Security Testing is a type of Software Testing that uncovers vulnerabilities, threats, risks in a software application and prevents malicious attacks from intruders. The purpose of Security Tests is to identify all possible loopholes and weaknesses of the software system which might result in a loss of information, revenue, repute at the hands of the employees or outsiders of the Organization.

Vulnerability scanning is an automated method for testing common network and server vulnerabilities. It's more cost-effective than penetration testing. Vulnerability scan checks for known vulnerabilities and is used as a detective control. A penetration test, on the other hand, is used as a preventive control. It goes further than a vulnerability scan by exploiting the weaknesses in the system. Penetration test may require automated tools, but it is always done by experienced software security professional.

Security testing is a process intended to reveal flaws in the security mechanisms of an information system that protect data and maintain functionality as intended.Due to the logical limitations of security testing, passing the security testing process is not an indication that no flaws exist or that the system adequately satisfies the security requirements.

Ethical hacking is an umbrella term that includes all hacking methods used to identify vulnerabilities before they can be exploited by cybercriminals. Penetration testing is one subset of all ethical hacking techniques.

The different types of security testing are as follows:

● Penetration Testing

● Vulnerability Testing

● Ethical Hacking

● Risk Assessment

● Security scanning

● Security review

● Posture Assessment