What are the best ways to use application security testing tools to recover from a security breach?

1 Assess the impact

The first step to recover from a security breach is to assess the impact and scope of the attack. You need to find out what data was compromised, how the attackers accessed your system, and what actions they performed. You can use application security testing tools to scan your applications for any signs of malicious activity, such as code injection, unauthorized access, or data leakage. You can also use tools that monitor your network traffic, logs, and alerts to track the source and destination of the attack. By assessing the impact, you can prioritize your response and mitigation actions.

2 Contain and isolate

The next step to recover from a security breach is to contain and isolate the affected applications and systems. You need to stop the attackers from further exploiting your vulnerabilities, spreading to other applications, or causing more damage. You can use application security testing tools to block or quarantine the malicious traffic, requests, or sessions. You can also use tools that disconnect or disable the compromised applications or systems, or move them to a separate environment. By containing and isolating, you can limit the exposure and prevent the escalation of the attack.

3 Eradicate and restore

The third step to recover from a security breach is to eradicate and restore the applications and systems to a secure state. You need to remove any traces of the attack, such as malware, backdoors, or corrupted files. You can use application security testing tools to clean up your applications and systems, or restore them from a backup. You can also use tools that update or patch your applications and systems, or reinstall them if necessary. By eradicating and restoring, you can eliminate the threat and resume normal operations.

4 Analyze and learn

The fourth step to recover from a security breach is to analyze and learn from the incident. You need to find out the root cause, the impact, and the lessons of the attack. You can use application security testing tools to conduct a post-mortem analysis of your applications and systems, or generate a report of the incident. You can also use tools that provide recommendations or best practices to improve your application security. By analyzing and learning, you can identify and address the gaps and weaknesses in your security posture.

5 Test and verify

The fifth step to recover from a security breach is to test and verify the effectiveness of your recovery and remediation actions. You need to ensure that your applications and systems are free of vulnerabilities, compliant with standards, and resilient to attacks. You can use application security testing tools to perform various types of tests, such as static, dynamic, or interactive. You can also use tools that verify the functionality, performance, and usability of your applications and systems. By testing and verifying, you can confirm that your applications and systems are secure and reliable.

6 Monitor and improve

The final step to recover from a security breach is to monitor and improve your application security on an ongoing basis. You need to keep track of the changes, trends, and threats in your application environment, and adjust your security strategy accordingly. You can use application security testing tools to monitor your applications and systems for any anomalies, issues, or alerts. You can also use tools that provide feedback, insights, or metrics to measure and improve your security performance. By monitoring and improving, you can prevent or minimize the impact of future security breaches.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?