The Role of Web Penetration Testing in E-Commerce Security
E-commerce marketplaces are always looking for ways to reduce their costs. This can sometimes mean cutting down on the number of tests that need to be done on their site. However, security testing is one area where you should never cut corners. In this post, we’re going to go through all the different types of web penetration tests that can help you strengthen your E-Commerce security measures and make sure users are safe when transacting online.
Payment Gateway Security Testing
Payment gateways are a common target for hackers, so it’s important to test your payment gateway for security vulnerabilities. Payment gateways should be tested against PCI standards and other compliance requirements such as HIPAA, SOX, and GLBA. If you’re looking for professional web penetration testing services to ensure the security of your payment gateway and other critical systems, consider reaching out to specialized companies with expertise in this domain.
User Authentication and Authorization Testing
- User authentication and authorization testing are used to check if the user is able to access the website.
- This testing is important because it prevents unauthorized access to the website. There are different types of testing that can be done to check this, including:
- Blind SQL Injection (SQLi) – Since most websites use SQL databases, an attacker can inject malicious code into them through an application layer vulnerability in order to extract information or take control over the database server itself.
- Cross-site scripting (XSS) – XSS allows attackers to execute JavaScript code on other users’ browsers without their knowledge and consent, which may lead them into performing actions they did not intend or even opening themselves up for further attacks by opening malicious websites containing scripts designed specifically for browsers running on mobile devices
Preventing Unauthorized Access to User Sessions
Session hijacking is a type of attack that can be used to gain access to user sessions and hijack them.
Session fixation is another type of attack that allows an attacker to capture a valid session token by tricking the user into visiting a website controlled by the attacker. Once they have this token, they can use it themselves or sell it on the black market, which will allow them access to any account associated with that token in future sessions.
Session stealing occurs when an attacker uses session IDs from previously accessed sites (such as shopping carts) or phishing emails containing links leading back to these sites, and then logs into accounts using those IDs without authorization.
Secure File Upload Testing
When you upload a file to a website, it’s important to make sure that the file is properly secured. File uploads are often used in e-commerce websites and can be used to deliver malicious content like malware or viruses. This kind of attack is called phishing because it tricks users into believing they are receiving something else from the company when in fact they may be downloading harmful software onto their computers.
A good way to test for file upload vulnerabilities is by uploading an image that contains malicious code hidden inside it (for example: JavaScript). If this happens without any security measures being put into place then there is likely an issue with your site’s security protocols
Mobile Commerce (M-Commerce) Security Testing
Mobile commerce (M-Commerce) is the use of mobile devices to access e-commerce. Mobile commerce has been growing rapidly since the early 2000s. The security issues related to M-Commerce are quite similar to those of traditional web applications: data encryption, authentication & authorization, secure file uploads, etc. However, there are some additional considerations like API testing which need special attention when testing for M-Commerce security because many mobile apps do not rely on traditional browsers but rather use custom web views that may behave differently from what we’re used to seeing on desktop computers.
API Security Testing
API testing is a critical aspect of the security testing process. It’s performed to ensure that an API is functioning as expected, and if it isn’t, you need to know about it so that you can fix any issues before they become serious problems.
API testing can be done in a secure or non-secure environment, however, most organizations prefer to perform their API tests using their production environments (the same ones used by customers) because this allows them to see how their applications will behave under real-world conditions. In addition, because APIs are typically accessed through HTTP requests or webhooks sent over HTTPS connections, and therefore not visible in many intrusion detection systems (IDS) logs, you may want to use some sort of honeypot system for monitoring them during this phase of development so that any unauthorized activity gets flagged immediately rather than waiting until after rollout has occurred and then trying unsuccessfully track down what happened later on after the fact
Integration Testing with Third-Party Services
As a part of a software testing process, integration testing is designed to ensure that the modules and components that make up an application are properly integrated with one another. It’s also used to check for any defects in the interfaces between these modules and components.
The need for integration testing arises because the modules and components that make up a system are often developed by different teams using different technologies or programming languages. In such cases, each developer may submit their own code for inclusion in a single product, however, it’s necessary for them to ensure compatibility between all parts before they can be released as part of one product package.
Conclusion
Web penetration testing is an important part of any e-commerce security strategy. It can help you identify vulnerabilities in your site and fix them before attackers exploit them.
Web penetration testing can also be used to test the security of third-party services that integrate with your website, such as payment gateways or shopping carts. These services may not always have the resources or expertise needed to perform thorough security audits on their own codebase, therefore, it’s up to you as an eCommerce business owner or manager who understands how these systems work so that your customers don’t end up getting hurt by one wrong click.