new features and functionality are added.

06. Integrate Testing into the Development Process

Integrate security testing into the development process using tools such as continuous integration and continuous testing. This will help to identify vulnerabilities early on and reduce the risk of security issues being introduced into the application.

07. Prioritize Vulnerabilities

Prioritize vulnerabilities based on their severity and potential impact on the application and the organization. This will help to focus resources on the most critical vulnerabilities first.

08. Test Third-Party Components

Test third-party components and libraries used in the application to ensure that they are free of vulnerabilities and do not introduce new security risks.

09. Perform Regular Updates and Patching

Perform regular updates and patching of the application and its components to address newly discovered vulnerabilities and ensure that the application remains secure.

10. Document and Communicate Findings

Document and communicate the findings of security testing to all stakeholders, including developers, management, and security teams. This will help to ensure that vulnerabilities are addressed and that everyone is aware of the security posture of the application.

Types of Application Security Testing

There are several types of application security testing techniques that organizations can use to identify vulnerabilities and ensure the security of their applications. Here are some of the most common types of application security testing:

Static Application Security Testing (SAST)
Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST)
Interactive Application Security Testing (IAST)
Penetration Testing
Mobile Application Security Testing
Container Security Testing
Cloud Security Testing
Static Application Security Testing (SAST)

SAST involves analyzing the application’s source code and identifying potential vulnerabilities, such as insecure coding practices, SQL injection, and cross-site scripting. SAST tools can analyze the entire codebase, including libraries and frameworks used in the application, to identify vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers.

Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST)

DAST involves analyzing the application while it is running and sending input to the application to identify vulnerabilities, such as SQL injection and cross-site scripting. DAST tools can also identify other vulnerabilities, such as authentication and authorization issues, and can be used to simulate attacks on the application to identify potential weaknesses

Interactive Application Security Testing (IAST)

IAST combines the benefits of both SAST and DAST by analyzing the application’s source code while it is running. IAST tools can identify vulnerabilities in real-time and provide feedback to developers to help them address the issues before they become more difficult and expensive to fix.

Penetration Testing

Penetration testing involves simulating attacks on the application to identify potential vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers. Penetration testing can be performed manually or using automated tools, and can be used to identify vulnerabilities such as weak passwords, unsecured configurations, and unpatched vulnerabilities.

Mobile Application Security Testing

Mobile application security testing involves analyzing mobile applications for vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers. Mobile application security testing can include testing for vulnerabilities such as data leakage, encryption weaknesses, and insecure storage of sensitive data.

Container Security Testing

Container security testing involves analyzing containers used in the application to ensure that they are secure and do not introduce new vulnerabilities. Container security testing can include analyzing container images for vulnerabilities, identifying container configuration issues, and testing for runtime vulnerabilities.

Cloud Security Testing

Cloud security testing involves analyzing cloud-based applications and services for vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers. Cloud security testing can include analyzing cloud configuration settings, identifying cloud storage vulnerabilities, and testing for access control issues.

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Characteristics of End-to-End
Application Security Testing

End-to-end application security testing refers to the comprehensive testing of an application’s security throughout its entire lifecycle, from design and development to deployment and operation. Here are some characteristics of end-to-end application security testing:

Comprehensive

End-to-end application security testing involves testing every aspect of an application’s security, including its architecture, design, source code, and runtime environment. This ensures that vulnerabilities are identified and addressed at every stage of the application’s lifecycle.

Continuous

End-to-end application security testing is an ongoing process that should be integrated into the development and deployment pipeline. This ensures that security issues are identified and addressed as soon as they arise, reducing the risk of attackers exploiting vulnerabilities.

Collaborative

End-to-end application security testing involves collaboration between developers, security teams, and other stakeholders. This ensures that everyone is aware of potential security risks and that security is incorporated into every aspect of the application’s development and deployment.

Automated

End-to-end application security testing relies heavily on automation to identify vulnerabilities and ensure consistent testing across all stages of the application’s lifecycle. Automated testing tools can be used to test for common vulnerabilities and provide feedback to developers in real-time.

Risk-Based

End-to-end application security testing is risk-based, meaning that vulnerabilities are prioritized based on their severity and potential impact on the application and the organization. This ensures that resources are focused on addressing the most critical vulnerabilities first.

Scalable

End-to-end application security testing is scalable, meaning that it can be adapted to suit the needs of applications of all sizes and complexity levels. This ensures that even large and complex applications can be thoroughly tested for security vulnerabilities.

Documented

End-to-end application security testing involves documenting all findings and ensuring that stakeholders are aware of the application’s security posture. This helps to ensure that vulnerabilities are addressed and that everyone involved in the application’s development and deployment is aware of potential security risks.

Onapsis Control for Application
Security Testing

Powered by research and insights from the Onapsis Research Labs, Onapsis Control provides automated application security testing for SAP applications, enabling organizations to build security into development processes to find and fix issues as quickly as possible.

Reduce time spent on code reviews: Enable automated code scanning assessments and eliminate manual processes to identify vulnerabilities quickly and accurately. Faster remediation leverages step-by-step instructions.

Reduce costly errors in production: More visibility into transports allows you to block or mitigate transport errors. Critical issues in code and transports are prevented from getting into production systems, saving you money.

Prioritize code issue resolution based on impact: Predefined test cases allow you to scan millions of lines of code in minutes, including but not limited to: security, compliance, data loss prevention, code performance, robustness, and maintainability. Mitigation can be prioritized using impact and probability ratings.

One-click resolution for common code errors: Code review cycles are accelerated by leveraging automated code identification and remediation tools to find and fix common errors in bulk code.

Further Reading

Want a more in-depth exploration? Start with these related pieces, then visit our Resources page for more.

Global vs. Local Data Flow Analysis: Crucial in ABAP Code Security

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Plan To Scan: Cleanse Your Code and Reduce SAP Digital Transformation Project Costs

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The Only ERP-focused Solution in Gartner's Application Security Magic Quadrant, 3 years in a row!

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