Software Testing Tools

Software testing is an essential part of application development. Developers know it's important to make sure software runs properly, does what's expected by its end users, and doesn't allow attackers to get access to its users' personal information. Software testing tools that check for application security are especially important.

Why Software Testing Tools Are Essential for Your Organization

According to Gartner Security, 90% of all software vulnerabilities can be found in applications. If you're an organization using software to enable your staff or customer base to build or use your products, that's an alarming statistic.

In fact, part of why so many vulnerabilities are found in applications is because the internet and most networks have become more secure. When attackers are thwarted, they turn to software as the weakest link, exploiting known flaws like SQL injection attacks and race conditions to sneak into improperly secured areas and access confidential data. Although this is and should be worrying for software developers, software testing tools can significantly reduce the chance of your software having risky vulnerabilities in the first place.

Software testing tools are nothing new. All the same, in today's increasingly web-heavy software environment, tools that let developers quickly and effectively scan for and fix security vulnerabilities are more important than ever. Download our free handbook on application security solutions to learn more about these important tools.

What Is a Software Testing Tool?

Software testing tools are applications used at various points of the software development lifecycle to automate tasks like bug-finding, usability testing, and application security testing. Although no tool can completely replace developer expertise, automated testing tools are incredibly helpful. They allow developers to spend less time on testing and more time on coding and fixing vulnerabilities.

Modern tools are especially powerful in this regard as they can quickly, efficiently, and accurately locate security flaws and provide advice for remediation or outright fixes. Two common kinds of software testing tools are dynamic and static analysis.

Dynamic Code Analysis Tools

One type of software testing tool is the dynamic code analysis tool. With dynamic analysis, you can test web applications in a live web environment, spotting flaws and vulnerabilities that can't necessarily be found in during a code review.

Static Code Analysis Tools

Static analysis often comes to mind when people talk about software testing tools. Also sometimes called binary or source code analysis, a static code analysis tool enables developers too quickly and efficiently find known flaws in their code base.

Veracode's Cloud-Based Software Testing Suite

Veracode has offered a scalable, systematic approach to software security testing for over 10 years, earning us recognition as a Gartner Magic Quadrant Leader since 2010.

Our cloud-based security assessment tool runs in the cloud and provides in-context guidance, teaching developers application security best practices in the environment they already work in. With our software-as-a-service model, you can protect your organization's applications with limited need for specialized staff and hardware.

Additionally, Veracode is modular, so it's a simple matter to select the security elements that match your organization's and application's unique needs. Here are some of our security solutions.

Static Analysis

Veracode's static analysis tool is a powerful automated way to review the entire code base of an application.

Most static analysis tools are source code security analyzers, meaning that you need access to your application's source code in order to fully test for vulnerabilities.

Veracode's binary static analysis tool works differently, analyzing the binary (or compiled) code of your application and any included third-party libraries. This gives you more comprehensive coverage and can find security flaws that are otherwise missed.

Additionally, our program provides guidance directly in the developer’s IDE. Veracode’s Static Analysis Tool will tell developers exactly where a given problem is and offer professionally tested suggestions for how to fix it. Your developers will improve their knowledge of application security while they work, making future projects even more secure.

Dynamic Analysis

Veracode also offers dynamic analysis tools, running your web applications through their paces by testing for common exploits and vulnerabilities.. Testing in a live environment is important because some security flaws aren't detectable through static analysis alone. Dynamic analysis will help your developers locate problems like configuration issues and similar flaws that attackers can exploit.

Much like our binary analysis tool, Veracode dynamic analysis offers in-context guidance and advice to help developers quickly remediate any problems they locate.

Penetration Testing

Penetration testing is commonly thought of as a manual process, rather than a tool, and it can't really be automated. In a penetration test, or "pen test," a security expert will use their expertise to try to break into a web application using a wealth of methods that automated tools are not capable of. Pen tests allow you to simulate the experience of a real world cyberattack, finding otherwise undetectable flaws in a controlled environment before they cause problems in the real world.

Veracode offers manual penetration tests from our team of security experts, with any results delivered through our application security platform or via our API for integration into any other external development environment.

Let Veracode Help You Write Software Securely

At Veracode, we understand the importance of secure software and developer education. We also know that achieving application security can seem like an insurmountable obstacle. Our handbook about maturing an AppSec program will help get you started with best practices and other advice from our information security professionals. We can also provide more detailed suggestions to better fit your organization. Contact us today to ask for more information or schedule a demo of our cloud-based software security tool, and check out this free trial of our hands-on training platform Veracode Security Labs.