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

There is no doubt that cybersecurity is a pinnacle of today’s tech world. Technology is everywhere, and almost every piece of it collects some form of user data. Technically, there’s nothing wrong with this—businesses need to rely on data to make necessary changes to their products or services. However, once your company collects user data, its protection becomes your duty, because if you take and store user data, some people will definitely want to commit crimes with it.

So, how do you ensure user data stays safe—not just when the app is live, but throughout the entire development lifecycle? There are plenty of ways to achieve this, and one of the most effective ones is penetration testing. Today, we will tell you everything you need to know about it and how to integrate it into your development process.

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, but in reality, it’s more like a series of sprints—and sometimes, during those sprints, your data may end up out in the open, whether by mistake or with the help of malicious actors. And by the way, a data breach can cost your company around $4.88 million—a costly mistake.

That’s why you need penetration testing on all stages of SDLC. This approach is essential for continuous security and following DevSecOps practices. After all, it’s better to find out about vulnerabilities before they’re used by real hackers.

What is Penetration Testing?

In simple terms, penetration testing (or pen tests for short) is asking a professional to try to break into your system before someone else does. The goal here is to find existing vulnerabilities hiding in the code before hackers exploit them.

Pen testing mimics real-world cyberattacks to uncover security gaps. It’s an important part of maintaining a good security posture throughout the SDLC. 

Types of Penetration Testing

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

• Black-box: Here, the tester has zero prior knowledge of how your software’s internal systems work. They’re trying to access it purely from the outside so the experience looks like a true external attack. Black-box testing provides an unbiased perspective on your overall security measures and assesses your external defenses.

• White-box: This is more like an insider job. The tester knows almost everything: the code, the architecture, the infrastructure. This option allows for an in-depth assessment to recognize issues that only a person with insider access would catch.

• Gray-box: The hybrid approach. The tester knows only some details about your software. It’s a balance between the two previous methods. The goal is to understand how much damage someone with limited inside info can do.

Benefits of Incorporating Penetration Testing

Penetration testing in your SDLC offers a proactive approach to identifying and mitigating cybersecurity risks. It helps you make sure your organization's defenses remain strong against possible cyber threats. Here are some of the most important benefits:

• Early identification of vulnerabilities: Catching a vulnerability early will save you a lot of resources in the long run. Pen testing at key stages of the SDLC ensures you’re not shipping code with holes in security defenses.

• Cost-effective remediation: Addressing vulnerabilities at the very beginning of the development process is way more cost-effective than waiting until the app's release.

• Enhanced security posture: A proactive approach to security, with regular penetration tests, means less worrying about data breaches. Embrace continuous security and integrate pen testing into your SDLC to make sure that your data is safe and all your defenses are up-to-date.

Incorporating Penetration Testing into Each SDLC Phase

Here’s how you can include penetration testing in every phase of the SDLC.

Planning and discovery phase

During planning and initial discussions, it’s essential to define the security requirements and set clear objectives. This will help you get on the same page with your team and clarify the security strategy to align it with the overall project goals.

Design phase

It’s time to do some threat modeling. This is where your team identifies possible security risks based on the app’s design and architecture. Here, threat modeling helps with fixing possible vulnerabilities before they even get a chance to see the light of day.

Development phase

At this stage, you can implement secure coding practices and run static analysis to find vulnerabilities as they appear. This approach will help you address possible security flaws right away rather than after coding is complete.

Testing phase

Well, penetration testing should obviously run parallel to functional testing. After all, it’s not just about whether your app satisfies its users—it’s about whether they can trust you enough to install it in the first place. Regular security checks ensure that vulnerabilities are discovered and dealt with as quickly as possible.

Deployment phase

Finally, before your application goes live, your team should do the final round of pen tests. This step is necessary to have all identified vulnerabilities addressed and the system prepared for public use. The stronger your security posture before the release, the better. 

Maintenance phase

Even after the app is launched, you should schedule periodic penetration tests and monitor the results continuously. This approach will help you control the security level of your software’s updates, fixes, and system changes so that they don’t introduce new vulnerabilities into the released product.

Tools and Resources for Effective Penetration Testing

Having the right tools is crucial for effective pen tests. Different tools offer different features based on what systems and vulnerabilities are being tested.

Popular Penetration Testing Tools

Here are some of the most widely used and reliable tools you and your team can use:

• Burp Suite is among the top tools for web application security testing. Burp Suite is well-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 that is especially popular with those new to penetration testing. It was developed by the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) to help find security vulnerabilities in web applications.

• Nessus is a popular tool in network security testing. This tool scans for known vulnerabilities and generates 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 can’t 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 cause 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

Penetration testing is a truly groundbreaking technology for SDLC. And in today’s reality, it’s a must for maintaining a strong security posture. By following best practices for this process, you can proactively identify and address security risks so that when your product is released, you won’t have to worry much about data breaches and other security threats. Our team is ready to provide you with penetration testing services to make sure your data stays safe. Don’t hesitate to contact us!