This guide is a web security testing bible that will help you with web safety. It includes a number of different web security testing strategies and types of web security testing. You’ll learn how to test for vulnerabilities in your website, what the web looks like from an attacker’s perspective, and what you can do to make sure your site is secure.
Web Testing
Web testing is a web security analysis process that will help you identify vulnerabilities and fix them. It’s all about keeping your website and web applications safe from attacks and hacks so they can’t be used against you or the people who visit them. Web testing not only identifies issues but also provides fixes for those issues to ensure 100% protection.
What are the types of web tests?
There are three different types of web tests:
- Black box – This type of web security test starts with zero knowledge of anything on the target website(s) or its infrastructure. The tester has no idea how it works, what technologies/frameworks were used in building the application, etc… All they have access to be an endpoint (URL) where they are able to enter web application security testing inputs.
- White box – This type of web security test has full access to the code, database, and infrastructure of the target website(s). The tester is given complete knowledge of how everything works which allows them to easily spot issues with web application logic or design. However, this does not always mean that it will be easier for them to exploit those vulnerabilities as most web applications have added protection against these types of attacks (e.g.: session management).
- Gray Box – A gray box penetration test uses some level of knowledge about the system being tested but doesn’t provide detailed information on exactly what’s going on behind the scenes. For example, a pen tester may be given web server version information to use during the web security testing but not login credentials.
What is the difference between API and Web Services Testing?
API security and web services testing are not mutually exclusive, contrary to popular belief. In actuality, each is a subset of the other: every web service is an API since it exposes the data and/or functionality of an application, but not every API is a web service. This is due to the fact that the definition of a web service is fairly limited in terms of implementation:
- Web services necessitate the use of a network. Web services, unlike APIs, must be connected to the internet.
- APIs are protocol-independent. Web services often utilize SOAP, although APIs can use any protocol or design style (but sometimes REST, UDDI, and XML-RPC).
What should you look for?
Web security tests can be performed on any web application (both web services and interactive websites) regardless of its underlying technology stack or platform. The following are some key areas that need special attention when performing a web app penetration testing:
- Authentication – Ensure all user input is validated before submitting it; make sure your sessions aren’t left open after authentication has taken place, check what happens to the password while entering it in the form, etc…(e.g.: SHA hashes). Also, ensure that passwords are stored properly so they cannot be accessed by malicious users if their database gets compromised. storage mechanisms have been well documented over the web.
- Cross-Site Request Forgery – This web vulnerability is a result of poorly implemented user input validation where the application doesn’t verify whether or not it’s actually being requested from within its own domain/endpoint. An attacker can use this to trick users into clicking links that perform certain actions on their behalf while they are logged in (e.g.: transfer money, change profile settings, etc…). Some examples of OWASP TOP web vulnerabilities include: CSRF and XSS Attacks
- Injection Flaws – These types of web security tests happen when an application sends unfiltered user input straight into another system without validating what’s going on which could lead to code execution, escalation and more depending on how the web application was designed. For example, SQL injection happens when an attacker sends unfiltered user input to a web application’s database layer, which allows them to retrieve the information they should not have access to or even change existing records.
- Logic Flaws – These web security tests are usually the result of poor programming practices that allow attackers to bypass authentication systems, escalate privileges within the website itself, etc… Some examples include hidden fields in forms (e.g.: session IDs) and exposed back-end data/code via public-facing error messages containing critical details about how certain parts of the web page work.
Conclusion:
In order to be a successful business today, your website must not only function properly and look good but also protect you from online threats. Web security testing is the process of identifying vulnerabilities in websites that attackers might exploit for their own purposes – such as stealing data or installing malicious software on your site without detection. Hiring experts who can identify and fix these issues will save you time and money down the line by keeping hackers out of your system.