Patent ID: 8782796

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for testing network security, the method comprising: storing on a monitoring system at least one specified data message and a at least one specified access credential to at least one third-party web-based service; installing on at least one testing system to be tested on a network, at least one software agent configured with the at least one specified data message and the at least one specified access credential to the at least one third-party web-based service; executing the at least one software agent on the testing system to send the at least one specified data message to the at least one third-party web-based service using the at least one specified access credential; accessing, with a monitoring system which is independent of the network, the at least one third-party web-based service with the at least one specified access credential; comparing, with the monitoring system, if data on the at least one third-party web-based service is equivalent to the at least one specified data message sent by the at least one software agent; and assigning a risk factor to the testing system and the at least one third-party web-based service if any data on the at least one third-party web-based service is equivalent to the at least one specified data message sent by the at least one software agent.