Testbytes Software

15 Most Powerful & Reliable Security Testing Tools

Posted on August 28, 2017March 15, 2024 by tbsupadminnxtbackendacc

Security testing is a technique that aims to determine if a system or software performs well enough to protect data and deliver functionality as planned. This technique forms to be an integral part, when it is considered in terms of testing software for banking, website hosting or any other high-security application.

It works on six basic principles that include confidentiality, integrity, authorization, authentication, non-repudiation, and availability. Performing this technique is a challenging task as it requires a tester who has in-depth knowledge and understanding of the process so that he/she is able to check and verify any risk factors, loopholes or issues in the program.

As compared to the normal testing, this method aims to break the entire program into different parts and then, test its safety and security under normal and abnormal circumstances.
With a large number of software and apps available in the market, there is certainly an increasing demand for high performing and reliable security testing tools that can help ensure that these programs are up to the mark in terms of their security.

While there are several companies that offer a number of high performing security testing tools to the market, these 15 top the chart of the most powerful and reliable security testing tools.

Metaspoilt

Popularly used for penetration testing, Metaspoilt is one of the most advanced frameworks that work on the concept of ‘exploit’. Exploit is a code that can test a system to extremes by surpassing the security measures and entering the system. When entered, exploit runs a ‘payload’, which is a code that performs operations on a target machine, to create the most appropriate framework for penetration testing.
This framework can be used for security testing on web applications, networks as well as servers.

Wireshark

Available for free, Wireshark is one of the most popular open source packet analyzers. This protocol is capable of providing the users with the minutest details about the network protocols, packet information, decryption, and others. One can use this protocol on Windows, Linux, OS X, Solaris, FreeBSD, NetBSD, and many other systems.

W3af

W3af is a freely-available web application audit framework that works effectively against multiple odd vulnerabilities. With a GUI that is available with expert tools, this framework is capable of sending HTTP request and cluster HTTP responses. Some of its impressive features include quick HTTP requests, integration of web and proxy servers into the code, etc.

CORE Impact

This tool can be used for multiple testing purposes such as, mobile device penetration, password identification and cracking, network device penetration, and several others. With a GUI click-able interface, this works best on Microsoft Windows and is one of the most expensive tool in this category.

Netsparker

Available with a vigorous web application scanner, Netsparker is an excellent tool to recognize vulnerabilities and accordingly suggest remedial action. Available with a command-line and GUI interface, Netsparker can help on to exploit SQL injection and LFI (local file induction).

Burpsuite

This is one such tool on which security testing specialists highly rely. Although this tool majorly functions as a scanner, Burpsuite has a limited scope to deal with attacks. Interrupting proxy, creeping content and functionality and web application scanning are some of the common functions performed by this tool.

Cain & Abel

Cain &Abel is an excellent tool to crack encrypted passwords and network keys. Available exclusively for Microsoft operating systems, the functions are performed on the basis of network sniffing, Dictionary, Cryptanalysis attacks and Brute-Force and routing protocol analysis methods to achieve this.

Acunetix

Developed specifically for web applications, acunetix is a scanner that helps identify the probable dangers for these applications. This security testing tool performs various functions for its users such as SQL injection, cross site scripting testing, PCI compliance reports etc. Although a bit expensive, one can get its free trial version to understand how it actually works.

Retina

Available as a complete package known as Retina Community, this is one such tool that targets the entire company at once. The Retina is a commercial product that should be used more as a vulnerability management tool instead of a pen-testing tool.

Canvas

Canvas is a security testing tool that can be used for testing the security issues of web applications, wireless systems, and networks. With multiple payload options, this tool is available with GUI interface and can work on Linux, Apple Mac OS X, and Microsoft Windows.

Nmap

Also known as Network Mapper, this tool is a must have for ethical hackers as it makes it easy to understand the characteristics of any target network. These characteristics can include things like host, services, OS and packet filters. The tool is open sourced and can perform in any environment.

Dradis

This tool is an open source framework, which is used majorly for keeping a record of information that can be shared among multiple participants of penetration testing. When this information is interpreted, it helps them understand the details of testing such as, the aspects that are already covered and others that are still to be covered. With a GUI interface, this tool is open source and can work on Linux, Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac OS X.

Security Onion

Security is an easy to manage security monitoring system that can be used in place of expensive commercial grey boxes. Simple to setup and configure, this tool is an effective way to identify any security related issues on the network.

Nikto

This is a web server testing tool that entered the market of security testing tools almost a decade ago. The tool is highly effective to identify vulnerable scripts, configuration mistakes and related security problems. However, this tool cannot identify XSS and SQL web application bugs.

Vega

Vega is a vulnerability scanning and testing tool that works well on various platforms including OS X, Linux and Windows platforms. With a GUI, Vega is available with an automated scanner and an interrupting proxy that can help identify web application vulnerabilities, header injection, cross site scripting etc.
Apart from these, there are a number of other security testing tools already available in the market or ready to be launched with latest upgrades. The ultimate purpose of using any such tool is to deliver an exclusive product that ensures the maximum benefit to the company.

