what? why? who? how? of application security testing

What? Why? Who? How? Of Application Security Testing

Presented by: Declan O’Riordan

@DeclanTestingIT

https://twitter.com/DeclanTestingIT

www.eurostarconferences.com

Application Security



What is Application Security? I tried ISO 27001


Threat growth

Source: Verizon

2013 - 20% more breaches

2012 - 30% higher cost per breach

2014 - Commercial cyber security spending $46 billion


What is Application Security?It is NOT Building, or Network Security!

84% of attacks targetthe applications (Source: HP)

90% of sites are vulnerableto application attacks (Watchfire)


What is the money spent on?

Source: OWASP AppSec USA 2014


The Web was not designed to be secure in the beginning. Security features are afterthoughts.

Source: OWASP


I started to understand the #1 risk: Injection

‘ ; < > & | \Space newline

' &semi; < > & | \

<script > <ScRiPt> %00<script><scr%00ipt> expr/***/ession %3cscript%3e <scr<script>ipt>

HTML encoding, URL encoding,Unicode encoding, Base64 encoding, Hex encoding


What are Application Vulnerabilities?

Source: OWASP


Why Can’t Penetration Testers and Tools take care of Security?


When will the Penetration Tests happen?

Source: OWASP


Using Web Security Scanners to Detect Vulnerabilities in Web ServicesMarco Vieira, Nuno Antunes, and Henrique MadeiraCISUC, Department of Informatics Engineering, University of Coimbra – Portugal

“The differences in the vulnerabilities detected and the high number of false-positives (35% and 40% in two cases) and low coverage (less than 20% for two of the scanners) observed highlight the limitations of web vulnerability scanners on detecting security vulnerabilities in web services.”


Differing results found by scanners:

Coverage is not consistent. Only 21 matching results found.


And so to Firewallsw.w.w. data is exploding: 2010 = 1.2 zettabytes2015 = 7.9 zettabytes2020 = 40 zettabytes?

1.2 million variants of malware per day

20%-30% of malware iscaught by anti-virus


HP alone sift through 2.5 Billion security events per day

Perimeter / Network defences are failing

Web Application Firewalls, IDS, & IPS filter HTTP conversations by applying rules to block common attacks.

BUT They cannot read HTTPS messages.

They cannot identify zero-day (new or obfuscated) attacks.

They need significant effort to customize and maintain.

Methods of attack and defence change over time.


Attackers are using asymmetric economics


Why is Application Security important?

Make that 153m accounts


Why does it take so long to find out?

Source: Verizon


Who is targeted?

Source: Verizon


Who should be doing what?

• We can reverse the asymmetric economics

• Security experts are experts in security, not your system!

• We are the experts in our applications.

• We can build security into the whole SDLC.

• We need to understand the subject.

• Identify what can be done now, and what requires experts.

• We need to make everyone aware of application security.


How?


I became familiar with ‘the’ Top 10 Risks


I created Application Security Testing Proceduresand Development Guidelines


Apply the defences!


Validate Security Requirements


Now get Everyone on board!

what? why? who? how? of application security testing

Software