Following are the main types of security testing:
- Security Auditing:
Security Auditing includes direct inspection of the application
developed and Operating Systems & any system on which it is being
developed. This also involves code walk-through.
- Security Scanning:
It is all about scanning and verification of the system and
applications. During security scanning, auditors inspect and try to
find out the weaknesses in the OS, applications and network(s).
- Vulnerability Scanning:
Vulnerability scanning involves scanning of the application for all
known vulnerabilities. This scanning is generally done through various
vulnerability scanning software.
- Risk Assessment: Risk
assessment is a method of analyzing and deciding the risk that depends
upon the type of loss and the possibility/probability of loss
occurrence. Risk assessment is carried out in the form of various
interviews, discussions and analysis of the same. It helps in finding
out and preparing possible backup-plan for any type of potential risk,
hence contributing towards the security conformance.
- Posture Assessment & Security Testing:
This is a combination of Security Scanning, Risk Assessment and Ethical
Hacking in order to reach a conclusive point and help your organization
know its stand in context with Security.
- Penetration Testing:
In this type of testing, a tester tries to forcibly access and enter
the application under test. In the penetration testing, a tester may
try to enter into the application/system with the help of some other
application or with the help of combinations of loopholes that the
application has kept open unknowingly. Penetration test is highly
important as it is the most effective way to practically find out
potential loopholes in the application.
- Ethical Hacking:
It’s a forced intrusion of an external element into the system &
applications that are under Security Testing. Ethical hacking involves
number of penetration tests over the wide network on the system under
test.