In this article, we’re going to talk about automating your web security in the safest and most effective way. We’ll also touch on a few Web Application Security automation tools worth considering using. Furthermore, we'll speak about why its important to select the right Web Application Scanning tool and how it can help meet your web development time frame, saving the company a lot of money and time.

Automation has been a popular buzzword in the digital space for a few years now. With the ability to reduce labour hours, eliminate repetitive tasks and improve the bottom line, it seems that everyone is looking for a way to automate their daily workflow to every extent possible. With web application security testing being both time-consuming and expensive, it’s a prime candidate for automation.

In the never-ending game of cat and mouse between developers, penetration testers and hackers The speed of execution plays a significant role in the identification and management of vulnerabilities. What makes the process even more challenging is the fact that both security professional and hackers are using the same or similar tools.

If you’re not taking advantage of the ability to automate some of your security scanning, it’s only a matter of time until someone beats you to the punch. In almost all situations, it’s not a risk worth taking.

Despite all the positive aspects that arrive as a result of using an automated web security scanner, there are still some important points to consider during the implementation process in order to maximize your effectiveness.

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Automation Starts With Planning

As with any undertaking, in order to achieve optimal results, it’s imperative that you follow a well thought out planning process. This means before you commence automated web vulnerability scanning, you should develop a plan that is specific, measurable, attainable and time-sensitive.

Reducing risk and searching for web application vulnerabilities requires nothing short of a detailed plan. You need to understand what a potential hacker might be looking for and where the most serious risks might lie, area that will vary with every business. You also need a clear understanding of what tools you’ll be using as well as how they will be used.

Automating web securitymeans having a plan that is measurable. This is best achieved through accurate reporting and open communication amongst your team. If a web application is in development, you should be testing at specific predetermined intervals throughout the development lifecycle. Writing vulnerable code on top of vulnerable code merely exacerbates the problem.

A plan that’s attainable will help to keep you on track. Consistent and methodical testing is always better than inconsistent and haphazard.

Finally, having a time-sensitive completion date is always vital to the overall success. If your project never leaves the development and testing phase, is still a liability from a business perspective, which is why many developers turn to automatic scanning tools from both the open-source and commercial sector

Automated Versus Manual Scanning

This article examines the differences between logical and technical web application vulnerabilities which tends to be a very confusing topic especially for web application developers and security – penetration experts because it would make sense that a vulnerability by any other name is simply confusing something that should be simple.

However, there are significant differences between technical and logical vulnerabilities which are critically important — especially if you are developing or penetration testing a web application.

Automated web application security scanners are indispensable when it comes to scanning for potential vulnerabilities. Web applications today have become complicated the point where trying to eliminate all vulnerabilities manually is nothing short of foolish. The task is too large to even attempt. And, even if you did, you are likely to miss far too many as a result of human error.

Don’t let that lead you to believe that humans have no place in the process. While computers are indispensable in their ability to tirelessly scan for technical vulnerabilities, humans have the unique ability to not only think logically, but also analytically.

As a result, we still play a critical role in the process of identifying vulnerabilities in websites and web applications and will likely do so for some time to come.

But what is the difference between logical and technical vulnerabilities? And where should humans intervene in the detection process? To understand this, let’s take a closer look at the difference between the two.

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Technical Vulnerabilities

Technical vulnerabilities is an area where automated scanners excel — it is a rule-based process. It is also time intensive, because of the vast number of attack vectors and potential vulnerabilities. For a human to complete this process, while possible, would be extremely expensive and likely full of both false-positives and false-negatives.

A common example of a technical vulnerability (for example SQL Injection) would be an application that requires information to be submitted by a user through a form. Any data submitted needs to be properly sanitized and failure to do so could make your application vulnerable to attack.

Testing for this is a simple task. For example, a hacker could probe for a vulnerability by submitting an email address with a single quotation at the end of the text. The response they receive might indicate the presence of a vulnerability.

This section contains technical articles covering Web Application Security Scanners used to detect and report vulnerabilities such as SQL Injection and Cross-site Scripting (XSS) in all websites and web applications, regardless of the platform and technology they are built on. Web Application Security Scanners use unique detection and exploitation techniques allowin them to be dead accurate in reporting vulnerabilities; rarely producing false positive reports.

In addition you'll find other useful information about SQL Injection, Cross-site Scriptting and other attack methods, but also useful technical articles to help understand and maximize the capabilities of your Web Application Security Scanner