5 Tips to Setup a Better Performance Testing Environment

Posted on August 22, 2017 by tbsupadminnxtbackendacc

Performance testing is the process during which a product’s quality or its ability to function in the required environment is evaluated. As a non-functional testing technique, performance testing is conducted to evaluate a systems ability in terms of responsiveness and stability under workload. This process is conducted on three major attributes, which includes scalability, reliability and resource usage.

A number of techniques can be used to check performance of a software or hardware in a performance testing environment setup. This includes:

Load testing is the simplest form of testing and is basically conducted to understand the behaviour of the system under a specific load.
Stress testing is conducted to check a system ability to cope with the increased load, if any. It is performed to determine the maximum capacity of the existing system.
Soak testing, also known as endurance testing, is a type of testing done to verify a system’s ability to perform in situations of continuous load.
Spike testing is conducted by abruptly increasing the number of users of a system and determining how the system performs under such load.

There are a number of simple ways in which one can ensure accuracy and better results in the tests. This can be done using a better performance testing environment setup, which can be done in the following ways:
1. Detailed knowledge of AUT Production and Test Environment
It is the responsibility of a performance testing engineer to have complete knowledge and awareness about the AUT production environment such as server machines, load balancing as well as a number of other system components. These details, once known, should be properly documented and well-understood before initiating the initial stage of the performance testing
It is also important for an engineer to keep himself/herself aware about the complete details of the AUT architecture and to make sure that the same architecture is being executed in the test environment. This is because, having any sort of difference between the two can lead to the wastage of time, cost of production and effort.
2. Isolating the test environment
It is important to ensure that there is no activity which is being carried out on the performance test environment when there is someone already using the system. This is because the results of every performance test are different and it might get difficult to implement a new bottleneck every time in a test environment when there are also other users currently active on the system.
Apart from this, heavy load on any application server affects its performance. This, in turn, might not allow the other real time application users to successfully complete their tasks when a performance task is already under execution.
3. Network Isolation
It is important to ensure that a sufficient network bandwidth is available for your test as network bandwidth is essential to achieve accurate performance test results. In case the network bandwidth is low, the user requests begin to produce timeout errors. Therefore, one should make sure to provide maximum network bandwidth to the test environment by isolating the test network from other users.
4. Test Data Generators
Database records have an important role to play in the validation of any tests. Therefore, database reading, writing, deletion and updating are the most performance intrusive actions in any application.
Since there is a high probability of an application’s test failure in the production environment if it is conducted on lesser database records as compared to the test records. Therefore, it becomes the responsibility of the performance engineers to make sure that the number of test records are same in both the test environment system and database. In case, the database is small, it is recommended to pick some tool from the available ones and generate the required test data for better accuracy.
5. Removing proxy servers from network path
Performance results can be highly affected if there is a proxy server between the client and the web server. If the mid of client and web server has a proxy server, it is certainly true that the client will be served with data in cache and will stop sending any requests to web server. This, in turn, can lead to a lower AUT response time.

A performance engineer can deal with such issue by transferring the web server in a secluded environment. Another way is to strike directly to the web server, which can be done by editing the HOSTS file by including server IP address.
Performance Testing Production Environment
There are a number of advantages and disadvantages of conducting a performance test in production environment. Some of these include the following:
Advantages:

There is no need to reproduce the production site data set
Validating the performance test results performed on test environment is possible.
There is a reduced cost and time involved in test infrastructure.
Application recovery process and its complexities are well known.

Disadvantages:

Real application users end up receiving slower application and errors.
It gets difficult to identify the bottleneck root cause in the presence of real application users.
It is very likely that the access to real users might have to be blocked so as to properly achieve the performance test results.
In case of generating lots of data on production database, database may become very slow even after the test.

Once the test performance testing environment setup is ready, one can always compare it with the production environment on the basis of several factors such as the number of servers, load balancing strategy, hardware and software resources, application components, to name a few.
Above all, it is important that the required tests are conducted properly so that there are no faults pending in an application when making its use in real-life situations.

What is Test Scenario? How to Write a Test Scenario?

Posted on August 17, 2017 by tbsupadminnxtbackendacc

What is Test Scenario?

A test scenario also called as Test Condition or Test Possibility is a document that specifies all the functionalities that need to be tested for a software application to deliver what it is meant to. Exactly defining what should be tested as part of a particular feature or application, a test scenario calls for the tester to identify himself as the end-user.

It is only then he/she will be able to relate to the requirements of the user. This process of the tester putting himself in the shoes of the customer will help him unveil many real-life scenarios that need to be addressed for the application to perform its ordained task.
Scenario Testing
Getting its name from testing different functionalities, Scenario Testing is an arm of software testing. Tagged as a simple way of testing complicated systems, scenario testing is all about enlisting different scenarios to be tested for the entire application to perform without any bugs. Below is a simple example that will help you understand what a test scenario is all about.
The Purpose behind Test Scenarios
After understanding the definition of a test scenario, it is now important to know the benefits of test scenarios. Here is a rundown of the purpose behind the documentation of a test scenario.

