Is your business knowledgeable about cybersecurity procedures to safeguard your online apps from hackers and phishing scams?

After spending a lot of time and money developing web apps, it may seem odd if your website has been hacked.

Implementing penetration testing, also known as web app penetration testing, is the best course of action to take to avoid such circumstances.

According to CISCO's Cybersecurity Threats research, phishing attacks will affect 86% of firms globally in 2021. Web infiltration can harm businesses of all sizes (small, medium, and enormous worldwide corporations), regardless of their size or financial resources; hence web application security has recently become a major concern. A small mistake in the app's settings could cost you a lot of money. Consider the 4.4 million dollar ransom paid by a bunch of hackers after they hacked a US colonial pipeline. That was the cost of security failing to safeguard them against data breaches adequately.

Web App Penetration Testing is Required

To uncover vulnerabilities that could result in losing private user and financial data, penetration testing mimics actual cyber-attacks against a web application. This is done to identify vulnerabilities that hackers might exploit and take the necessary safeguards to stay away from them. Businesses might use penetration testing services to identify the sources of vulnerability in online applications and create a strategy to remedy them. To assess the seriousness of the vulnerability, flaws, and efficacy of the organization's overall application security posture, experts perform a series of simulated assaults replicating realistic unauthorized cyber-attacks. Another issue to remember is how often people mix penetration testing with vulnerability detection. An application's overall security can be improved by addressing known program/software faults with appropriate fixes found through vulnerability screening. The goal of vulnerability scanning is to check whether security updates have been installed and systems have been correctly set up to make attacks more difficult. On the other hand, pen testing entails testers assuming the roles of unauthorized users and seeking to obtain confidential information from online apps to uncover vulnerabilities. It offers a thorough breakdown of all the system's security measures.

Web App Penetration Testing is Required

The technique is nothing more than a set of guidelines for testing from the security industry. Although several established and well-recognized procedures and standards can be utilized for testing, since each online application demands a different test, testers can create their approach by following industry standards. Among the methods and criteria frequently used for identifying threats are:

Project for Open Web Application Security (OWASP)

The top ten threats to an online application are listed in the OWASP top 10, a constantly updated awareness document. An organization called OWASP ranks the top 10 dangers in order of severity to increase software security. The OWASP comprises professionals from all over the world who frequently exchange information regarding threats and assaults.

Open-Source Security Testing Methodology Manual (OSSTMM)

Another well-liked standard for testing methodology is the Open-Source Security Testing Methodology Manual (OSSTMM). A security testing standard called "open-source security testing" is revised every six months to reflect the most recent online dangers. This systematic, scientific approach helps users red-teaming, analyze vulnerabilities, correlate reliable penetration test results, and perform other security tasks.

Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS)

It is a set of guidelines created to guarantee that all businesses that handle, store, or transmit credit card information do so in a safe setting. It boosts customer confidence and helps stop the loss of private data due to undetected breaches. Because of the payment component, PCI DSS is very significant. This procedure is considered the gold standard globally for keeping payment information secure when firms adhere to it.

Information Systems Security Assessment Framework (ISSAF)

A structured nine-step process called the ISSAF is used to examine network systems, application control, and security. The ISSAF includes gathering data, mapping the network, identifying vulnerabilities, penetration, getting minimal access privileges and then elevating them, maintaining access, compromising remote users and sites, and hiding the tester's digital traces. This kind of penetration testing is more complex when compared to other methods that are more frequently employed.

Tools for Pen Testing in 2022

There are several penetration testing tools on the market, and the best one to choose relies entirely on the work at hand and your goals for the project. Here are a few well-known tools you might want to take into consideration:

SQLMAP

One of the best and most popular open-source tools for spotting and taking advantage of database-related vulnerabilities like SQL Injection and database server takeover is called SQLMAP. Numerous DBMS are supported by this application, including MySQL, MSSQL, MongoDB, Oracle, and PostgreSQL.

ZED ATTACK PROXY (ZAP)

ZAP, an open-source web app scanner created by OWASP, is a well-known and extensively used tool for identifying vulnerabilities. As a "man-in-the-middle proxy," it stands between the browser of the pen tester and the intended internet application. The communication passing between the browser and the web application can now be intercepted, examined, and altered by the pen tester.

BURP SUITE PRO

The Burp Suite is a well-known set of penetration testing tools widely used to find security holes in web applications. This tool is sometimes called proxy-based because it allows you to intercept communication between the browser and any target software.A well-known and frequently used paid vulnerability assessment tool is called Nessus. Due to the UI's potential for learning difficulties, it is best suited for security teams with prior experience. It should be used with pen-testing tools to provide them with targets and potential vulnerabilities.

Wireshark

A security toolbox typically includes Wireshark. Pen testers use it to identify network problems and analyze real-time traffic for vulnerabilities. Reviewing connection-level data and the components of data packets highlights data packet properties, such as origin, destination, and more. It highlights potential problems, but they still need to be exploited with a pen-testing tool.

Metasploit

Metasploit handles testing and vulnerability assessment. It gives IT security teams analysis of pen testing findings, supported by a sizable open-source database of known exploits, allowing quick corrective actions. However, it cannot scale to the business level, and some users claim it is initially challenging to use. Due to the world's increasingly sophisticated hackers, businesses must immediately strengthen their security procedures. Online penetration testing can protect your systems, prevent data loss, and prevent financial loss. Hire a qualified penetration testing firm, such as Qualimatrix Technologies, to increase your website's security easily. At all times, we are prepared to meet your needs!