How to Incorporate Penetration Testing into the Software Development Lifecycle for Continuous Security

Cybersecurity has become undeniably crucial in today’s tech-driven world. Technology is everywhere, and almost every device or application collects some form of user data. Technically, there’s nothing wrong with this—companies rely on data to improve their products. However, once you collect user data, you must invest resources into protecting it. If you take user data to improve your solution, some people will want this data to commit crimes.

So, how do you ensure your data stays protected—not just after release, but throughout the entire development lifecycle? While there are many ways to achieve this, one of the most effective is penetration testing. Today, we will tell you everything you need to know about it and how to integrate it continuously into your software’s security.

The Role of Penetration Testing in the SDLC

When we think of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), we often imagine a smooth, linear process where code comes together like perfectly aligned puzzle pieces. But in reality, it’s more like a series of sprints—sometimes involving tripping over bugs and realizing mid-way that your data is out in the open. And by the way, a data breach can cost your company around $4.88 million—a costly mistake.

That’s where penetration testing steps in. Incorporating it into your SDLC is essential for continuous security and following DevSecOps practices. After all, it is better to find out about vulnerabilities before  they’re being exploited by real hackers.

What is Penetration Testing?

In simple terms, penetration testing is like asking a professional to try to break into your system before someone else does. The goal? To find those vulnerabilities hiding in the code before they become a hacker’s playground.

Pen testing mimics real-world attack scenarios to uncover security gaps that automated tools might miss. It’s a critical part of maintaining continuous security throughout the SDLC. 

Types of Penetration Testing

Not all pen tests are created equal. In fact, depending on how much access the tester has, pen tests can come in three options:

• Black-box: Here, the tester has zero prior knowledge of the internal workings of your app or service. They’re working purely from the outside, simulating the experience of a typical external attacker. Black-box testing provides an unbiased perspective on your overall security measures, helping to assess the effectiveness of your external defenses.

• White-box: This is more like an insider job. The tester knows everything: the code, the architecture, the infrastructure. White-box testing allows for an in-depth assessment, helping spot issues that only a person with insider access would catch. It’s like inviting a locksmith to see how easy it is to pick your locks—and then fix them.

• Gray-box: The hybrid approach. The tester knows some details but not everything. It’s a balance between the two extremes, simulating an attacker with partial knowledge of the system. The goal is to understand how much damage someone with limited inside info can do.

Benefits of Incorporating Penetration Testing

Incorporating penetration testing into your SDLC is essential for protecting sensitive data, ensuring compliance, and maintaining customer trust. It offers a proactive approach to identifying and mitigating risks, ensuring your organization's defenses remain strong against evolving cyber threats. Here are some of the most important benefits:

• Early identification of vulnerabilities: Catching a vulnerability early is like finding out about a leaky pipe before it floods your basement. Pen testing at key stages of the SDLC ensures you’re not shipping code with glaring weaknesses.

• Cost-effective remediation: Addressing vulnerabilities during the planning or development phases is far more cost-effective than waiting until the app's release. Early pen testing helps you catch and resolve issues while they’re still manageable.

• Enhanced security posture: A proactive approach to security, with regular penetration tests, means less worrying about data breaches. By embracing continuous security and integrating pen testing into your SDLC, you can be sure that your data is secure and all your defenses are ready and up-to-date.

Incorporating Penetration Testing into Each SDLC Phase

Here’s how we weave penetration testing into every phase of the SDLC so that you don’t end up patching holes when your app is already live.

Planning Phase

Before we even write a single line of code, we are already thinking about security. During this phase, it’s essential to define the security requirements and set clear objectives for penetration testing. This ensures that the security strategy is aligned with the overall project goals from the very beginning.

Design Phase

Time to do some threat modeling. This is where we identify possible security risks based on the app’s design and architecture. Threat modeling at this stage helps anticipating and mitigating risks early on. It’s all about finding out what could go wrong before it does.

Development Phase

We implement secure coding practices and run static analysis on your code to find vulnerabilities as they pop up. This approach ensures that security flaws are addressed as they arise, rather than after development is complete.

Testing Phase

Penetration testing should run parallel to functional testing, ensuring that security vulnerabilities are identified and resolved before deployment. After all, it’s not just about whether your app works—it’s about whether it’s protected. Regular testing ensures that vulnerabilities are discovered and addressed promptly.

Deployment Phase

Before the application goes live, final pen tests are crucial. This step ensures that all identified vulnerabilities have been addressed and that the system is ready for public use with a strong security posture. 

Maintenance Phase

Even after the app goes live we schedule periodic penetration tests and monitor continuously. This approach ensures that any vulnerabilities introduced through updates or system changes are identified and resolved on time.

Tools and Resources for Effective Penetration Testing

To conduct effective penetration testing, having the right tools is crucial. Different tools offer specific capabilities based on the system type and the vulnerabilities being tested.

Popular Penetration Testing Tools

Choosing the right vulnerability assessment tools is crucial for conducting thorough and effective penetration testing. Here are some of the most widely used and reliable ones: 

• Burp Suite is among the top tools for web application security testing, known for its ability to map vulnerabilities, intercept traffic, and automate scans. Its flexibility and ease of use make it a popular choice among security professionals.

• OWASP ZAP (Zed Attack Proxy) is an open-source tool, especially popular with those new to penetration testing. Developed by the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP), ZAP is an open-source tool designed to help find security vulnerabilities in web applications.

• Nessus is a popular tool in network security testing. This tool specializes in network security testing by scanning for known vulnerabilities and generating detailed reports, removing any guesswork from the process.

Our Success Stories

We have already worked on several projects where we successfully integrated penetration testing into SDLC and got really good results: 

• We helped a US-based AI writing service ensure that end customer’s data cannot be compromised. We found around 20 vulnerabilities and successfully eliminated them from the software before the product was introduced to the market.

• One of the largest EU-based IT service providers asked us to identify and eliminate vulnerabilities that could be the cause of unauthorized access to employee data. As a result, more than 30 vulnerabilities were successfully eliminated and penetration testing has been successfully integrated into the development cycle.

• We helped one of the largest IT service providers in Europe find and get rid of 28 vulnerabilities (with 22 of them having either medium, high, or critical threat levels).

Conclusion

Incorporating penetration testing into each phase of the SDLC is a must for maintaining a strong security posture in today’s increasingly complex threat landscape. By following best practices for penetration testing and leveraging effective vulnerability assessment tools, you can proactively identify and address security risks throughout the whole lifecycle. Such an approach to security will help you deliver secure, high-quality software to your users. Our team is ready to provide you with penetration testing services to make sure your data stays safe. Don’t hesitate to contact us!