Conducting Risk Assessments for Web Security Testing
Introduction
A risk assessment is used to evaluate web security risks and determine what controls need to be implemented to protect the organization's data. The estimate should include identifying assets and determining which assets are most important to protect. Areas to consider include networks, web applications, databases, mobile applications, and user devices.
The risk assessment should begin with an analysis of the threat landscape, a list of potential risks, and a characterization of those risks based on the organization's security policies. After that, the organization should determine which chances are the most likely to be exploited and which assets need to be protected. Countermeasures should then be developed to reduce the likelihood of attacks, and monitoring should be implemented to detect them. Finally, verifications should be run to ensure that the controls are implemented correctly.
Threat Identification and Vulnerability Analysis
At this stage, the security risks associated with the web application are identified and analyzed. This includes identifying potential attack vectors, potential threats associated with each vector, and the vulnerabilities of the web application which can be exploited by malicious actors.
Identifying Threats: Threats can be identified through a variety of methods, such as network scans, penetration tests, security audits, risk assessments, and other security-focused activities. Threats may include malicious code, such as malware, viruses, ransomware, and spyware, as well as hackers who gain access to systems.
Vulnerability Analysis: This process involves identifying and analyzing vulnerabilities in the system, such as weaknesses in the security policy, configuration, or process. Vulnerability scanners can be used to identify these weaknesses, and their findings can help organizations create a plan to reduce or eliminate the risk associated with them.
Web Security Testing: Web security testing involves testing the security of the web applications by accessing the system from the Internet. It may involve probes and scans to detect and identify weaknesses such as vulnerabilities in the code, application design, server configuration, and security practices. The function of a web security tester is to check for security holes and weaknesses and then devise countermeasures and suggestions to improve the security of the system.
Risk Evaluation
Risk evaluation web security testing is an important part of ensuring the security of any website or web application. It allows for quick and comprehensive assessments of potential risks to any online presence.
Risk evaluation and web security testing can be divided into eight categories of testing and can be evaluated on a scale of 0-8, with 0 representing the lowest risk and 8 representing the highest risk.
Application Characterization: This testing evaluates how the application is structured and organized and helps to determine which security tests are most applicable. 0-2
Authentication Testing: This phase evaluates the security of the authentication protocols used by the application, such as passwords, tokens, cryptographic keys, and biometrics. 2-4
Access Control Testing: This testing evaluates the application's ability to restrict access to application resources based on the identity of the user. 2-4
Input Validation Testing: This testing evaluates the application's ability to detect malicious user inputs. 3-5
Vulnerability Scanning: This testing evaluates the application for vulnerabilities by running automated scans of the application. 4-6
Database Security Testing: This testing evaluates the security of the databases used to store application data. 4-6
Browser Security Testing: This testing evaluates the security of the web browsers that the application uses, such as Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, and Google Chrome. 4-6
Network Security Testing: This testing evaluates the security of the network infrastructure that supports the application. 5-8
Risk Mitigation
Once the risks have been evaluated, mitigation strategies must be developed. These tactics may include, but are not limited to, implementing security controls to reduce the likelihood of a threat occurring and mitigating the impact if it does.
Process for risk mitigation
Conduct regular vulnerability scans: It is important to conduct regular scans to monitor the security posture of your web applications. These scans should identify any potential misconfigurations or vulnerable components that may have been installed, such as outdated third-party libraries.
Implement a secure coding practice: When developing web applications, secure coding practices should be implemented. This may include using secure coding frameworks and frameworks such as OWASP ZAP, which will ensure that the coding techniques used are secure and do not inadvertently introduce security issues.
Apply web application firewalls: Web application firewalls (WAFs) can help protect against common application-layer attacks such as SQL Injection, Cross-Site Scripting (XSS), and Remote File Inclusion (RFI). WAFs will provide an additional layer of protection, monitoring inbound and outbound traffic as well as contextual analysis of content.
Utilize a web security scanning tool: Web security scanning tools can help detect vulnerabilities within web applications that may otherwise be difficult to identify manually. Popular tools include Burp Suite, which can detect SQL injection, Cross-Site Scripting (XSS), and other issues.
Implement encryption for sensitive data: When transferring data over the web, encryption should be implemented. This can be done by setting up SSL/TLS certificates or using IPSEC protocols to ensure any data being transferred is securely encrypted.
Update software regularly: Once a vulnerability is identified, it is important to update the software as soon as possible to ensure the most up-to-date security measures are in place. This is especially important for web applications as they will be exposed to more threats than an internal network.
Enforce strong authentication and authorization: It is important to implement strong authentication schemes to ensure that only authorized people have access to your web applications. This should include two-factor authentication or other innovative methods like biometric authentication. Authorization should also be enforced to ensure people can only access the resources to which they are authorised.
Monitor log files: Logging can be used to monitor system and user activity, allowing for malicious activities or threats to be detected as early as possible. Logs should be monitored on a regular basis so any suspicious activities can be identified and dealt with quickly.
Conclusion
Web security testing is an important part of ensuring the overall security of a web application. It helps to identify any security risks and vulnerabilities, which can then be mitigated to help protect the system from potential attackers. The process should also be regularly updated to ensure that any newly discovered security threats are addressed.
This risk assessment has identified the security risks associated with the web application and developed mitigation strategies to reduce these risks. However, security risks can never be eliminated, so this risk assessment must be regularly updated to ensure the web application remains secure.
Ultimately, the goal of web security testing is to provide a secure web environment and ensure that all users can access the application safely.