What is a web application penetration test?
Many organizations in the United States use web applications in their daily operations. A web application penetration test aims to identify security issues resulting from insecure development practices in the design, coding and publishing of software or a website.
This generally includes:
- Testing user authentication to verify that accounts cannot compromise data
- Assessing the web applications for flaws and vulnerabilities, such as XSS (cross-site scripting)
- Confirming the secure configuration of web browsers and identifying features that can cause vulnerabilities
- Safeguarding web server security and database server security
The vulnerabilities are presented in a format that allows an organization to assess their relative business risk and the cost of remediation. These can then be resolved in line with the application owner’s budget and risk appetite, inducing a proportionate response to cyber risks.
Did you know?
- Applications are the initial target in 53% of breaches
- Breaches that start with website and application attacks account for 47% of the breach costs, making application attacks the most costly
Once an application vulnerability is exploited, attackers will find their way through the network to your data.
These attacks can be used to modify or capture data, steal user credentials or affect the operational performance of your application or website.
The benefits of a web application penetration test
Our penetration tests will help you:
- Gain real-world insight into your vulnerabilities
- Keep untrusted data separate from commands and queries
- Develop strong authentication and session management controls
- Improve access control
- Discover the most vulnerable route through which an attack can be made
- Find any loopholes that could lead to the theft of sensitive data
Is a web application penetration test right for you?
If you are responsible for a website or web application, you should ask yourself:
- Could your application be exploited to access your network?
- Do you use an off-the-shelf CMS (content management system)? Is it vulnerable to attack?
- Could your identity credentials be hacked, or account privileges escalated?
- Is your API secure?
- Do you process or store payment details on your website?
- Does your application store personally identifiable information at the back-end?
- Can an attacker get direct access to your database using SQL