Your Software Testing Services Must Include Security Testing

In recent months, five point-of-sale vendors for prominent retail chains were hacked. Customer’s passwords and private information were put at risk. Security testing is a critical step when testing your software, now more than ever.

Of course, you already know this, but on bypassing security testing your software will open the doors to many potential problems. Your system will be exposed to malware and viruses. You will also run the risk of your customer’s confidential data being lost, stolen or distributed.

Besides the potential loss and illegal distribution of customer's confidential data, security breaches can result in another loss: their customers' trust. If customers cannot trust the security of a retail chain, they are less likely to do business there, which will result in loss of finances. In order to prevent these losses, partner with a company whose software testing services include security testing.                  

                                                                                          

The best software testing companies, like QASource, will search for commonly overlooked areas, such as emails. These efficient companies will also have multiple types of security testing, such as Penetration Testing, to help make a secure product for you and your customers.

The Penetration Test is performed by a security testing expert who will simulate an unauthorized attack on your system. This simulated attack will help determine where your current security system is vulnerable so you can take measures to prevent an actual malicious attack from occurring.

Nearly all retail and financial products will contain some sort of confidential user information. Because of this, it is imperative for anyone in the financial or retail domain to find a company who offers security testing in their software testing services. To get started with a reliable software testing company, visit qasource.com.

What Makes a Good Software Testing Company?

When many product companies begin the search for a QA provider, they have a very small list of requirements; just a few boxes that the partner must be able to check off. Obviously, one of the key requirements is that prospective partner actually offers the type of testing that the company needs performed.

Unfortunately, many companies are in a hurry to get their testing implemented, and will stop searching as soon as they find a partner that meets this basic need. But there are a few other areas that you should be considering when researching and vetting different software testing companies. Here they are:

Talent & Scalability

Software Testing Company

Make sure that your software testing company staffs true QA experts: engineers who are trained in the latest testing methodologies and tools, and who are committed to testing as a career path rather than a mere stepping stone to development. It also helps to have domain and automation experts on your side, because they can uncover common yet easily overlooked bugs and help make your testing process more efficient. 

Another great aspect of outsourcing to a competent QA partner is the flexibility they offer. Expand your QA team as needed, then scale back when the work is finished -- you’re under no obligation to retain your team. They can grow right along with you, or they can shrink right along with you, it’s your choice!

Great Culture

Talent and expertise are one thing, but how does the company treat their engineers? Do they respect their knowledge and experience and do their best to retain them? Software testing companies that invest in their teams see increased productivity, show higher retention rates, and generally retain big-name clients.

Before you begin onboarding, find out as much as you can about how the company operates, how the communication structure works, and what they do to ensure seamless team extension. All of these factors will influence and shape your working relationship going forward.

Tech Infrastructure

Does the partner have the technological infrastructure to support your testing needs? For usability and performance testing, it’s important that your QA partner can provide all of the necessary devices (Mac, PC, iPhone, Android, etc.) and accommodate all of the OS and environments that your product runs on. Otherwise, you’ll be stuck buying and upgrading your testing platforms yourself!

Reputation & Track Record

It’s important to take into account what your software testing company is doing today, but it’s also important to look back and see where they’ve come from. Look at their list of clients and note how many they’ve retained over the years, read their testimonials, and ask them about what their future goals are. This will help give a more complete picture of the company and whether they’ll be the right fit for you and your specific needs.

There’s much more to a software testing company than basic offerings. To make sure you end up with the partner that will be a right fit today and in the future, do your research! Look for characteristics that align with the areas outlined above.

Do I Really Need to Hire a Software Testing Company?

Of course you don’t. But choosing not to bring on a dedicated testing partner can have many negative effects on an organization’s product and reputation in the long run. Lack of QA can also have an impact on the day-to-day work experience of your in-house team. Here are just a few of the possible consequences of foregoing quality testing:

Software Testing Company

Consequence #1: Limited test coverage
Occasionally product companies try to stretch their development team thin to help push a product toward release or cut costs, making programmers test the code as it’s written. This is a poor solution over time because QA and development are two different beasts that require separate skill sets.

A software testing company brings a fresh perspective. To help draw out bugs that developers would normally pass over, testers write targeted test cases for user scenarios based on previous experience in the domain. These tests provide full coverage to help ensure that the resulting product is strong in its most vulnerable areas.

Consequence #2: Reduced Team Productivity
Many companies already have an in-house QA team. Why should they hire on more resources? As the company scales and expands its development team, chances are the existing QA engineers will become overwhelmed with the workload. Outsourcing a portion of that work to a dedicated software testing company can help alleviate some of the pressure placed on the in-house team, free them up for higher-priority projects and improve team morale.

Consequence #3: Poor Product Quality
Skipping dedicated QA leaves many holes in the test approach: ineffective test cases, limited domain expertise and in-house teams that are spread thin. Over time each of these weak spots can become true pain points, resulting in critical post-release bugs, dissatisfied users and a damaged reputation -- not to mention the loss of revenue if these issues aren’t promptly fixed.

The solution? Hire A Software Testing Company That Cares
The industry’s leading QA partners have a glowing reputation and a loyal base of international clients. The reason for their success? They are able to deliver quality that creates value for the clients they serve. So, always prefer to hire the best that well-suited all your testing needs, budget and requirements.