Why we need to simulate security attacks in your software

Picture this: you’ve spent months (or years) meticulously planning your product strategy and refining your UI/UX design to ensure your users have a seamless experience. 

But there is a silent threat, looming over while the “Jaws” theme song is playing, that can undo all that hard work in an instant: a security breach.

In the software world, a security attack is essentially an unauthorized attempt to access, modify, or destroy data within your application. It can render you unable to manage your business or leak customer data, which affects your image as a business.

Think of your software like a high-end storefront. You have beautiful displays (the UI) and a great inventory (your data). A security attack is someone trying to pick the lock, smash a window, or trick the manager into handing over the keys to the safe.

If you don't find the weak points in your "storefront" first, someone else will. And your business will suffer.

In this article, we’re going to talk about a good way to check your software for vulnerabilities: simulating security attacks. You’ll find out what these simulations entail, as well as what kind of attacks you need to be protected from.

Real-world threats: what kind of security attacks can harm a SaaS?

When we talk about security attacks, we are talking about malicious actors (often called "hackers") who look for bugs or unintentional loopholes in your code. 

These aren't just technical glitches; they are open windows. Once an attacker finds a way in, they can steal customer credit card information, hold your database for ransom, or simply shut down your service to damage your reputation.

Here are some of the most common security attacks that can harm your software:

• SQL injection: This is like a con artist using a loophole in your paperwork to gain access to the vault. An attacker "injects" malicious commands into your website’s entry fields (like a search bar or login form) to trick your database into revealing sensitive information, like user passwords.

• Cross-site scripting (XSS): Imagine someone leaving a "booby trap" on your store's bulletin board. In this attack, malicious scripts are injected into web pages viewed by other users. This can lead to session hijacking, where the attacker pretends to be a logged-in user to steal their private information.

• DDoS attacks: This is the digital equivalent of a mob crowding your storefront so legitimate customers can't get inside. By flooding your app with massive amounts of fake traffic, attackers crash your servers, rendering your service useless.

• Broken authentication: If your login logic is weak, it’s like having a lock that can be opened with a paperclip. Attackers use automated tools to guess passwords or find ways to bypass the login screen entirely to act as if they are the account owner.

These kinds of threats can render your software unusable and can negatively affect your image as a business. And it won’t only harm you - if user data gets out, gets leaked or sold off the dark web, you’re harming your customers as well.

It’s more dire if news outlets find out what happened and report on it before you say anything. Standard practice recommends being proactive and posting press releases detailing the type of attack, scale and who’s affected. People still won’t be happy, but you’ll recover faster if you take responsibility and show remorse, as well as promising to fix the issue and help those affected (like giving people their money back or resetting everyone’s password).

7 realistic attack simulations we can do for your app

Being proactive is key, when it comes to cybersecurity. You can’t just wait for something bad to happen and then improve your security, as a result. 

Rather than waiting for a crisis, we can simulate realistic attacks to see how your app and its APIs hold up under pressure. It’s like a "fire drill" for your codebase.

Here are seven types of simulations we can run to stress-test your security:

1. API fuzzing: We bombard your software's entry points with massive amounts of random, "nonsensical" data. We do this to see if the system gets confused and crashes or accidentally "leaks" technical secrets about how it's built.

2. Man-in-the-middle (MitM) simulations: We test if the "pipe" between your user and your server is leak-proof. We try to "listen in" on the conversation to ensure that sensitive data is properly encrypted and cannot be read by anyone else.

3. Brute force simulation: We use automated tools to try thousands of password combinations in seconds. This tests if your app is smart enough to "lock the door" (account lockout) after a few failed attempts.

4. Parameter tampering: We try to change the hidden "tags" in your web address. For example, if a URL says price=100, we try to manually change it to price=1 to see if your backend is smart enough to catch the cheat.

5. Broken access control testing: We try to go where we aren't invited. Using a standard user account, we attempt to access "Admin Only" pages or other users' private dashboards to ensure your "digital bouncers" are doing their job. You don’t want regular users to be able to access your inner workings, so this is essential.

6. Injection testing: We systematically check every single place a user can type something (like a contact form) to see if we can "trick" the system into running a command it shouldn't, similar to the SQL injection mentioned above. The risk here is that people can add pieces of malicious code into forms and break down your systems.

