What is Software Security Testing? Software Security Testing is a process of checking the programs and software of a computer or server to ensure that it will operate in a reliable manner without any sort of fault. This is a sort of test-driven approach, which aims to find out the loopholes in a system or network and then rectify them. It is also a step taken in making sure that a new system is not prone to attack from any sort of malicious software, as this can be very dangerous for the whole network.
There are various types of Security Testing like Code Change Testing, Denial Testing, Analytic Testing, Black Box Testing, Design Testing, Backend Testing, Beta Testing, Metrics Collection, Reference Testing, Manual Testing and Design Review. One can test the system with each type by his/her own choice. The results are given to the person who carries out the tests. It is mandatory for the company to follow the guidelines and standards laid down by the international Computer Security Association (CCA). The best part about these tests is that they save the company considerable amount of money which would have been spent on installing an additional system for the purpose.
A good software security tester should be well versed with all the programming languages. This will help him analyze the programs with the help of different testing technologies. In addition, he should be aware of the testing techniques which give the best results. Apart from this, he must be well versed with the software testing tools as well.
Many companies prefer manual testing over other software security testing techniques. However, the results of such a test are not reliable and depend upon the human factor more than anything else. Therefore, it is advised to avoid manual testing as much as possible. But if manual testing is done for a specific piece of software, it is better to carry out a series of tests using different security testing technologies. A complete test will help you detect and correct the errors in the software.
There is no point in installing the software if it is not robust and secure. It is the job of the software tester to find bugs in the software and then fix them so that they do not cause any harm to the users. Hence, it is important for the person in the testing department to have the ability to cope with software problems and make the software robust and secure. For this you need to get some practical experience and get trained in software testing.
The person who performs the software security testing needs to be very smart and intelligent. If he does not know what he is doing, then it is advisable to leave the job to someone else. You should only take a professional test when you have tested other software yourself. In fact, even the experienced programmers use testing extensively. They use the security testing technologies to make the software robust and error free.