A test scenario is a comprehensive testing procedure.
Test scenarios are quick tools that will help identify crucial end-to-end transactions supported by the real utility of various software applications.
It is a document that can be vetted by stakeholders including developers, business analysts and end-users.
Helping to measure testing efforts, test scenarios assist your clients in the formulation of a proposal to reorganize their manpower requirements.
The prime objective of a test scenario is to ensure that the entire functionality coming under a test is checked completely for its performance.

Step-Wise Detailing to Formulate a Test Scenario
You as a tester can follow the below mentioned 5 steps to create different test scenarios:
1^st Step: Primarily, you should be read and understand requirement documents. These include: SRS (Software Requirement Specifications), FRS (Functional Requirements Statement) and BRS (Business Requirement Specification) concerning the System Under Test (SUT).
2^nd Step: Delving deep into each and every requirement, it is important that you identify various possible user actions that will come up while specifying all the user objectives. Attaching technical specifications to every requirement, this step is complete once you discover various scenarios when the system can be abused through the intervention of a hacker.

This is the most important part of the second step when you put yourself in the shoes of a hacker and try to come up with loopholes concerning the breach of application security and functioning.
3^rd Step: Gathering of information and inferences gained after the completion of the above 2 steps will be your next step. This is followed by the enlisting of various test scenarios that call for verifying each and every function of your software that is to be tested.
4^th Step: After enlisting all the probable test scenarios, you should chalk out a Traceability Matrix. This is a document that is created to confirm that every requirement has a matching test scenario that should be tested.
5^th Step: The last step is all about reviewing the test scenarios. Involving your supervisor, all the test scenarios drafted by you will be studied. Upon the successful scrutiny by your superiors, your test scenarios will reach the tables of your stakeholders who will then sit for reviewing of the scrutinized document.
Tips to Create Effective Test Scenarios
Below is the list of simple tips that will help you chalk out comprehensive test scenarios:

As a tester, it is not only your ordained duty to ensure that every requirement should be tied to a test scenario but also to adhere to the specifications of the Project Methodology
It is only when you compartmentalize complex requirements that you can check whether every requirement comes attached with a test scenario. This tip thus helps you cover all the requirements in total.
It is best to stay away from creating complicated test scenarios concerning multiple functional requirements.
It also comes as an intelligent move to stick to your client’s priority list. Bearing in mind the cost involved in testing multiple scenarios, it is important that you conduct selected test scenarios that are vital to your client.

Read also : Difference Between Test Case vs Test Scenario [Infographic]

Conclusion
Tagged as a significant component of testing, a Test Scenario effectively saves a lot of money and time involved in testing procedures. Adhering to the quality specifications of the software at every step, this document goes a long way in delivering bug-free functionalities. Not to confuse a test scenario with a test case, it is an important fact to understand that a test case primarily relies on a Test Scenario and not the other way round.

Key Differences between Test Plan, Test Scenario, Test Case, Test Strategy, Test Condition, Test Script

Posted on August 11, 2017 by tbsupadminnxtbackendacc

Seeming and sounding so very similar to each other, below are the most commonly used terms in the software testing parlance along with their differences. All in an attempt to clarify doubts concerning these technical terms, the details of these testing techniques come under their respective headings; pairing one term with another.

Let us now look at the pairs along with the differences between them.
Test Plan and Test Strategy
First and foremost, let us focus on defining the two closely resembling terms; Test Plan and Test Strategy.
What is a Test Plan?
A test plan is a deliverable, enlisting all the activities that make up a complete Quality Assurance project. It is a plan that is chalked out by a testing lead or test manager. The plan is a record of the various testing activities supported by their schedules. Included in this exhaustive document are all the details which answer questions centering around “what”, “when”, “how” and “who”.
The Test Plan which emerges as part of the Software Requirement Specification (SRS), clearly indicates what should be tested, when should the test be run, how should the test be conducted and who will be the tester responsible to carry out the test.
Components of a Test Plan:

Every test comes with a unique ID. The test plan is a super document that defines the Test Plan ID
Indicating the type of test environment that is required to run certain tests, a test plan clearly spells out such details along with a list of all the features that will and won’t be tested
The test plan clearly indicates when to start a test and the point at which a test should be abandoned. Specifying the entry and exit criteria, these details help testers to deliver their testing duties as per plan
The test plan clearly point to the status of the test; whether a test case has passed or failed or not tested. Along with the results, a detailed reasoning for the same is documented
Allowing new testers to join the existing workforce, a test plan through its concise preface and introduction gives a clear “behind the scenes” picture.

What makes up a Test Strategy?
While the word plan and strategy are used interchangeably, there is a difference between them when it concerns the process of testing. While both are tagged as methods to achieve a pre-defined goal, a test plan is different from a test strategy.
A test strategy is a rough draft of the testing approach. Identified as a subset of the Test Plan, a test strategy is a high-level and static document that highlights the method of testing that will be implemented. This is derived from the Business Requirement Specification (BRS).
Components of a Test Strategy:

A test strategy enlists the scope and objectives of the test, before the actual testing procedure begins
Addressing business issues, the test strategy throws light on the budgeting requirements of the project. Clearly citing the time required for testing, the strategy highlights workforce requirements
Enlists all the various documents that should be delivered by the testing team and the manner in which the testing cycles should be conducted
The inclusion of a defect tracking tool along with the manner in which the testing team will interact with the development team is another segment of a test strategy
Training requirements concerning the use of a new or complex tool are indicated along with the details of the trainer who is ordained to conduct the training sessions
In the event the project demands automation testing, a test strategy throws light on the scripting language, the different tools that can be employed along with the reporting and coding practices that should follow

What about Test Scenario and Test Condition?
Simply put, a test scenario is a method in which an application can be tested. On the flip side, a test condition enlists all the specifications a tester should adhere to, as part of testing an application or functionality. That means, there can be multiple test conditions in a single test scenario.

