As Application Functionality Grows, Breaches Skyrocket
It is difficult to estimate the exact number of applications that are vulnerable to breaches, as it depends on various factors such as the security measures implemented, the types of vulnerabilities present, and the sophistication of potential attackers; however, it is generally recognized that the majority of applications have at least some vulnerabilities that could potentially be exploited by attackers. According to a recent report 76% of applications have at least one security flaw, and 24% have at least one high-severity flaw.
It is important for organizations to prioritize and invest in application security measures to reduce the risk of breaches and protect sensitive information. This includes implementing secure coding practices, conducting regular security testing and assessments, and staying up to date with the latest security vulnerabilities and threats.
We’ll look at a few common, and a few advanced security testing measures companies can take.
Secure coding best practices are guidelines and recommendations that developers can follow to create applications that are less vulnerable to security threats. Some common secure coding best practices include:
Input validation: Validate all input to ensure it meets expected criteria and to prevent malicious input.
Output encoding: Encode output to prevent cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks.
Authentication and authorization: Implement strong authentication and authorization mechanisms to ensure that only authorized users have access to sensitive data.
Password storage: Store passwords securely, using a secure hash algorithm and salt.
Error handling: Implement error handling mechanisms that do not reveal sensitive information and are not exploitable.
Least privilege: Limit access to sensitive data and functions to only those who need it.
Secure communication: Use encryption to protect sensitive data in transit, such as using HTTPS.
Secure libraries and frameworks: Use secure libraries and frameworks, and keep them up-to-date to avoid vulnerabilities.
Code reviews: Perform regular code reviews to identify and remediate security vulnerabilities.
Testing: Conduct regular security testing to identify vulnerabilities and ensure that security mechanisms are working as expected.
Following these best practices can help developers create more secure applications and reduce the risk of security breaches.
There’s various levels and depths of testing that can be performed on an application. The decision what to do can be based on timing, experience, frequency of code releases and budgetary appetites of an organization. With that in mind let’s look at some basic and advanced testing options to consider.
Here are some basic ways to test the security of an application:
Vulnerability scanning: This involves using automated tools to scan the application for known vulnerabilities, such as outdated software versions, misconfigured settings, or known security flaws.
Penetration testing: This involves simulating an attack on the application to identify vulnerabilities that could be exploited by an attacker. Penetration testing can be done manually or using automated tools.
Authentication and authorization testing: This involves testing the application's authentication and authorization mechanisms to ensure that they are secure and that only authorized users have access to sensitive data.
Input validation testing: This involves testing the application's input validation mechanisms to ensure that they can detect and reject malicious input.
Error handling testing: This involves testing the application's error handling mechanisms to ensure that they do not reveal sensitive information and are not exploitable.
Secure communication testing: This involves testing the application's use of encryption to protect sensitive data in transit, such as using HTTPS.
Code reviews: This involves manually reviewing the application's code to identify vulnerabilities, such as insecure coding practices or logic flaws.
These basic security testing techniques can help identify common vulnerabilities in an application and provide a baseline assessment of the application's security posture. However, it is important to note that these techniques may not identify all potential vulnerabilities, and more advanced testing techniques may be necessary to identify complex and sophisticated security issues.
The following are ideas to consider for more advanced application security testing.
Advanced application security testing is a set of techniques and methodologies used to identify complex and sophisticated security vulnerabilities in an application. These techniques go beyond the traditional vulnerability scanning and penetration testing approaches and involve more advanced and sophisticated testing methods.
Here are some examples of advanced application security testing techniques:
Fuzzing: This involves generating large volumes of random inputs to the application to identify vulnerabilities caused by unexpected input.
Memory corruption testing: This involves injecting malicious code into an application's memory to identify vulnerabilities related to memory management.
Reverse engineering: This involves analyzing the application's binary code to identify vulnerabilities that may not be apparent in the source code.
Behavioral analysis: This involves analyzing the application's behavior during runtime to identify potential vulnerabilities or malicious activity.
Threat modeling: This involves identifying potential threats and vulnerabilities in the application and prioritizing them based on the likelihood and impact of a successful attack.
Red teaming: This involves simulating a real-world attack on the application, using a variety of advanced techniques to identify vulnerabilities and weaknesses that may be missed by traditional testing methods.
Advanced application security testing requires specialized skills and expertise, as well as access to advanced tools and techniques. It is typically performed by specialized security teams or third-party vendors that have the expertise and resources to conduct this type of testing.
You should consider getting a third party to securely test your application when you want to ensure that your application is more secure, and you want an independent and unbiased assessment of your application's security posture. Here are some common scenarios where a third-party security assessment may be beneficial:
Compliance requirements: If your organization is required to comply with specific security standards or regulations, such as PCI-DSS, HIPAA, or GDPR, you may be required to conduct regular security assessments to ensure compliance.
High-risk applications: If your application handles sensitive data or performs critical functions, such as financial transactions or healthcare information, you may want to conduct regular security assessments to ensure that it is secure and that there are no vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers.
New or updated applications: If you are developing a new application or updating an existing application, it is important to conduct security testing to identify and remediate vulnerabilities before the application is deployed.
Independent verification: If you have already conducted security testing internally but want an independent and unbiased assessment of your application's security posture, a third-party security assessment can provide an external validation of your internal testing.
When selecting a third-party security assessment provider, it is important to choose a reputable and experienced provider that has expertise in application security testing and uses industry-standard testing methodologies. The provider should also be able to provide a detailed report that identifies vulnerabilities and recommendations for remediation.
Ask your vendor questions such as:
What industry-standard testing methodologies do you use?
Can you provide us with a redacted report?
Will you be able to provide us a letter of attestation after testing?
Will you perform remediation testing once we fix findings? If so, is there an added cost?
The responsibility for creating securely coded applications should be shared among different roles and teams involved in the application development lifecycle. Here are some key roles that should take ownership of creating securely coded applications:
Developers: Developers are responsible for writing the code that makes up the application, so they play a critical role in ensuring that the code is secure. Developers should be trained in secure coding practices and should follow established coding standards and guidelines that promote secure coding practices.
Security professionals: Security professionals, such as security analysts or application security engineers, are responsible for identifying potential vulnerabilities and weaknesses in the application and providing guidance and recommendations to developers on how to address them.
Project managers: Project managers are responsible for overseeing the development process and ensuring that security is considered throughout the development lifecycle. Project managers should ensure that security requirements are included in the project plan and that adequate resources are allocated to address security concerns.
Quality assurance (QA) professionals: QA professionals are responsible for testing the application to ensure that it meets functional and non-functional requirements, including security requirements. QA professionals should be trained in security testing and should conduct appropriate security testing as part of the QA process.
Business owners and stakeholders: Business owners and stakeholders are responsible for ensuring that the application meets business requirements and provides value to the organization. They should be involved in the application development process and should ensure that security is considered throughout the development lifecycle.
Overall, creating securely coded applications is a shared responsibility that requires collaboration and coordination among different roles and teams involved in the application development process. By working together and following established security standards and best practices, organizations can reduce the risk of security breaches and ensure that their applications are secure and reliable.
Why Caliber Security Partners?
Caliber Security is a twelve-year-old security services firm, we hire only senior-level and experienced consultants. Our services include web and mobile application security testing, as well as network penetration testing, wireless security testing, social engineering, staff augmentation, and contract-to-hire services.
Please reach out to us if you have any questions or if we can be of any service to you. You can contact us through the web form or by email at info@calibersecurity.com.