Preventing cyber attacks and security breaches is a constant battle for businesses and organisations. Therefore, security testing has become crucial for keeping any website, cloud, mobile, and web applications safe. The OWASP methodology is a way to keep your security updated and ensure any security vulnerabilities are dealt with.
We go into a detailed explanation and provide additional information on the OWASP methodology.
What Is OWASP Penetration Testing Framework?
OWASP (Open Web Application Security Project) is a non-profit organisation dedicated to improving software security through community-led open-source software projects. Furthermore, the OWASP methodology offers a framework for identifying, assessing, and mitigating security risks in web applications or larger organisations like financial services. Here are some security testing tools that OWASP offers to all organisations:
- OWASP ZAP
- Burp Proxy
- Web Stretch Proxy
- Firefox HTTP Header Live
- Firefox Tamper Data
- Firefox Web Developer Tools
- DOM Inspector
- Grendel-Scan
The methodology is based on the security approach of “defence in depth,” which means that security controls should be applied at multiple levels within the system to provide layered protection against attacks. The methodology stresses the need for continuous testing and improvement rather than relying on a single test or assessment to identify all potential vulnerabilities.
The OWASP methodology encompasses a variety of tests and procedures, including threat modelling, code review, vulnerability scanning, penetration testing, and security requirement testing. These tests are made to find weaknesses in the code, configuration, and behaviour of the application and the network environment and underpinning infrastructure.
The OWASP methodology is made to be versatile and adaptive to various application kinds, development settings, and security requirements. It frequently serves as a framework for the creation of personalised security testing programs that are catered to the unique requirements of a company and plays a huge role in cyber security awareness.
All things considered, the OWASP methodology is a tried-and-true way of identifying and mitigating security threats in web applications. It is regarded as a best practice for web application security testing and has been widely implemented by enterprises worldwide.
Steps of OWASP Penetration Testing
When using OWASP penetration testing on your system, or web application, there are steps you will have to go through.
1) Planning and Preparation
Before conducting a penetration test, the tester requires a high-level view of the server or application and must gather the information that will be used in the next phases. Additionally, this phase collects basic data like:
- Web server version and type
- Understand typical requests/responses of applications
- Search engines
- Robots.txt files
- Folder paths
- Metadata
Furthermore, the goals and parameters of the security evaluation are established during this step. The security team identifies the assets that need to be secured and the potential threats and vulnerabilities that could damage them.
2) Threat Modelling
To identify potential dangers and attack vectors, a model of the web application must be created during this phase. Here, system administrators and security teams pinpoint prospective security threats and calculate the possibility of those threats materialising.
In this phase, the tester has already identified the application’s infrastructure and knows how it affects the application and its security. Additionally, they have also looked for administrator interfaces that can be exploited while carrying out a penetration test.
Furthermore, it is a phase where you can test aspects like the platform configuration and how it handles different file extensions. Additionally, you can also test for cross-site policies that can be exploited.
3) Vulnerabilities Assessment
The team searches for vulnerabilities in the web application at this phase using both automated tools and manual testing. This entails checking for frequent flaws, including buffer overflows, cross-site scripting, and SQL injection.
This step also deals with accounts, privileges, and access. The login page is the main focus, and collaborative efforts are made to investigate whether it can be exploited. Additionally, different application roles like user and administrator are tested to see which access and privileges come with each role.
Furthermore, the tester also checks the process and needed requirements to delete or create an account. All this testing is essential to find out whether there are vulnerabilities that can be exploited within the system.
4) Remediation
This step consists of prioritising the vulnerabilities found in the risk analysis phase following their seriousness which allows for the development of a remediation strategy. Applying patches or updating program versions may be required. Lastly, it is during this stage that PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) is validated.
5) Verification
The team conducts additional security testing to ensure the effectiveness of the security protections implemented after the vulnerabilities have been fixed.
Verification helps to reduce cyber risks by doing thorough manual and automated assessments to identify security holes and vulnerabilities in applications, networks, and systems. The evaluations improve your security while reducing risks and protecting technology infrastructure.
6) Maintenance
In order to maintain the web application’s security over time, this step needs regular monitoring. This includes updating security controls and conducting frequent vulnerability assessments.
Also, the business as a whole, especially those in charge of security, must be aware of a preventative maintenance plan. Additionally, the security team should always know which components were examined during each inspection, the findings, and what corrective actions were taken.
Frequently Asked Questions About OWASP Methodology
i) What is the OWASP risk rating methodology?
It is a means to easily and accurately assess the likelihood and impact of a web application’s vulnerability.
ii) Which OWASP penetration testing tools should I use?
For general OWASP penetration testing, it is recommended to use the following:
- OWASP ZAP
- Burp Proxy
- Web Stretch Proxy
- Firefox HTTP Header Live
- Firefox Tamper Data
- Firefox Web Developer Tools
- DOM Inspector
- Grendel-Scan
They are easy-to-use integrated penetration testing tools for finding vulnerabilities in web applications.
iii) What are OWASP vulnerabilities?
OWASP vulnerabilities are security weaknesses published by the Open Web Application Security Project. They are any issues that allow an attacker to bypass access controls and are ranked by the severity of the security risk they pose to web applications.
The Bottom Line
Carrying out security tests is important to ensure the safety of any system. Furthermore, the OWASP testing guide provides a detailed discussion on the security testing of web applications, so you aren’t left with security issues.
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