If you are keen to understand the difference between these two terms, the following explanation clarifies all your doubts.

A test scenario enlists all the ways in which an application can be tested. A test condition, on the other hand is a description of the specifications that need to be followed by you as a tester of an application
A test scenario can be a collection of test cases or a single test case. Speaking of a test condition, it is the goal of a test case; a segment of a functionality that you wish to test
A test scenario comes into play when you are hard pressed for time and you are keen on testing a functionality of an application. A test condition is a part of the system that can be tested by a single test case or multiple test cases
Compartmentalizing the various aspects of a functionality can pave way for an effective test scenario. A favorable “bug-free” situation is the outcome of a good test condition
A test scenario delves on numerous possibilities. On the flip side, a test condition is all about enlisting specific details concerning testing

Test Script and Test Case
Test Script – The Detailed Story
The word “script” can be linked to a story which narrates a descriptive account of all the incidents that take place between different characters. So is the case with a test script. Tagged as a detailed description of a test, the test script includes a series of minute details of all the various actions along with data requirements that are essential to carry out the test. Typically presented in the form of a “line-by-line” description, the test script is a step-wise documentation of the manner in which the software program can be used. Details about which buttons to tap and their serial order to be able to perform a pre-defined function are enlisted.

Coming as a leading light, a test script to a new tester is a handy tool that will help him understand the product details better while also introducing him to business domain specifics. Allowing you to follow all the instructions, it is through a test script that you will be able to meet all the specifications of the test idea to complete the testing procedure.
Test Case
A test case describes a specific functionality that should be tested. It is also important to note that the test case does not include a detailed explanation of the various steps that need to be taken or the information that will come handy to complete the test. Without enlisting any mandatory pre-requisites, a test case certainly gives you a free hand. Allowing you to apply your instincts, it is through this discretion that you will be in total control of what exactly needs to be done to complete the test.
However, this freedom can be of utmost help to the testers who are conversant with the details of the software along with the risks that come with its functionalities. If a tester lacks this basic understanding, a test case may prove to be dysfunctional.

How to Automate Mobile Application Testing Using Selenium

Posted on August 8, 2017 by tbsupadminnxtbackendacc

Selenium is an open-source testing tool that is primarily used for regression testing and functional testing. Identified as a collection of software testing tools, the Selenium suite can be used to automate web browser testing. Speaking of mobile application testing, it is a well-known fact that you as a tester must have heard about Selenium. And if you are curious to know whether Selenium can be used to automate mobile application testing, the following detailed explanation will throw light on your queries.

To answer the question “Can Selenium be a mobile application testing tool?” the answer is negative. But the good news is that you can make the most of the Selenium to test mobile websites. This is definitely a reason that can cheer you up. And there are a couple of another reasons that will make you smile.
Selenium, as an open-source testing tool, does not involve any licensing cost and hence ranks above over other testing tools that are currently employed. While you cannot use Selenium to automate mobile application testing, you are at an advantage to employ the frameworks of Selenium that are exclusively designed for mobile automated testing.
Selenium Frameworks Designed for Automating Mobile Application Testing

Selendroid
Appium

Selendroid:
In line with this very name, Selendroid is a Selenium framework that can be employed to test the user interface of native and hybrid applications that can be run on the Android platform. It is also important to note that while the Selendroid framework is suitable for emulators, it also can find its place in the Selenium Grid, when the framework can be integrated with real devices. Essentially meant to perform parallel testing and scaling, the Selendroid framework allows you to simultaneously communicate with multiple Android devices.
Selenium Appium:
Selenium Appium is an automated, open source test framework that can be employed to test mobile user interfaces that come with native, hybrid and mobile web applications. It is also a cross-platform tool that can is compatible with many languages including Node.JS, PHP, Java, Objective-C, JavaScript, Clojure, C#, Python and Perl. You as a tester can make the most of its cross-platform characteristic when you can effortlessly employ Selenium Appium through a single test script to perform tests on Android, Windows, Mac, Linux or iOS platforms.
A Dozen Simple Steps Involved in Automating Mobile Application Testing Using Selenium Appium
1. Your first step is to visit http://appium.io. You then need to download the Appium framework along with sample files as demonstrated under:

2. The next step is to unzip the downloaded files.
3. Proceed further by downloading and setting up Android-SDK file on to your computer.
4. Check out the Android-SDK framework and identify the AVD Manager application. This is to create a “Default” Android Virtual Device.
5. The next step is to run Eclipse.
6. You then need to access the unzipped folder to import the Java->JUnit sample code according to the following illustration.

