What is Penetration Testing for Apps?
Application Penetration Testing is a crucial step in ensuring that digital systems and assets adhere to compliance requirements and have minimum exposure to cyber threats.
These tests make sure that users can perform the actions they need to while staying protected from cyber attacks. It works by identifying vulnerabilities that may be present in an application that attackers could use to:
- – Access sensitive information
- – Act maliciously within the application
- – Compromise others users of the app or the underlying infrastructure of the app
Application Penetration Testing works for internal and external facing app, encompassing both web and mobile applications:
Web Application Penetration Testing: these tests simulate attacks in order to identify vulnerabilities in a web system, determining its security posture and guiding any necessary remediation measures.
Mobile App Penetration Testing: this mode of testing analyses security vulnerabilities in mobile apps to defend against attacks, using flexible and rapid testing to ensure comprehensive threat-based analysis and remediation.
Why Your App Needs Penetration Testing
There are many instances where a penetration test might be needed for applications. One of the main reasons would be to meet compliance requirements. Apps also have certain functionalities, features or authentication measures that are needed to ensure the safety of data during app usage.
Regularly testing your organisation’s digital systems and applications is imperative for business continuity, risk management, and securing critical services, especially for organisations dependent on innovative technologies.
At Rosca Technologies, we recommend for all digitally reliant businesses to make regular testing a key part of their security strategy.
Key Benefits of Application Penetration Testing
There are many key benefits to implementing application penetration testing into your organisation’s security program:
Compliance Requirements
Penetration testing is obligatory in many industries and staying up to date with web application penetration testing helps to meet these frameworks requirements, including GDPR, HIPAA, ISO 27001 and SOC 2.
Early Identification of Vulnerabilities
Web application penetration lets you identify vulnerabilities in your applications and infrastructure to take preemptive action before an attacker can take advantage.
Infrastructure Assessment
With anything public-facing, like infrastructure, DNS servers, or firewells, companies have a responsibility to make sure this is safe for users. If making changes to the infrastructure, it opens the system up to vulnerabilities. Using application penetration testing helps identify and defend against real-world attacks that could exploit these vulnerabilities.
Validation of Security Policies
These types of tests will review existing security policies to see if there are any weaknesses that need correcting.
What Happens During the Application Penetration Testing Process?
There are various steps during an application penetration test:
1. Intelligence: Information gathering is the first step in the process so that the testers can discover the design, architecture and network-level data flow of the application.
2. Analysis: Here is where the testers analyse and assess the app, both before and after installation. They use various techniques such as static and dynamic analysis, architecture analysis, reverse engineering, analysis of file systems and inter application communication to get a full picture.
3. Exploitation: Testers will simulate real-world attacks using information about the application so it can understand existing defences. Target applications are attacked and exploited at all identified vulnerabilities to test the organisation’s security posture.
4. Reporting: Once exploitation is done, the team will put together a comprehensive report of the attacks performed, the impact, risk analysis and the identified vulnerabilities – with steps on how to address and remediate them.
Top Tips For Successful Application Pen Testing
If you’re just setting out on your application pen testing journey, follow these essential tips:
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Static Analysis
Your first step should be a static analysis to thoroughly review your app’s codebase and identify potential security vulnerabilities. This will be the foundation of your testing.
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Dynamic Analysis
Dynamic analysis goes one step further to test the vulnerabilities that only appear while the app is running in certain states – testing the app during runtime.
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Reverse Engineering
This step allows you to understand the app from an external perspective, including its underlying workings. Carrying out reverse engineering lets you discover hidden functionalities or insecure implementations, recognising vulnerabilities at a deeper level.
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Network Analysis
To function, your app needs to communicate with servers and devices, so you need to look at and test these interactions too. This can help identify weaknesses in the server or vulnerabilities in data transmission.
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Update, Learn and Iterate
Penetration testing is not a one-off but something which needs constant attention. With new vulnerabilities emerging all the time, especially with each new update, it is crucial to update and iterate your tests regularly to ensure ongoing security.
What will a Rosca Technologies Application Penetration Test provide?
Our application penetration testing will allow your organisation to:
- – Quickly identify and fix vulnerabilities that attackers could exploit.
- – Boost resilience through simulated real-world attacker techniques.
- – Adhere to compliance requirements with detailed reports on vulnerabilities and fixes.
- – Increase confidence in your digital security to gain trust from customers, stakeholders, authorities and partners.
- – Explain technical risks in business terms to show stakeholders the value of cybersecurity in reducing risks.
FAQs
What is application penetration testing?
Application penetration testing is when a professional team of ethical hackers simulates a cyber attack against an application to identify and exploit security vulnerabilities.
Why is penetration testing important for applications?
This type of testing identifies security flaws, prevents data breaches, ensures compliance with various regulations, and builds user trust.
What types of vulnerabilities does application penetration testing look for?
Application penetration testing identifies a range of vulnerabilities including cross-site scripting (XSS), SQL injection, insecure authentication, and others.
How often should application penetration testing be conducted?
We recommend performing penetration testing at least once a year as well as after any significant updates or changes to the application.
What is the difference between static and dynamic analysis?
Static analysis reviews the codebase for vulnerabilities while the app is not in use whereas dynamic analysis tests the application during runtime.
What tools are commonly used in application penetration testing?
Common tools for application penetration testing include Burp Suite, OWASP ZAP, Nessus, Wireshark, and automated scanners like Kiuwan SAST/SCA.
Who should perform application penetration testing?
Application penetration testing should be conducted by experienced security professionals, known as ethical hackers or pen testers.
How long does a typical application penetration test take?
The length of time taken for a penetration test varies depending on the application’s complexity, ranging anywhere from a few days to a few weeks.
Can application penetration testing be conducted in-house?
Yes, but it needs skilled personnel and proper tools. For this reason, many organisations hire external experts to ensure thorough and unbiased testing.
What is the cost of application penetration testing?
The cost of application penetration testing varies based on the scope, complexity, and frequency of the tests. It can be anywhere between a few thousand to tens of thousands of pounds.
Get an App Pen Test Quote Today
Contact us to schedule a consultation and learn how our penetration testing services can enhance your organisation’s security position.