What are the costs of not using web security testing tools in your application development process?

1 Loss of trust and reputation

One of the most obvious costs of not using web security testing tools is the loss of trust and reputation that can result from a security breach or incident. If your application is hacked, infected, or compromised, you may expose your users' personal or financial information, damage your brand image, and face legal actions or fines. Moreover, you may lose your current and potential customers, partners, or investors, who may perceive your application as unreliable, unsafe, or unprofessional.

2 Reduced performance and functionality

Another cost of not using web security testing tools is the reduced performance and functionality of your application. Security issues can affect your application's speed, availability, usability, and scalability. For example, if your application is vulnerable to denial-of-service (DoS) attacks, it may become slow or inaccessible to your users. If your application is vulnerable to injection attacks, it may malfunction or display incorrect or malicious data. If your application is vulnerable to cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks, it may compromise your users' browsers or devices.

3 Increased development and maintenance costs

A third cost of not using web security testing tools is the increased development and maintenance costs of your application. Security issues can introduce bugs, errors, or defects that require more time and resources to fix. Moreover, security issues can delay or disrupt your development cycle, testing phase, or deployment process. Additionally, security issues can increase your operational costs, such as hosting, backup, or recovery expenses. Therefore, not using web security testing tools can make your application development process less efficient, effective, and economical.

6 Ethical and social responsibilities

A sixth cost of not using web security testing tools is the ethical and social responsibilities that you may neglect or violate due to your application's security impact. As an application developer, you have a duty to protect your users' privacy, security, and well-being. You also have a responsibility to contribute to the common good and the public interest. If your application is not secure, you may harm your users, expose them to risks, or enable malicious actors to exploit them. You may also damage the trust, confidence, and integrity of the web as a platform for communication, collaboration, and innovation.