Threats to digital assets and enterprise technologies have become more sophisticated & ever-evolving. As more and more businesses have started leveraging technology, the attack surface is expanding simultaneously. In case of a successful cyberattack, brands and enterprises often lose data, financial resources, and brand reputation. With the rise of BYOD policies & culture, the use of cloud computing, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, & a multitude of apps, new attack vectors have opened up.
That is why enterprises should perform cybersecurity tests on different aspects of their digital assets & emerging technologies integrated into their ecosystem. Enterprises that follow cyber safety best practices perform security testing and vulnerability assessments to assess the cybersecurity strength & prevent various technologies from being exploited by cybercriminals. This article will dive into a series of cybersecurity testing techniques that enterprises can use to assess and prevent digital assets from cyber threats.
What is Cybersecurity Testing?
Cybersecurity testing, commonly called security testing, is the art & science of evaluating the various digital assets, applications, information systems, network structures, and technological infrastructures to identify and fix vulnerabilities. Enterprises do this to prevent these systems and apps from getting exploited by malicious actors. Often, enterprises also use the term ethical hacking, synonymizing security testing. Here, the ethical hackers or security professionals assess the strength of policies, security mechanisms, and safety of various technologies in place.
Why is cybersecurity testing important for enterprise systems?
With the increasing complexity of the enterprise’s digital assets, security & security testing has become paramount to prevent cyber menaces. Thus, testing the various security aspects has become indispensable to building a robust cybersecurity strategy. It also delivers a systematic approach to assess, identify, fix, and cross-check various flaws that technologies bring along. It is also an enabler of cybersecurity preparedness & how to combat different attack vectors.
Various types of Cybersecurity Testing
Most medium and large-scale enterprises often come with myriad IT infrastructure & technologies. Hence, facing a broad spectrum of potential threats is inevitable. Thus, enterprises leverage various tried & proven cybersecurity tests on different digital assets like servers, databases, apps, networks, IoTs, APIs, cloud, etc. In this section, we will understand them one by one. So, without further ado, let’s jump into the security testing types:
Penetration Testing
Penetration testing or pen-testing is one of the most popular, proactive, and convincing cybersecurity testing techniques. It simulates real-world cyber-attacks against enterprise systems. Ethical hackers and security professionals do it from outside the network as external threat actors or from within the enterprise network to understand internal threats. Pen-testing helps to identify the vulnerabilities and risks associated with various IT systems. The ethical hackers and security testers deliver the final report of the tests and recommend some solutions against the test.
Mobile Application Tests
Various companies also develop or use mobile apps that need thorough security testing. Mobile application testing comes with a holistic software testing approach to test Android or iOS applications for potential vulnerabilities. Security experts look for flaws in apps and services like sensitive data exposure, bugs in programs or databases, strong encryption, etc. Even third-party mobile apps that employees use get checked by security experts to prevent internal data leaks.
Desktop & Stand-Alone Software Security Tests
Almost all companies use desktop applications and standalone third-party software to accomplish various tasks. But, not all third-party apps are secure. They may contain vulnerabilities, or even worse – cybercriminals might design them intentionally to create backdoors through these apps. Thus, enterprises should perform extensive research and tests on various third-party standalone and desktop apps. If security professionals detect any flaws, they can report the company or discard them from using.
Security Tests on API
Application Programming Interface (API) is a predesigned & pre-written set of routines and programs that speeds up software development when integrated. They are intermediary components that enable diverse systems to communicate and share data seamlessly. However, many APIs might come with security flaws. Security professionals should address those potential vulnerabilities through API testing to avoid accidental sensitive data exposure.
Social Engineering Tests
Numerous social engineering attacks, such as phishing, piggybacking, honey traps, etc., are possible on employees. Attackers can trick the target employee into leaking sensitive corporate data. That is when employees can become a threat to the organization. Thus, enterprises should also carry out dummy social engineering drills on employees to test if employees are susceptible to such threats. Such tests also clearly signal which employees are the weak links that can over sensitive information.
Cloud Environment Security Tests
All modern enterprises are increasingly adopting cloud technology for scalable computation and storage purposes. Cloud offers a pay-as-you-go model with security, data backup, and other facilities. Thus, developers and IT departments leverage it for various purposes. However, regardless of multiple security measures and encryption of data at rest and in transit, cloud environments come with unique security pitfalls. Misconfiguration in cloud services, vendor lock-in, dynamic change in compliance, use of insecure APIs, & access management issues are some common challenges. Hence, explicit cloud security testing is essential for organizations that utilize cloud services. These tests will reveal various technical flaws, human errors, misconfiguration, advanced persistent threats (APTs), and weak encryption while using the cloud.
Secure Code Reviews
According to the Secure Software Development Life Cycle (SSDLC), software developers should implement security at every app development phase. Reviewing code security means assessing the code to detect programming flaws. After reporting the code review, the full-stack developers with security skills fix the issues to prevent apps from cyber threats.
Red-Team & Adversarial Test Through Simulation
Adversarial security tests are simulated cyberattacks where the read-team professionals (authorized to hack the corporate system) perform in-depth assessments. Enterprises perform this test to check their holistic defense mechanisms against various threats. The red team creates realistic testing scenarios to identify numerous vulnerabilities & generate test reports. The blue team professionals are responsible for fixing those security defenses.
IoT Security Tests
Numerous manufacturing plants and modern enterprises have adopted IoT and sensor-based automation to ease out various tasks. But, these devices are prone to cyberattacks. Therefore, testing the security of Internet of Things (IoT) devices is essential, given their proliferation across various sectors. Some well-known tests enterprises should consider for enterprise-grade IoT devices & hardware are firmware analysis, encryption checks, physical security assessment, authentication tests, etc.
Conclusion
We hope this article catered to a crisp understanding of the various secure testing mechanisms enterprises should perform. This article also highlighted the importance of security testing for enterprises of different sizes.
Here’s where VE3 stands ready to assist you further with our cybersecurity services, including CSaaS, offering thorough security tests. Leveraging Check Point, a renowned tool for comprehensive security solutions, we specialize in penetration testing across diverse IT systems. We are committed to elevating the security posture of your organization, ensuring robust protection against potential threats and vulnerabilities. Partner with us to fortify your defenses and navigate the evolving landscape of cybersecurity confidently. To know more, explore our innovative digital solutions or contact us directly.
