CERTIFIED TESTER SECURITY TESTER (CT-SEC)

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The ISTQB® Security Tester (CT-SEC) certification focuses on planning, performing, and evaluating security tests from multiple perspectivesincluding risk, requirements, vulnerability, and human factors. It also covers security testing tools and standards.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Advanced Level testers who have passed the “Advanced Security Tester” module exam should be able to accomplish the following Business Objectives:
• Plan, perform and evaluate security tests from a variety of perspectives – policy-based, risk-based, standards-based, requirements-based and vulnerability-based.
• Align security test activities with project lifecycle activities.
• Analyze the effective use of risk assessment techniques in a given situation to identify current and future security threats and assess their severity levels.
• Evaluate the existing security test suite and identify any additionalsecurity tests.
• Analyze a given set ofsecurity policies and procedures, along with security test results, to determine effectiveness.
• For a given project scenario, identify security test objectives based on functionality, technology attributes and known vulnerabilities.
• Analyze a given situation and determine which security testing approaches are most likely to succeed in that situation.
• Identify areas where additional or enhanced security testing may be needed.
• Evaluate effectiveness ofsecurity mechanisms.
• Help the organization build information security awareness.
• Demonstrate the attacker mentality by discovering key information about a target, performing actions on a test application in a protected environment that a malicious person would perform, and understand how evidence of the attack could be deleted.
• Analyze a given interim security test status report to determine the level of accuracy, understandability, and stakeholder appropriateness.
• Analyze and document security test needs to be addressed by one or more tools.
• Analyze and select candidate security test tools for a given tool search based on specified needs.
• Understand the benefits of using security testing standards and where to find them.

WHO CAN BENEFIT

The Security Tester certification is aimed at people who have some experience in security testing and wish to further develop their expertise in security testing.

PREREQUISITES

To gain this certification, candidates must hold the Certified Tester Foundation Level certificate and not less than 3 (three) years of relevant academic, practical, or consulting experience. Please contact an ISTQB® Member Board or Exam Provider to determine the specific practical experience criteria.

COURSE OUTLINE

1 The Basis of Security Testing
1.1. Security Risks
1.1.1. The Role of Risk Assessment in Security Testing
1.1.2. Asset Identification
1.1.3. Analysis of Risk Assessment Techniques
1.2. Information Security Policies and Procedures
1.2.1. Understanding Security Policies and Procedures
1.2.2. Analysis of Security Policies and Procedures
1.3. Security Auditing and Its Role in Security Testing
1.3.1. Purpose of a Security Audit
1.3.2. Risk Identification, Assessment and Mitigation
1.3.3. People, Process and Technology

2 Security Testing Purposes, Goals and Strategies
2.1. Introduction
2.2. The Purpose of Security Testing
2.3. The Organizational Context
2.4. Security Testing Objectives
2.4.1. The Alignment of Security Testing Goals
2.4.2. Identification of Security Test Objectives
2.4.3. The Difference Between Information Assurance and Security Testing
2.5. The Scope and Coverage of Security Testing Objectives
2.6. Security Testing Approaches
2.6.1. Analysis of Security Test Approaches
2.6.2. Analysis of Failure in Security Test Approaches
2.6.3. Stakeholder Identification
2.7. Improving the Security Testing Practices

3 Security Testing Processes
3.1. Security Test Process Definition
3.1.1. ISTQB Security Testing Process to a Particular Application Lifecycle Model
3.1.2. Aligning the Security Testing Processto a Particular Application Lifecycle Model
3.2. Applying Test Selection Criteria
3.2.1. Security Test Planning Objectives
3.2.2. Key Security Test Plan Elements
3.3.Security Test Design
3.3.1. Security Test Design
3.3.2. Security Test Design Based on Policies and Procedures
3.4. Security Test Execution
3.4.1. Key Element and Characteristics of an Effective Security Test Environment
3.4.2. The Importance of Planning and Approvalsin Security Testing
3.5. Security Test Evaluation
3.6. Security Test Maintenance

4 Security Testing Throughout the Software Lifecycle
4.1. The Role of Security Testing in a Software Lifecycle
4.1.1. The Lifecycle View of Security Testing
4.1.2. Security-Related Activities in the Software Lifecycle
4.2. The Role of Security Testing in Requirements
4.3. The Role of Security Testing in Design
4.4. The Role of Security Testing in Implementing Activities
4.4.1. Security Testing During Component Testing
4.4.2. Security Test Design at the Component Level
4.4.3. Analysis of Security Tests at the Component Level
4.4.4. Security Testing During Component Integration Testing
4.4.5. Security Test Design at the Component Integration Level
4.5. The Role of Security Testing in System and Acceptance Test Activities
4.5.1. The Role of Security Testing in System Testing
4.5.2. The Role of Security Testing in Acceptance Testing
4.6. The Role of Security Testing in Maintenance

5 Testing Security Mechanisms
5.1. System Hardening
5.1.1. Understanding System Hardening
5.1.2. Testing the Effectiveness of System Hardening Mechanisms
5.2. Authentication and Authorization
5.2.1. The Relationship Between Authentication and Authorization
5.2.2. Testing the Effectiveness of Authentication and Authorization Mechanisms
5.3. Encryption
5.3.1. Understanding Encryption
5.3.2. Testing the Effectiveness of Common Encryption Mechanisms
5.4. Firewalls and Network Zones
5.4.1. Understanding Firewalls
5.4.2. Testing Firewall Effectiveness
5.5. Intrusion Detection
5.5.1. Understanding Intrusion Detection Tools
5.5.2. Testing the Effectiveness of Intrusion Detection Tools
5.6. Malware Scanning
5.6.1. Understanding Malware Scanning Tools
5.6.2. Testing the Effectiveness of Malware Scanning Tools
5.7.Data Obfuscation
5.7.1. Understanding Data Obfuscation
5.7.2. Testing the Effectiveness of Data Obfuscation Approaches
5.8.Training
5.8.1. The Importance of Security Training
5.8.2. How to Test the Effectiveness of Security Training

6 Human Factors in Security Testing
6.1. Understanding the Attackers
6.1.1. The Impact of Human Behavior on Security Risks
6.1.2. Understanding the Attacker Mentality
6.1.3. Common Motivations and Sources of Computer System Attacks
6.1.4. Understanding Attack Scenarios and Motivations
6.2. Social Engineering
6.3. Security Awareness
6.3.1. The Importance of Security Awareness
6.3.2. Increasing Security Awareness

7 Security Test Evaluation and Reporting
7.1. Security Test Evaluation
7.2. Security Test Reporting
7.2.1. Confidentiality of Security Test Results
7.2.2. Creating Proper Controls and Data Gathering Mechanisms for Reporting Security Test Status
7.3. Analyzing Interim Security Test Status Reports

8 Security Testing Tools
8.1. Types and Purposes of Security Testing Tools
8.2. Tool Selection
8.2.1. Analyzing and Documenting Security Testing Needs
8.2.2. Issues with Open-Source Tools
8.2.3. Evaluating a Tool Vendor’s Capabilities

9 Standards and Industry Trends
9.1. Understanding Security Testing Standards
9.1.1. The Benefits of Using Security Testing Standards
9.1.2. Applicability of Standards in Regulatory Versus Contractual Situations
9.1.3. Selection of Security Standards
9.2. Applying Security Standards
9.3. Industry Trends
9.3.1. Where to Learn of Industry Trends in Information Security
9.3.2. Evaluating Security Testing Practices for Improvements

Please contact us for schedules and for booking a private class. 

Inquire Now