Why Application Security Testing Just Makes Sense

In today's modern software development landscape, things tend to escalate rapidly.  Nowadays, software applications have become an essential part of how businesses improve internal productivity and launch their services to customers. But in this digital world, software development is about much more than the initial launch. Each and every application, a business uses needs to be constantly checked at every stage of the software development life cycle (SDLC), to make sure it can withstand malicious attacks. So, software security testing comes in.

What is Application Security?

Application security describes security measures at the application level that aim to prevent data within the app or code of the app from being stolen. It relates to the measures a developer puts in place to stop attacks from being effective or data from being stolen by those with malicious intent notably hackers participating in ransomware schemes and similar. Application Security encompasses the security considerations that happen during application development and design, but it also involves systems and approaches to protect the applications after they get deployed. 

Why is Application Security Testing Important?

Most organizations have more than one application and some large business enterprises have hundreds or thousands of applications in development and production. Application Security Testing is important because each application is constantly updated to fix security issues, improve performance, and meet new customer demands, and an essential part of the update process is to test the application for security issues. Nowadays, in modern software development, application security should be a consideration at every stage of the SDLC from creating the initial development roadmap to ongoing post-launch support and patched-in updates that negate threats.

Software security testing is an integral part of the development journey and carries many customers and business benefits. The following are five of the biggest benefits.

Protects your business from attacks and data leaks

Protecting your business from attacks and data leaks is the foremost the biggest reason why application security testing just makes sense. Many developers will claim to work with secure code, but the only way the developers know for sure that it’s as secure as possible is to test for security vulnerabilities as the project progresses. Ongoing application security testing ensures new threats don’t become an issue. Essentially, application security testing is important for keeping your company safe from the dangers of organised hacker groups.

When implemented early - saves time and money

Our second reason why you should security test your applications is that it can actually significantly speed up the software development process. When software security testing is not factored in alongside development, vulnerabilities can become apparent at the end of the development cycle or even after the app launch. Not testing your application for security can actually increase project costs unnecessarily. Implementing security testing early in your application development process can help you to address issues early, saving valuable time and money in the process.

Produces a superior product with fewer vulnerabilities

Earlier software security testing in the development cycle also gives more time for testers to expose vulnerabilities in an application and subsequently address them as the build progresses. As a result of being thoroughly tested, an end product that’s fit for the market and further patches can then follow the same rigorous approach to maintain the security of your app.

Enhances your business reputation 

Superior products in any industry have a habit of generating word of mouth that boosts brand performance. Software security testing enhances your business reputation and lowers the chances of it being damaged is just another example of why application security testing is important. To sufficiently protect your customer data, you will want to be sure every application connected with your company is as secure as possible.

Helps with compliance, whatever industry you’re in

The final reason why software security testing just makes sense is that it helps to create software that complies strictly with the standards of whatever industry you happen to operate in.  The financial and investment fields demand rigorous checks, particularly for things like loans and insurance applications. Data leaks in the industry can therefore compromise individuals, exposing them to blackmail attempts, or even the funding opportunities of entire businesses, which can potentially affect everyone they employ. The compelling reason why you should security test your applications as thoroughly and early as possible during the software development journey.

Keeping your applications secure

Making sense of application security testing is not easy if you and your team are not enormously technically minded. At Hepto Technologies, we offer Application Security Services built into our software development process, and can also take software not created by us and offer thorough Application Security Services to keep your business app secure.