Web applications have become an integral part of our lives. We use them to order food, to book a ride to work, to find a date, to buy clothes and makeup, to monitor our diet and water consumption, and so much more. We’ve become so used to depending on apps that we’ve ignored the amount of information entered with every login, swipe, and sale. It is crucial for web application developers to ensure the security of their product. Web application security testing analyzes and reports the level of security in the said product.

Security testing is especially crucial in today’s technology industry. Web apps are one of the main causes of data breaches. Veracode’s 2017 State of Software Security Report says that 77 percent of web applications have a minimum of one security vulnerability. In 2016, there were 728 data breaches occurring in the US out of the 974 reported for that year.

How to Build a Highly Secure Web Application

The standard practice of protecting a database with a firewall doesn’t work for publicly accessed web applications. The app needs the constant traffic from public usage in order to function and serve its purpose. Hackers have found ways to go past the traditional security measures set in these applications, using the access between the database and application server to gain the confidential information.

To ensure all-around, sustainable protection, your app’s development team should keep the following security concepts in mind:

1. Confidentiality that only gives authorized users access to vital data.
2. Authentication that establishes and verifies the user’s identity.
3. Authorization that requires a user to perform an action or receive a service to authorize their account.
4. Integrity such as a security measure that lets the receiver verify the accuracy of the data.
5. Availability is readily available information and communication.
6. Non-repudiation prevents the denial of any action that has occurred.

The app should also be tested against several kinds of hacking techniques, particularly those that go past authorization, authentication, and validation of its users. These particular techniques include parameter tampering, cookie poisoning, session hijacking, user privilege escalation, and credential manipulation.

There are also several other benefits to attaining your web app’s overall security. Here are some of the advantages that will drive both your business and boost customer confidence.

Benefits of Ensuring Web Security Support

1. Avoid a Failure to Launch

With so many apps being developed across different industries, it’s important for yours to stand out against the competition. But none of your app’s gimmicks will fly if your users suffer from a confidential information breach. It’s important to establish trust with your app’s users and make them feel protected with every use. Having all the necessary security measures will not only maintain the customer relationship but also boot your app’s overall reputation.

2. Save Yourself the Cost of Potential Lawsuits

The consequences of a security breach aren’t temporary. If a hacker ends up acquiring confidential information, your company is in for a lawsuit that will do more damage than a temporary PR nightmare. Thorough and careful web security application testing prevents the likelihood of this event and saves your business’ limited time, money, and resources.

3. Detects Invisible Security Vulnerabilities

A qualified web security support team can spot complex vulnerabilities that are easy to miss without using a source code. This adds to the many attacks hackers can think up to threaten your app and its users’ security.

4. Achieve Certifications and Compliance Standards

Two kinds of web security tests, penetration testing and vulnerability assessment, are mandatory in certain industries. If your company has passed the audit for these tests, you can acquire many internationally recognized standards such as ISO 27002/ ISO 27001, PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Compliance, Sarbanes-Oxley Compliance, and the SAS 70 (Statement on Auditing Standards), to name a few. Passing these standards builds credibility and definitely makes your business more attractive to potential partners, investors, and clients.

Startups, small and medium businesses may not have the resources to hire web security support experts. An in-house data management and security team is costly to a business that is focused on long-term growth. Thankfully companies like Infinit-O provides customized, cost-effective solutions to assure your app company thorough and sustainable web security. Compared to hiring and bearing the costs of an in-house team, your company can save up to 40 to 60 percent in labor and infrastructure expenses by outsourcing web security support to our Data & Research team. Apart from the various security tests, we tailor our services for your data management, entry, and processing needs. Rest assured all your data will be protected as that is our number one priority, backed by multiple ISO certifications and our HIPAA compliance. We are in the business of protecting all our clients’ data.

We guarantee that your business will be of absolute importance, because we, at Infinit-O, provide innovative and endless outsourcing opportunities for you and your company.

Infinit-O is the trusted customer-centric and sustainable leader in Business Process Optimization to Small and Medium businesses in the Financial Services, Healthcare and Technology sectors by delivering continuous improvement through technology, data and people.

If you are ready to grow, think Infinit-O.