7. After the previous step, this is what you will get to see; the imported Java project structure.

8. You are now all set to execute the Appium.exe file which is saved in the unzipped folder, as demonstrated below.

9. You can now launch the Appium server window that will show up as under.

10. Without any hassles, you can change the AndroidContactsTest.java file according to your requirements.
11. You can now run the Java class as JUnitTest as depicted below.

12. Your outcome will be that the application has passed the test.
Voila! These simple steps when performed in series will grant you the power of Selenium Appium to automate mobile application testing.

What is Sanity Testing With Example?

Posted on August 4, 2017 by tbsupadminnxtbackendacc

Despite there being hundreds of articles, sanity testing has always remained as a misunderstood topic in software testing. To be honest, the confusing terminologies have contributed largely to the misunderstanding. Here, let us make the concept of sanity testing clear for you.

What is Sanity Testing?
Sanity Testing refers to tests that determine whether it is feasible and sensible to proceed with the software testing process. It is mostly done to check the health of the application that has been built, which basically is your first step.
The tests are performed when some changes are made to the code to ensure proper working of every functionality of the program. Therefore, these types of software testing normally remain undocumented and unscripted since the objective of the system is to check the new functionality and to ensure that the bug has been fixed.
How to do sanity testing?
After a successful regression testing is carried out, which includes testing that verifies the program actually works & performs the same way as it is expected to with the software, sanity testing is performed. It is performed in order to check for defects, which may have cropped up previously and are fixed accordingly and to ensure that no further issues crop up.
Many a time, the “Hello World” program is used for testing. If the program fails to compile or run, the supporting system has a configuration problem. If it works, any problem thereafter lies in the actual application.
Another method is to denote checks which are performed within the program code. This usually includes functions and arguments to see if the outputs are correct.
Example of sanity testing

Disadvantages of Sanity Testing

Focus is only on the commands and functions
Does not go to the design level of the software
Testing is performed only for limited features
No scope for future references since scripts are not there

How is sanity testing related to smoke testing?

It is commonly validated by smoke tests
If smoke tests fail it’s impossible to carry over sanity tests
Both of them are an exemplary option for not wasting time when it comes to testing

Reasons to perform sanity testing (Features)
Firstly, It offers great speed. Since it has a very narrow focus for functionalities to be tested, you don’t need to script or document the findings.
Secondly, It allows you to plan the next step in testing, ahead of its time. For example, if your test fails, you can dedicate your development team to fix the bugs first and keep aside the rest of the tasks.
Third, It can capture any configuration and deployment issues from the initial stages. The test will help you find such errors that can be quickly resolved and allow others to continue testing.

Fourth, at times during the constraints of release time, regression testing cannot be performed to the program build; hence, sanity testing does the work in a much simpler and faster way.
Lastly, It can also be performed as Adhoc testing. Many a time during testing, a set of test cases is run, which can affect the specific area under testing (area in which defect is fixed or area in which new functionality is added),
Final Words
Sanity testing has always been proved as one of the best testing techniques to avoid wasting time and effort. It is used as a quick method to ensure that the previous bugs in the program have been fixed and that the application works fine.

It is always defined as a subset of regression testing due to its similarities with the latter. Therefore, make sure to run sanity testing along with other testing methods to ensure the success and overall smooth functioning of the software.

Security Testing – Threats, Tools & Techniques

Posted on August 2, 2017 by tbsupadminnxtbackendacc

Security testing is performed to determine the security flaws and vulnerabilities in software. The rise in online transactions and advancing technology makes security testing an inevitable part of the software development process. It is the best way to determine potential threats in the software when performed regularly.
Security testing looks into the following aspects of software:

Authentication
Authorization
Confidentiality
Availability
Integrity
Non-repudiation
Resilience

Why is security testing necessary?
Those who skip the process in order to save time are actually putting their business in trouble. You cannot afford to ignore security testing for the following reasons:

Security threats can cause your customers to abandon your services
Loss of customers means a decrease in revenue generation
Undoing the mistakes at a later stage can cost you more than detecting them and rectifying them at the earliest
Better security can save you from the extra expenses in the future
Customers can sue you for their personal information being leaked, which of course, is the result of security flaws existing in the software or application

Major types of Cyber-threats faced by businesses
There are various kinds of security threats that the software or application is prone to that may cost your business, if not identified. With the advancement in technology, attackers are inventing new ways to break into the security mechanisms of a system. Therefore, it’s necessary for the testers to be aware of the various kinds of security threats and find solutions to tackle them. Here are some of the common security threats that testers come across during the testing process:
SQL Injection
This type of security attack happens when the hacker inserts harmful SQL statements into the entry field for execution. The consequences of SQL injection are quite severe that it leads to leakage of classified information from the server database. This type of attack is possible only when there are loopholes in the execution of software or applications. It can be prevented by thoroughly checking the various input fields like text boxes, comments, etc. Also, it’s necessary to rightly handle or never use special characters are either in the input.
Privilege Elevation
In this type of attack, the hackers use his/her existing account to raise the privileges to higher levels than what he/she deserves. If the hacker becomes successful in doing so, he/she will use the privilege to run the code and the system will eventually give in.
URL Manipulation
It is the process where hackers make changes to the URL query string to access information. Applications that use the HTTP GET method to pass information between client and server are usually prone to this kind of attack. In the HTTP GET method, information is passed in the parameter in the query string. Therefore, the tester must modify the parameters to see if the server accepts it.
Unauthorized Data Access
This is one of the popular security attacks where the hacker gains access to data by unauthorized means. This includes:

