CUE 2009

Hackers often exploit loopholes in web applications to enable them to access files in your computer. These vulnerabilities also serve as a means of introducing a viral attack, potentially destroying important data or revealing personal information including social security number, credit card number, and more. As an answer to online security threats, web application testing has been developed. This technique enables programmers to detect flaws in applications and patch them up before a hacker can attack. Web application testing checks files accessible via the internet for the occurrence of programming or database error. In a nutshell, this approach consists of tracking the effectiveness of computer software.

Testing for the security of online applications is accomplished in stages. This diagnostic tool performs several tests on the links and pages of visited websites. Web application security is ensured by looking into forms that might have been filled-up. Validation IDs are manually or automatically checked. Tests involving cookies are also an important aspect of web application security. These are temporary files that are saved in computers. The status of log-in and log-out sessions is verified for errors. The same thing holds true for database queries. Programmers responsible for the web security tests read log files obtained from a web server. These logs contain a record of the activities that were performed in a computer including attempts on bypassing security breach, error messages, and other web transactions. With more and more transactions being done online, keeping almost all web applications free from security holes will help save a lot of money lost due to downtime.