Security Testing for Oracle EBS: Automated and Manual Approach
Tags: oracle, ebs, test, automation
Published: 2023-07-21 12:26:39

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Oracle EBS is a powerful enterprise software suite that helps organizations in various business functions, such as financial management, supply chain management, and customer relationship management. It contains sensitive business data, including financial, customer, and employee data. Ensuring safety and protection against potential threats becomes crucial as a security breach can lead to significant financial losses, reputational damage, legal penalties, and loss of customer trust.

Security testing comes into picture as it identifies vulnerabilities in the system and conducts testing so that organizations can prevent potential security breaches. However, security testing can be done manually and automatically, and Oracle EBS test automation is a testing option widely used by organizations to prevent security threats.

**Automated and Manual Approach to Security Testing**

Security testing identifies security vulnerabilities in the EBS system. Automation uses software tools & scripts and the purpose of Oracle EBS test automation in security testing is to detect potential security issues in the EBS application before it is deployed to production or to identify and remediate vulnerabilities as they arise in production.

Automation is done by using tools such as open-source and commercial testing tools. These tools are quick & efficient and can scan a large number of codes, which will save time and effort compared to manual testing. Manual testing is prone to human error due to repetitive tasks, so automation tools come into the picture to provide consistent and accurate results. Using tools for Oracle EBS test automation will be cost-effective in the long run.

On the other hand, manual approaches stand for performing security testing tasks manually without the use of automated tools or scripts. While automated testing can be more efficient and consistent, manual testing can provide deeper insight into the security posture of an EBS implementation. It can identify vulnerabilities that automated tools may miss. Here are some manual approaches to security testing for Oracle EBS.

**Penetration Testing**

It simulates an attack on the EBS application to identify potential vulnerabilities and is done manually by a security professional or a team of security professionals. It identifies vulnerabilities that automated tools may miss and can provide a more accurate assessment of the EBS application’s security posture.

**Code Review**

In this step, security professionals with expertise in coding and application security examine the EBS application’s code to identify potential vulnerabilities that automated tools may not detect. In case of defects, remediation is done in the code.

**Configuration Review**

Once again, a security professional with expertise in EBS and application security examines the EBS application’s configuration to identify potential vulnerabilities related to misconfigured settings. In case of defects, remediation is done.

**User Training**

In this step, security awareness training is provided to EBS users to help them identify potential security threats and avoid common security pitfalls, such as phishing attacks or social engineering. It will help to reduce the likelihood of security breaches caused by human error.

**Automated and Manual Testing: Which One Is Better**?

Automation testing stands for automating the test, like Oracle EBS test automation using the tools with the help of scripts. It is one of the best ways to improve productivity, efficiency, and test coverage. On the other hand, manual testing stands for executing the test by a tester without using any automation tools and scripts.

Manual approaches to security testing can be time-consuming and resource-intensive, but they can provide a more comprehensive and accurate assessment of the security posture of an EBS implementation. It’s important to note that automated security testing tools are not a replacement for manual testing and are still essential to identify and remediate all security vulnerabilities. Combining manual and automated approaches to security testing can help organizations identify and remediate potential vulnerabilities in their EBS application more effectively.

**Challenges in the Security Testing for Oracle EBS**

Security testing for Oracle EBS becomes challenging due to security threats’ complex and constantly evolving nature. Here are some of the key challenges in security testing for Oracle EBS.

**Lack of Expertise**

Performing the security testing needs specialization and security best practices in EBS applications. So, it becomes hard for organizations to find security professionals with the necessary expertise.

**The Complexity of EBS Architecture**

Due to the complex nature, multiple components and configurations of EBS applications, performing the security testing becomes challenging.

**Difficulty in Reproducing Attacks**

Organizations reproduce the attacks before the launch to find potential vulnerabilities in the system. Still, it can be difficult, as it may require access to a specific environment or data set.

**Limited Access to Production Data**

Due to the limited access to production data, performing the security testing becomes difficult.

**Time and Resource Constraints**

Security testing demands time and resources that becomes difficult for organizations to perform comprehensively.

**Compliance Requirements**

EBS applications may be subject to compliance requirements, such as PCI-DSS or HIPAA, which can complicate security testing.

**The Bottom Line**!

Oracle EBS helps organizations with various business functions and has sensitive data. So, security testing becomes crucial to prevent security breaches. However, two approaches can be followed for security testing – automatic and manual. Opkey is a no-code tool that helps you to automate your testing process in minutes without any programming knowledge. They have thousands of prebuilt-library that make the Oracle EBS test automation quick and easy.