Use of data-fetching operations to gain access
Gaining access to reusable client authentication information by keeping track of the success of others
Gaining access to data by monitoring the access of others

Data Manipulation
Data manipulation involves hackers gaining access to website or application data and makes changes to it for their own advantage or to humiliate the owner of the application/website. The hacker does this by accessing the HTML pages of the website.
Identity Spoofing
It is a type of security attack where the hackers use the credentials of a valid user or device for attacking the network hosts, for data theft and for gaining the advantage over access controls. IT- infrastructure and network-level mitigations are required to prevent such attacks.
Denial of Service
Through the denial-of-service attack, the attacker aims at making a system or network resource unavailable to the valid users. When applications or software are prone to such attacks, the application or the entire system may end up being unusable.
Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
It is a major security risk found in web applications. XSS allows attackers to insert the client-side script in web pages that are viewed by other users and manipulate them into clicking the URL. After the user clicks the URL, the code changes the way the website behaves and gives access to the attacker to steal personal data and other critical information.
How to Prevent
Now that you have a list of possible security vulnerabilities, what techniques can be used to tackle them? Let’s see:
Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
The testers must check the web applications for cross-site scripting. They must ensure that the application doesn’t accept any HTML (e.g.: <HTML>) or any script (e.g.: <SCRIPT>). If it does, the application will be prone to XSS. This will allow the attackers to insert harmful scripts into the application or to manipulate the URL of the user’s browser to steal information. Cross-site scripting must be performed for apostrophe and greater-than and less-than signs.
Ethical Hacking
Ethical hacking is performed by individuals or companies to identify potential vulnerabilities in an application that provides a path for the attacker to gain access to its security mechanism. An ethical hacker or white hat, as they are called, tries to break into the application to look for vulnerabilities that the hackers, also known as black hats, can utilize to their advantage.
Password Cracking
Hackers use password cracking tools or guess the commonly used username/passwords In order to extort private information. The commonly used usernames/passwords are usually available online along with open source password cracking tools. Therefore, it is important to perform testing for password cracking.
Penetration Testing
A penetration test is an authorized attack on a computer system, network or application to detect security loopholes that hackers can put to use.
Security scanning
It is a program meant to detect web application vulnerabilities by communicating with the application through web front-end.
Security auditing
A security audit is a methodical evaluation of the security of a company’s information system to see how well it complies with a particular set of guidelines.
Risk analysis
This process involves the evaluation of potential risks, where each risk is analyzed and measured. Detecting defects and rectifying them after the software hits the market is expensive.
Therefore, it is important to deeply analyze the various types of risks and identify the areas that are prone to security risks. By understanding the vulnerabilities and acting at the earliest can reduce the risk of security threats after the software or application reaches the users.
SQL injection
SQL injection attacks are very harmful as the attackers try to extort confidential information from the server database. When a tester enters a single quote (‘) in any textbox, it must be rejected by the application. On the contrary, if the application shows a database error, it means that any input entered in a query has been executed by the application.
This means that the application is prone to security vulnerabilities. But, how do you find the areas of the application that are liable to such threats? Just check for codes from the code database of your application where direct MySQL queries are executed by accepting any user inputs. SQL injection testing can be performed for apostrophes, brackets, commas and quotation marks.
Posture assessment
Posture assessment is a combination of ethical hacking, security scanning, and risk assessment and is used to determine the overall security posture of an organization.
Vulnerability scanning
Vulnerability scanning helps to identify the security threats and to determine the areas in an application or network that are prone to potential vulnerabilities.
Testing for URL manipulation
Attackers find it easy to perform URL manipulation in the application that uses the HTTP GET method for server-client communication. This method involves the passing of information through parameters in the query string. Therefore, the tester must check if any confidential information is being passed through the query strings. Also, ensure that the server doesn’t accept any invalid parameter values in the query strings.
TOOLS
There are different kinds of security testing tools that help to identify the security flaws in your application, on time.
Application testing tools
The application testing tools help to identify the potential vulnerabilities that exist in your application before it hits the market and gives you ample time to rectify the defects. When you use application testing tools, nothing can stop your business from staying ahead in the competition and earning profits. Selenium,
IBM Rational Robot, Rational Functional Tester (RFT), Apache Jmeter, etc. are all examples of application testing tools.
Code review tools
Code review involves assessment of the application source code. The tools used for code review help to identify mistakes in the development phase itself, thus helping to polish up the developer’s skills while maintaining the overall quality and security of the software. A collaborator by SmartBear, Crucible, and Reviewable are some of the best code review tools available.
Penetration testing tools
Sometimes, manual testing won’t be enough to identify all risks existing in an application. Penetration testing tools play an important role in such occasions. They are used to perform penetration tests so as to automate some of the tasks, for efficient testing and to detect defects that are not usually visible during manual testing. Some of the most powerful penetration testing tools include Metasploit, Wireshark, w3af and CORE Impact.
Runtime Application Self Protection (RASP)
It is an inbuilt security technology in an application that helps to identify and tackle real-time application attacks.
Security review software
If not internally developing their own software, businesses tend to outsource their software development or may use third-party software at times. However it is, the applications come with their own set of risks. Security review software helps to identify the risks that come with such applications.

