A good answer is – Both.
There is no silver bullet to cybersecurity. Conventional approaches rely entirely on a single type of testing – either manual testing or automated web scanners – leaving business leaders in a difficult spot of choosing one way or the other for their products. While manual testing brings nuanced and intuitive strategy to the table, it could cause human-errors while taking several days to deliver results. On the other hand, automated tools that give instant results, do not promise the intuition that an actual human contributes. To add to the uncertainty, security testing vendors often position their approach as superior to the other, underplaying obvious shortcomings, jeopardizing entire products or businesses.
A system is only as secure as its weakest link, and all it really takes of a malicious hacker is to identify that weak link and sabotage it. While there are obvious benefits to both manual testing and automated testing tools, their shortcomings manifest as loopholes. Not covering all bases leaves vulnerabilities, unguarded against breaches when they happen. And in today’s digitally-driven world, odds are that a breach is just around the corner.
The whole is greater than the sum of its parts
It takes thinking like a hacker, to preempt and combat a cyber attack. Once a hacker identifies a target, he would invest in every possible resource at his service to break into your system. They would use automated tools that come with the advantage of speed, and the ability to run thousands of iterations instantly – as well as their knowledge and perception to customize an attack.
Taking a leaf out of their book, businesses must embrace a testing approach that brings together both manual and automated methods, so as to benefit from both and neutralize each others’ disadvantages for holistic security. The following are some parameters that business leaders must consider while choosing a security protocol.
Entersoft’s approach includes combining the two methods, in synergy to give better results than either of them taken separately. In the chart below, we discuss in detail how Entersoft’s unique, two-pronged security protocol is better than traditional manual or tool-based testing methods.
So, it is now time for business decision makers to take a step back, and rethink your security testing approach. What is the protocol you have in place currently? What do you think is the appropriate approach for keeping all your assets and data safe – manual, automated – or, both?
Entersoft could help you adopt a holistic approach to cybersecurity and improve your security posture. We could discuss how our cutting-edge techniques including a combination of tool-based and manual testing methodologies could help you safeguard your products against malicious attacks and compliance constraints.
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