Security testing

Security testing procedures and tools to protect your data

The watchword in today's world is communications. More and more of our daily lives, whether as individuals or in business are spent, in one way or another, connected to other people, organization, mobile phones, web sites and networks. The power of modern communication tools enables connection over vast distances and across platforms and bring with them great benefits.

However, to every positive, there is a negative. And the negative in this case is one of data security. This issue is so important, that a whole sub-set of IT has developed to provide solutions for security issues and security testing.

The sad truth is that, wherever there sensitive data is stored, server, local computer, even a cell phone, there will be hackers whose sole purpose in life is to gain access to that data. Their reasons may be varied. They may be working for business competitors seeking to gain access to your client base records; they may want to access personal data to steal an identity or simply to use a credit card number. Whatever their reasons, hacker attacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated and demand a constant development of security testing techniques and tools to combat the threat.

As the need increases – so do the solutions

Just as the need for security testing grows more important every day, so the number of tools available, both commercial and open source, increases. Here are a few tips resulting from personal experience that I hope will help you choose the best security testing tool for your needs.

User friendly

Even if the security testing process is being carried out by a team of professionals, the chosen application should be as user friendly as possible. Complicated applications that have a steep learning curve will only serve to increase your costs and possibly lower the effectiveness of the security testing process.

Add on modules

A competent security testing tool should also include a range of standalone tools that can be run if and when needed to compliment the main application. This provides greater flexibility in the testing procedure.

Logs

The tool should keep an accurate log of all activities. This enables the testers to review the testing procedure to identify previously unidentified weak points or vulnerabilities
There are, of course, many more attributes that will help you decide upon the final security testing tool. If there is a demand for more details, I will address this in another article. Choose carefully, it is a vital part of modern security protocols.