How to speed up mobile app pipeline with continuous security testing
Published: 2023-07-10 11:17:06


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## What is security testing? 
Security Testing is one type of Software Testing that detects system vulnerabilities and verifies that the system’s data and resources are safeguarded from potential invaders. It guarantees that the software system and application are free of any hazards or risks that might result in a loss. Any system’s security testing focuses on identifying any vulnerabilities and flaws that might result in data loss or the organization’s reputation.

## What is continuous security testing?
Continuous [security testing](https://www.headspin.io/blog/all-you-need-to-know-about-application-security-testing) expands the technique of continuous testing (CT) for functional quality concerns to security vulnerabilities. Continuous Security Testing is a flexible and adaptive methodology that continuously tests, measures, and optimizes the efficacy of a company’s security controls, infrastructure configurations, policy enforcement, and more. 

This method is also used for apps and similar products for difficulties discovered early in the development cycle. It is the process of regularly testing the security measures of an organization or a specific application to protect against possible attacks. It is a dynamic method for identifying and mitigating the risks in the digital world, which may put the organization’s data and security in danger, jeopardizing the brand’s reputation and client confidence.

CST checks for the disclosure of sensitive data and the usage of dangerous implementations in open-source libraries, while CT evaluates the functionality of your buttons and algorithm.

## How can you avoid Mobile app breaches and launch speed up the process with security testing?

- In 2021, a data breach at T-Mobile compromised the personal information of about 48 million individuals.

- Due to misconfigured cloud services, more than 100 million Android users’ personal information was compromised in a data breach in 2021, exposing their data to the public.

- According to CheckPoint Research April 2021, thirteen prominent Android applications exposed the data of up to 100 million users. 
The hazards are much higher for public sector entities and banks that fall behind in-app security testing. The fact that breaches in such government-affiliated programs offer direct access to their databases and servers exacerbates the severity of the situation.

The Open Online Application Security Project or OWASP, a well-recognized web and mobile app security contributor, has curated a memo of the top 10 security risks and vulnerabilities and described how they might be handled to decrease chances. Nonetheless, it is crucial to identify vulnerabilities in the first place, a job that most enterprises fail to do.

**Here is security testing helps in simple ways-**

- There will be security gaps at every step of development due to tight constraints and the absence of a security testing standard. However, developers seldom consider their code to be insecure. Continuous application security testing for mobile apps with third-party security partners guarantees confidential information on how your application might be compromised. Every aspect of action must be evaluated, from unwanted, unsafe permission requests to instances of malware. This technique entails simulating real-world attack scenarios to comprehensively study the security posture, particularly concerning the OWASP Mobile Top 10.

- How long does the security of the code last? Is a single test of mobile apps sufficient? Applications are often updated monthly to remain competitive and provide the most significant user experience. However, these improvements also introduce new hazards that most businesses fail to anticipate. Every new line of code represents a potential danger and must be addressed. A single application test is inadequate. Dynamic security testing helps uncover vulnerabilities and eliminates any future risks.

- Developers often presume that mobile device file systems are unavailable to users and viruses. Consequently, many think that keeping sensitive information on the gadget is safe. However, it is relatively simpler to breach data, particularly on mobile devices with insufficient encryption or those that have been jailbroken. This security breach results in the theft of authentication information, user names, cookies, and passwords. An audit conducted through security testing or DAST for mobile apps aids in analyzing the phone’s memory to verify all data saved by the application.

- Applications cannot function alone; they must continually transmit and receive data. One of the most prevalent security breach methods is eavesdropping or spying on information during an Internet connection. Even seasoned CISOs forget the significance of encrypted communication, resulting in the loss of critical data. To save applications from this, different procedures of security tests help. Through these procedures and types, they detect possible threat cases and improve the security of the applications.

## Different procedures of security testing
**Static analysis:** Mobile app testing and examining security flaws without executing the code or application.
**Dynamic analysis:** using the app in real-time and evaluating how it behaves for users
**Penetrating security:** Network, server, web applications, mobile devices, and other endpoints are examined for vulnerabilities.
**Hybrid testing:** Combining two or more processes for testing

## Types of automated security tests

**Sast ( Static Application Security Testing)** – ‘SAST’ tools use the white box testing methodology, examining an application’s internal functions. The static source code is analyzed to determine security flaws. Non-compiled code may identify syntax and mathematical mistakes, erroneous and insecure references, and input validation issues. They must use binary and byte-code analyzers to execute compiled code.

**Dast (Dynamic Application Security Testing )**- In DAST, mobile application security testing technologies use a black box testing methodology. Code is analyzed at runtime to identify security vulnerabilities. DAST tools may address problems with query strings, script use, requests and answers, memory leakage, authentication, execution of third-party components, DOM injection, and cookie and session management. This is well-known for replicating several test scenarios.

**East (Interactive Application Security Testing)**- the tools in this section are advanced forms of SAST and DAST tools. They conduct dynamic testing and runtime software inspections. They are run inside the server, which allows them to examine compiled source code. These tests may give helpful information on the underlying source of vulnerabilities and the programs to which they are tied. They are well suited for testing API since they can investigate source code, third-party libraries, and data flow.

**Mast (Mobile Application Security Testing)-** MAST is a set of tools that evaluate forensic data provided by mobile apps by combining static and dynamic analysis. They are most well-known for solving mobile-specific concerns such as jailbreaking, wifi network troubles, and data leaking from mobile devices.

**Sca(Software Composition Analysis)**- SCA tools undertake inventories of third-party open-source and commercial components inside the software.

**Rasp (Runtime Application Self-Protection)**- SAST, DAST, and IAST gave rise to the runtime application self-protection (RASP) tools. Their specialty is monitoring application traffic and behavior during runtime to identify and prevent future cyber attacks.

## Conclusion
Application security testing involves multi-level security, but flawless apps are the endgame. When you are confident that your program has been thoroughly tested for all potential flaws and systemic vulnerabilities, you can rest easy that the application is not currently at risk. After the required technical and user acceptance testing, the acceptance guarantees that the application satisfies business requirements and customer needs.

So switch to [automated mobile testing](https://www.headspin.io/solutions/mobile-app-testing) and use a tool like HeadSpin that’ll accelerate the entire process, ensuring the application is without any bugs or threats of breaches. 

Original source: https://techflas.com/how-to-speed-up-mobile-app-pipeline-with-continuous-security-testing/