Testing is an essential part of the overall Software Development process. It can be done manually, with automated tools or techniques. That will help you test your app quickly for errors before it’s too late.
In Manual Testing, the software QA consulting services provider, aka Tester, runs various tests on the app and monitors the process all by himself. Automated Testing is a revolutionary method of quality assurance that helps companies save time, money and resources.
Automation enables the machine to do exactly what testers can with human assistance. They don’t need breaks or long lunch hours for unrelated tasks to produce more accurate results faster than ever!
There are some obvious advantages of using Automated testing methods over the traditional Manual Testing techniques.
What is Automated Security Testing?
Automated Security Testing, or AST for short, is a solution that can be used in order to find security vulnerabilities in web applications. In contrast to manual penetration testing the testing procedure happens automatically without human interaction. All this enables business critical checks to be completed very fast and at a much cheaper cost.
The term automation simply means the use of machines or robots to execute programmed tasks. By using specialized tools in the development process, it is possible to automatically carry out security testing.
The tools play the role of an interpreter that converts scripts into code, executes them and generates test results (screenshots/reports) that can then be analyzed by a human. This use of technology enables web application security testing to be done repeatedly, faster and cheaper.
The benefit of AST lies in the capacity to use it during the development process itself, as opposed to using manpower at a later stage for this purpose. The result is that web application vulnerabilities are detected earlier so that they can be eliminated before the application goes live or productized.
When Is The Right Time To Implement AST?
AST should be implemented in all web development projects where security compliance and good practice are required. For example, when organizations need to comply with PCI-DSS, ISO 27001/2 or OWASP standards.
In addition, due to its ability to remove vulnerabilities found by penetration testing early in the development process. AST is also an excellent solution for security testing of web applications that are already live.
How Does It Work?
The basic workflow starts with importing scripts written by developers in different languages (e.g., Python, Java, Ruby) into the automated software testing tool. The tool will then execute these scripts and generate a report sent to a security analyst or developer.
The AST tool can be implemented into the development process in different ways. For example, you add code snippets to each web page source code and embed these scripts to become part of the application itself. This solution means that you will use your existing web application as it is.
Advantages of Automated Security Testing
- A Tester can run tests 24 x 7 without being physically present in front of the machine. This means you can even start the tests while heading out of the office. Then check the results when you come back in the morning.
- An automated process means you can start the Testing process on one device. And head over to another job while the system testing and quality assurance does the rest of the job for you. This reduces labor costs by up to 50% and frees up human resources.
- When we use automation, Testers can redo tests without forgetting steps. This is because the automated test scripts are reusable. So there’s no need for re-writing them all over again every time a new one needs to be done.
- Automated Testing can reduce the time and effort required for fixing errors by automated tests at an early stage.
- The Software Quality Assurance process depends upon the accuracy of the Testing results. Automated Testing is far more reliable as compared to manual tests.
- Automated Software Testing is done with the latest testing tools and techniques. They allow us to speed up the overall testing process without involving a lot of Testing engineers.
- It allows the Tester to run tests on several devices simultaneously to generate detailed comparative reports while using the same testing environment and other parameters.
- Automation Testing allows continuity in the Testing process. This means a Tester can see what tests have already been performed on a program. There the errors were fixed and which aspects still need to be tested.
- Last but not the least, the Automated Software Testing process yields a better-quality app with fewer resources.
Final Thoughts
It’s a good idea to have an automated security testing tool in your arsenal. This software will help you identify and fix potential vulnerabilities before they become a problem for your business.
The best part about these tools is that most are free or offer a trial period. So there isn’t any reason not to try one out! If you need some guidance on choosing the right software QA consulting services, we can recommend some options based on your needs and budget constraints. HikeQA provides a leading software quality assurance process. Our experts would love the opportunity to partner with you as well!