Software testing tools
Securing enterprise networks has made attackers shift their focus to application layers. As a result, they are prone to 90% of the vulnerabilities in an application. The only way to protect your application from such vulnerabilities is to perform software testing and code analysis in detail right from the initial stages of software development. Selenium, Coded UI Test, Sahi and Unified Functional Testing (UFT) are examples of some of the best software testing tools.
Vulnerability assessment tools
Vulnerability assessment tools help you to identify the potential risks and get rid of them before they cause any damage to your business and its reputation. Some of the best vulnerability assessment tools available include STAT, Nmap and DB-scan.
Vulnerability assessment and penetration testing tools (VAPT)
Vulnerability assessment and penetration testing are two different kinds of testing, with different strengths. When combined together, they help to achieve an overall analysis of an application.
Vulnerability scanning
As mentioned above, sometimes, businesses purchase third party software or may outsource software development which can’t guarantee that they are risk-free. Vulnerability scanning helps to identify loopholes, harmful codes and similar other threats in such software.

What is Bucket Testing and How is it Performed?

Posted on July 27, 2017 by tbsupadminnxtbackendacc

Commonly, a large number of business houses rely on their website’s design, content and other features to gain popularity. However, this becomes easier and much more ensured when a thorough testing and study of the complete website is done by the owners. And, this is what bucket testing is meant for.
Bucket testing, also known as A/B testing or split testing, is a kind of testing which is conducted on (at least) two different versions of a website to check which one performs better. This test is based on a set of key metrics like clicks, downloads or purchases that are measured from each page variation.
Companies that are into online selling and dealing majorly rely on bucket testing to maximize their profit by optimizing the conversion rates for their websites and landing pages.

How it works?
Any bucket test begins with a hypothesis, which can be in the form of text, design or usability change. This hypothesis is based on a team’s decision which believes that incorporating a particular change in real-time situation can work effectively to improve conversion rates.
On conducting the test, if it is found that a particular variation would be able to perform better than the control page for key metrics, the necessary change is incorporated in the website and landing page design.
There is no limit on the number of bucket tests that can be conducted on a particular page. One can continue to conduct these until he/she is satisfied with the outcomes of the new change.
For instance, there is an existing landing page for a free magazine. This page, also known as control or Variation A, will include all the relevant information about the magazine along with a sign-up form and a ‘Submit’ button.
A bucket test can be conducted on this page with a minor textual change incorporated at its bottom that will replace the word ‘Submit’ with ‘Get your free copy’. This page with the new change will be known as Variation B. The metric to be measured during this test would be the number of visitors who successfully fill the form completely.
Since, it is an ad-campaign landing page, the probabilities are very high that there will be a large number of visitors on the page. However, only a few will successfully complete the form. In such a situation, when the key metric is measuring the number of people completing the form and the results are not satisfactory, the bucket test will be conducted again with some other variation.
Common elements to test
One should have a clear understanding about the elements that can impact their website or landing page’s conversion rate. Some of the most common elements that are tested include:

Headlines and sub-headlines such as altering the length, size and font.
Images such as the number of images on each page, their placement, type of imagery and subject matter.
Textual such as varying the number of words, style and font.
Call-to-action (CTA) buttons such as ‘Buy Now,’ ‘Sign Up,’ ‘Submit’ or ‘Get Started.’
Logos of customers or third party sites.

Optimizing conversions
The basic purpose behind creating any website for a business firm is to generate maximum leads by attracting a large number of visitors. Therefore, a lot is spent by the companies to meet this goal.

However, incorporating simple changes in terms of text, image or layout can benefit the company. With bucket testing, there is no need of subjective opinions about the page’s design or layout. The quantitative data collected from this test can drive the decision.

Challenges in Implementing Automation Testing in an Agile Environment

Posted on July 25, 2017 by tbsupadminnxtbackendacc

Test automation is an important part of mobile software testing. By using automated testing services, companies accelerate the process of software testing and expand the performance area. However, when it comes to implementation of automation testing in an agile environment, there are a lot of challenges.
If these problems are not addressed, there is a good chance that software automated testing might fail.