7. Scanning for dependency issues: Modern apps are built using "building blocks" from other developers (libraries or plugins). We simulate a scenario where one of those blocks has a known flaw to see if your entire app is at risk because of one weak link.

All of these simulations represent real attacks that can happen to your software, and it’s essential to find out if your app is prepared for technical crises. And if it’s not, we can fix those issues and make sure you’re not a wooden house in a tornado’s path.

What simulations reveal, and how we fix them

Simulating an attack is only half the battle. The real value lies in the insights we gain and improving your systems based on our findings. 

Below, we’re going to describe ten common issues these simulations reveal. We’re also going to explain how we address & fix these issues once we find them.

Plaintext data exposure 

We could find sensitive data being sent without encryption. This means passwords, credit card numbers, addresses, or other key information you store in your app and don’t want to escape. 

To fix this, we implement end-to-end SSL/TLS encryption for all your software’s data. This ensures it’s kept behind a brick wall, not an open window.

Lack of rate limiting 

Your app might be allowing brute force attacks. This is when someone tries to break into your app by trying to login too many times. 

In such a case, we implement "throttling" to limit how many requests a single IP can make in a minute.

Excessive data exposure in APIs

Your API could be sending more info than the UI actually needs, which exposes too much data and uses too many resources. 

To fix this, we refactor API responses to return only the specific fields required for the task.

Weak password policies

Your system might be allowing users to use “password” as their password. It’s common sense not to, but you need to be prepared for every possibility. 

If your system faces this issue, we implement strict validation rules (like asking users to make passwords longer, contain numbers and symbols) and encourage Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA).

Insecure direct object references (IDOR)

Your app might give people the ability to access another user’s profile if they change "User ID" in the URL. This would allow random people to view other people’s data. 

To fix this, we implement server-side checks to verify that the logged-in user has permission to see that specific resource.

Page redirects that take users to unsafe pages

Attackers can trick users into clicking a link on your site that redirects them to a phishing page. These can be fake payment pages, where it looks like users just have to fill in their card data to unlock whatever was next, except they weren’t supposed to pay for anything in the first place. This can easily trick people and steal their card information. 

For this type of risk, we implement a "whitelist" of allowed redirect URLs. This ensures the app can’t send the users to unauthorized pages - just the ones you allow.

Security misconfigurations

When apps are mid-development, oftentimes developers set simple passwords so the entire team can quickly access resources. Because we’re all only human, there are times when these passwords remain unchanged after launch. And that means people could eventually access your inner workings if they have the right links. 

Now, in such a situation, we could perform a full server hardening audit, closing unnecessary ports and changing all default credentials.

Missing security headers

To understand Missing Security Headers, think of your website not just as a storefront, but as a high-tech facility. Your server (the facility) sends a package (the website data) to the user’s browser (the customer).

Security Headers are like a set of "handling instructions" or "safety protocols" stamped on the outside of that package. They tell the browser exactly how to behave while it’s displaying your site to keep the user safe. If these headers are missing, the browser defaults to its most "permissive" mode, which hackers can easily exploit.

Browsers are "helpful" by nature. If you send a file that claims to be a picture, but looks like code, the browser might try to be smart and run it as code.

To fix these issues, we add HTTP security headers like Content-Security-Policy and X-Frame-Options.

Vulnerable third-party plugins

Just as we explained earlier, a lot of apps are made using building blocks made by other people. But some of these are older, and might not get updated. Their developers might have moved on and left vulnerabilities inside their code.

To avoid issues with these, we update all dependencies to their latest, secure versions and set up automated monitoring for future vulnerabilities.

User-unfriendly error messages

A common issue we see in software are error messages that reveal too much about your tech stack (e.g., "SQL Error on line 42"). Some of these can get very specific about what part of your code is struggling, and can leave you vulnerable to attacks. Plus, it’s not very user friendly - it can make users think they’ve broken the app or opened something they shouldn’t have.

When fixing this issue, we implement custom, generic error pages that don't leak technical details to potential attackers.

Security shouldn't be an afterthought; it should be baked into your product strategy. By simulating attacks early and often, you protect your reputation, your users, and your financial investment. You get to prepare for the worst, so that if it does happen, it doesn’t destroy your business.

Think of it as the ultimate quality assurance. If you're building a SaaS or a complex mobile app, you need to know that your foundation is solid.

Are you wondering if you’re handling cybersecurity well enough? Let’s get in touch and find out together.

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