Comprehensive Security Testing Services

Comprehensive Guide to Security Testing Methodology

Vulnerability Scanning
Penetration Testing
Risk Assessment
Security Audit
Secure Code Review
Security Posture Assessment

Vulnerability
Scanning

Vulnerability scanning is an automated process utilized to identify weaknesses in websites, applications, and networks. This procedure is crucial for both security professionals and potential attackers. The main types of vulnerability scans include:

External Scanning: Identifies vulnerabilities that can be accessed from outside the network.
Internal Scanning: Focuses on detecting vulnerabilities within internal network segments.
Non-Intrusive Scanning: Recognizes potential issues without exploiting them.
Intrusive Scanning: Actively exploits vulnerabilities to evaluate their impact, which may disrupt systems.

Penetration
Testing

Penetration testing simulates cyber-attacks to uncover system vulnerabilities. Key stages include:

Pre-Engagement: Define the test goals and rules.
Information Gathering: Collect data on the target.
Discovery: Scan for known vulnerabilities.
Vulnerability Analysis: Assess severity and impact.
Exploitation: Test vulnerabilities under controlled conditions.
Reporting: Document findings with remediation advice.
Rescan: Verify the resolution of vulnerabilities.

Risk
Assessment

Risk assessment identifies and addresses security risks in networks and applications. Steps include:

Identification: Inventory assets and assess their risks.
Assessment: Evaluate risks and potential impacts.
Mitigation: Develop strategies to reduce risks.
Prevention: Implement measures like firewalls to prevent future risks.

Security
Audit

A security audit integrates automated scans with manual assessments to identify vulnerabilities within a system. This comprehensive process involves:

Automated and Manual Testing: Employ a combination of scanning tools and expert analysis.
Reporting: Deliver thorough findings along with recommendations for remediation.
Follow-Up: Ensure that all identified fixes have been successfully applied.

Secure Code
Review

A secure code review aims to identify vulnerabilities within the source code. The methods employed include:

Automated Review: Utilize tools to efficiently identify common vulnerabilities.
Manual Review: Conduct a detailed inspection of the code to uncover more complex issues.

Security Posture
Assessment

A security posture assessment provides an evaluation of the overall effectiveness of security measures in place. It encompasses the following components:

Asset Identification: Identify and prioritize critical assets.
Risk and Exposure Evaluation: Analyze potential risks affecting identified assets.
Security Review: Assess current security measures for their adequacy.
Investment Planning: Strategically allocate resources to enhance security return on investment.

OWASP: Web Application Security Testing Methodology

The OWASP methodology provides a structured approach to assess web application vulnerabilities, divided into two distinct phases:

Phase 1: Passive Mode: Gain insights into the application's logic without altering its behavior.
Phase 2: Active Mode: Conduct thorough testing, which includes:

Information Gathering
Configuration Testing
Identity Management Testing
Authentication Testing
Authorization Testing
Session Management Testing
Input Validation Testing
Error Handling Testing
Cryptography Assessment
Business Logic Testing
Client-Side Testing

OWASP Top
10 Vulnerabilities

Broken Access Control: Allows unauthorized actions due to ineffective access control measures.
Cryptographic Failures: Inadequate protection for sensitive data, leading to potential exposure.
Injection: Vulnerabilities such as SQL injection where untrusted data interacts with interpreters.
Insecure Design: Security vulnerabilities arising from poor application design practices.
Security Misconfiguration: Existence of weak or missing security settings that compromise the application.
Vulnerable Components: Use of outdated or unsupported software components that may introduce risks.
Identification Failures: Weaknesses in user authentication processes, leading to unauthorized access.
Integrity Failures: Dependence on untrusted plugins or libraries, risking data integrity.
Logging Failures: Lack of sufficient monitoring for suspicious activity, leading to unnoticed breaches.
SSRF (Server-Side Request Forgery): Vulnerabilities stemming from improper validation of user-supplied URLs.

Additional Aspects of Security Testing

Threat Modeling: Identify potential threats and develop strategies to mitigate them.
Security Requirements Validation: Confirm that all security requirements are fulfilled.
Access Control Testing: Ensure that access is restricted based on role and necessity.
Network Security Testing: Evaluate firewall and IDS/IPS configurations for effectiveness.
Data Security Testing: Assess encryption measures and data leak prevention strategies.
Mobile Security Testing: Safeguard mobile applications and devices against threats.
API Security Testing: Secure APIs through proper authentication and rate limiting practices.
Social Engineering Testing: Train and test users to recognize and respond to social engineering tactics.
Continuous Monitoring: Establish real-time threat detection systems and automated alert mechanisms.
Incident Response Testing: Simulate incidents to evaluate response effectiveness and identify improvement areas.

Overall Severity

Vulnerabilities are classified by their severity:

Critical: Represents a severe risk that requires immediate action, potentially leading to significant damage or data breaches.
High: Denotes serious issues that necessitate prompt resolution to avoid major impacts.
Medium: Indicates moderate risk that should be addressed during routine maintenance or updates.
Low: Refers to minimal risk managed as part of standard operational tasks.

Specific Vulnerabilities

XML-RPC Vulnerability: Disable XML-RPC to mitigate the risk of brute force attacks.
Missing Strict-Transport-Security Header: Enforce HTTPS to safeguard against man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks.
Vulnerable Plugins: Regularly update or replace insecure WordPress plugins to maintain security.
Outdated Software: Keep software like Nginx up to date with the latest version.
Secure Cookies: Set cookies with Secure, SameSite, and HttpOnly attributes.
Sensitive Information Disclosure: Protect sensitive data from unauthorized access and disclosure.
User Enumeration: Prevent revealing valid usernames in error messages to reduce attack vectors.
Server Banner Grabbing: Conceal server details to deter targeted attacks.
Email Harvesting: Obfuscate email addresses to protect against spam.
Robots.txt: Do not depend on robots.txt for security measures.