In agile development, the focus in on building the right product and cutting down the long-term risk associated with software development. Agile development process promotes and favors change, and to keep the change within the permissible constraints, investment in the test automation is compulsory.
Moreover, investment in continuous integration is necessary to curtail feedback cycles and to evade the execution of the repetitive task.
A key fundamental of agile development is that testing is done at every stage and regular assessment of the working of product that is being developed. Implementing teams face many challenges, a few of which have been mentioned below. A well-organized test automation process helps tone down these challenges:
Sparse Test Area
Change in coding leads to poor test coverage as the changes were expected beforehand. Regression automation (which ensures that any change in the code hasn’t altered any existing functionality and software is working as per requirement) could be a good solution.
Unplanned Breaking of Codes Due to Frequent Changes
Since the codes are altered on a daily basis, the possibility of code (comprising of working features) breaking, is much high. To tone down this problem, a proper automation process has to be crafted with continuous integration.
Sparse API Testing
Most mobile apps are now developed with a service-orientated architecture that reveals their APIs to everyone, thereby allowing third-party developers to supplement the solution. When designing APIs, it is possible to neglect API testing, due to the high complexity of its implementation. Testing of application programming interfaces requires high coding skill set, which can be done using automation tools. This makes certain that APIs are tested thoroughly every time.
Performance Issues
More the functionality of the software more will be the complexity of its code structure. To make it easy, more lines are added, and it further results in performance issues if the focus sidelines the end-user performance experience. The solution is to find out the line of codes causing performance issues and their impact over time. A variety of load testing software can assist in the search for the slow area and can record the performance over time, to make the performance efficient from version to version.

Complex Mobile Testing
The manual process of mobile testing is a time-consuming process, and the complexity is further increasing the number of new arrivals in the market. To ensure that the proper functioning of the code, there is a requirement of well-built automation software to help mobile app testing services.
Automation testing in the agile environment and its approach is decided based on the requirement of the project, as different projects require different automation tools.
There are IT service providers who excel in automation testing services and Testbytes is one among them. Consult our experts and learn how a right software can improve the performance and productivity.

5 Major Types of Test Automation Frameworks

Posted on July 17, 2017 by tbsupadminnxtbackendacc

Test automation frameworks uses a software to execute tests and then determine whether the resulted outcomes and the predicted outcomes are the same or not. Every organization needs software testing adequately, as quickly and thoroughly as possible. To accomplish this, organizations are turning to use automated testing methods.
As test automation frameworks are application independent, it has the ability to expand with the needs of each application. It promotes automation technologies to improve test coverage and gain better quality products. These frameworks help testers to save thousands of manual test execution hours and reduce costs significantly.
Let’s briefly look into the 5 main test automation categories and its functions:

#1) Linear Automation Framework:
This is the most simple framework of all types. Here, individual scripts are used for each test case and they are executed individually. This process enables the conversion of small or medium sized manual scripts to corresponding automation scripts.
Key Features:

Very little planning is required to work with this framework
Testing doesn’t take much time
A tester does not need detailed knowledge of the framework as it uses record and playback to create linear scripts
Created scripts are independent of each other

#2) Module-based Testing Framework:
This framework is based on object oriented programming method and uses the concept of abstraction. While testing, the application is divided into different modules, where each module consists of individual test scripts. The separation of modules is done using an abstraction layer, so that if any changes occur, it wouldn’t affect the other modules.
Key Features:

This framework includes a high level of modularization, which reduces cost and makes maintenance much easier
It’s pretty much scalable
If defects are detected, only that part of the test script needs to be changed. The rest remains untouched
Create new driver scripts for performing tests easily

#3) Data-Driven Testing Framework:
In this type of testing, the necessary inputs and expected output results are stored in separate data files. Here, a single driver test can execute all the necessary test cases with different sets of data. A driver script consists of functions like reading the data files, navigating through the entire program etc.
Key Features:

It reduces the number of overall test scripts to implement all the available test cases
Test data used can be created before test implementation gets ready or even before the testing system or environment is set up
When it comes to maintenance and fixing of bugs, this framework ensures greater flexibility
To generate test cases, less amount of codes are used

#4) Keyword-Driven Testing Framework:
This is an application independent framework that utilizes data tables and self-descriptive keywords, which explain the functions to be performed on the testing application.
The external input data file showcases the functions through ‘directives’, which are seen within the test scripts. These directives are called keywords. Therefore, this keyword based testing is considered to be an extension of the data-driven framework.
Key Features:

Keywords can be re-used in multiple test cases
An automation expertise is not required to create new or maintain the existing test cases
Reduce the number of overall test scripts
Use a minimal amount of codes to generate test cases
For each test, the functionalities are documented in a table as step by step instructions

#5) Selenium Automation Framework (SAF):
SAF is the most widely used, customized, open-source framework today for automated web application testing. As it reduces the initial coding efforts, SAF increases the efficiency of automation than any other framework.
SAF helps enterprises to speed up the testing mechanism by using accelerators at the test design layer and provides a comprehensive reporting strategy for managing tests.
Key Features:

Intuitive and user-friendly interface for creating and executing test suites
Flexible, robust and extensible framework to carry out test automation on diverse sets
Enables users to perform multiple testing processes for web apps
Detailed reports on test execution results with consolidated summary and snapshot of errors
SAF is built on open source tools, libraries or frameworks that reduce cost for users
Avoid redundancy on test case execution
Increased test coverage to enhance quality and reliability of the end product
Has high interaction with Selenium community, therefore, enables quick updates and shorter learning curve
Increases flexibility of used resource and time

In order to move with the pace of software testing process, development and delivery, it is essential to implement the most effective, reliable and reusable test automation frameworks. It’s not advisable to still hang on to the traditional methods as tools alone can never provide a long-term automation success, when compared to the other latest test automation frameworks.