What Is Security Testing?

Security testing is like a wedding. You do not know what you are getting into when you start, but you want to forget about it and move on when it is over. Security testing evaluates the information security of hardware, software, networks or an IT/information system environment. It is a systematic activity designed to identify weaknesses in a system's security and determine each weakness's level of risk. Security testing focuses on finding flaws that would allow a hacker to access the information or network of another user. It can include deficiencies in firewalls, operating systems, routers and other devices on a network. Security tests are also called "penetration tests" because they try to find holes in an organization's defenses. Experts usually conduct them without personal connection with the tested organization. If it is not tested, it might as well not exist. That is why security testing is so important. Security testing generally involves simulating one or more malicious attacks on a given IT asset or system. It first reviews the existing system for known vulnerabilities and exploits those using manual and automated security testing tools and techniques. The goal is to find new vulnerabilities that may have been overlooked in previous audits. The results of these tests are used to determine if the system is vulnerable to attack, how easily it can be attacked, and how likely it is that an attacker would be able to exploit any discovered vulnerabilities. Developers can then use this information to patch or fix any identified issues before they become problems for users (or worse). Software testers often perform security testing, which can also be part of an existing IT environment's comprehensive information system audit process or is performed on newly developed/deployed software, hardware, and network and information system.