Security testing and the OWASP Top 10: where to start

Why the OWASP Top 10 is the right starting point

The OWASP Top 10 is a ranked list of the risks that hit web applications most often, built from real breach data by the team at OWASP. It is not a full security program, but it is the best place to begin because it points you at the issues most likely to bite.

Work the list in order of risk to your app, not top to bottom. For most teams, broken access control and injection are where the real exposure sits.

Start with access control and injection

Broken access control means a user reaching data or actions they should not. Test it by logging in as a low-privilege user and trying to touch another user's records by changing an ID in the URL or request body.

• Can a regular user hit admin-only endpoints?
• Can you read another account's data by swapping an ID?
• Are server-side checks present, not just hidden buttons?

Injection covers SQL, command, and similar attacks where input is treated as code. Send unexpected characters into every field and parameter and watch how the app responds.

If a single quote in a search box changes the result or throws a database error, you have a finding worth chasing.

Automate the scan, then test by hand

Automated scanners catch known patterns fast and should run on a schedule. But they miss business-logic flaws, like a checkout that lets you set a negative quantity for a refund. Those need a human who understands the application.

Pair scanning with manual review. Our exploratory testing approach finds the logic gaps that automated tools skip, and our API and contract testing catches the auth and validation holes that sit behind the UI.

Build security into the release, not after it

Security testing works best as a habit, not a one-off before launch. Add a baseline scan to your pipeline, retest every fix, and keep a short list of the checks that matter most for your app. Our security and penetration testing team runs the deep work and trains your developers on what to watch, so each release ships safer than the last. Not sure where your gaps are? Start with a testing audit.