Full Stack Testing

Chapter 7. Security Testing

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

—Thomas Reid, Essays on the Intellectual Powers of Man (1786)

Figure 7-1. Example news headlines demonstrate that security is a global concern

We live in a world where we are more susceptible to cybercrimes than ever before—especially when we have social media accounts! Cybercrime is an umbrella term referring to all the illegal activities that can be performed with a computer and a network, including financial theft, theft of private assets such as sales documents and research reports, exploitation of sensitive information such as an individual’s biological data, and more. Cybersecurity experts estimate that by 2025 the annual global cost of cybercrime (including both direct and indirect costs to its victims) will reach $10.5 trillion, up from an estimated $6 trillion in 2021. Social media–enabled cybercrimes account for the lion’s share of this, with a 2019 study estimating global annual revenues for the perpetrators of $3.25 billion. These are unquestionably huge amounts, and sadly, the spoils may include some of our and our friends’ hard-earned money!

The numbers imply that cybercrimes are far more prevalent than one might imagine. As Figure 7-1 shows, daily news reports also provide proof that cybercrimes are not restricted just to banking or social media sites, but extend to all kinds ...