Some years ago, they used to say that the digital world will take over the control of multiple streams of our culture like Communication, Businesses, Monetary transactions, etc.

We all must have used online digital payment modes to make a transaction anywhere. May it be a breakfast place, a recharge for TV or SIM card services or even while ordering food through food delivery applications. It has become a habit now.

It’s a good way to transact money through digital mode. It has multiple benefits. It saves time, effort, it is quicker and the list is endless. Though this list is loaded with many pros, it has its cons when it comes to Security. It is less secure then the offline mode.

As the world is growing digitally, the number of criminal activities through online mode is also increasing in both, quantity and intensity. Serious punishable offenses are taking place in the digital criminal world.

The digital ill doers, also known as Hackers, are taking their illegal doings to next level day by day. They gain access to personal data, duplicate it and execute severe crimes like Identity theft, Illegal migration, Monetary theft, etc.

If we took care of our digital presence just like we do it for our physical presence, they wont be a bother. In this article, we will discuss 8 simple steps to secure our mobile app.

1. Security of the source code

It is very likely that the app is facing vulnerability issues at its development phase.

• Protect the software with encryption.
• The source code should be scanned for susceptibilities.
• The Code of the software must also be easy to renew and restructure while having an update. It should also be between various devices and OSs.
• Be in check with different aspects like running time,data, file size,memory, and battery. You don’t want to lose users while having a good security code.
• Reliability on the app store approval is not a sure thing as it may not be precise.

2. Security measures to protect data and deny unauthorized access

Check Application Programming Interface (API) to avoid illegal data transfer.

• Creation of encrypted containers should be done to ensure data safety.
• A more secure way would be Encrypted connections and Data encryption through virtual private network.

3. Authentication,Identifications, and Authorization

• This adds an extra layer to the security.
• Make sure the API is permitting access to prominent aspects of the app.
• A new framework called OAuth2 is a good option to ensure intensely secure connections. Setting it to certain settings in the app, it will allow the user to collect credentials between end-user and client.
• Another one, OpenID Connect, will permit the user to utilize the same credentials used once for multiple domains, with a single ID.

4. Activation of a good encryption policy

• File-level encryption should be used.
• Line up the codes of software. It is needed as the data and passwords are not saved in the device. If they need to be stored. Ensure its encryption.

5. Implementation of an intense API security strategy

• Survey and follow the security procedures for strong API security. Identifications, Authentication,and Authorization.
• Ensure API.

6. Test rigorously for better security for apps

• Testing tirelessly benefits.
• Test the Session management and data security problems.
• To make the system stronger, Penetration testing might help.
• Emulators help to enlighten the performance of a software in any OS or device in a emulated setting.

7. Alerting User

Testers and developers can’t protect the user all the time. That’s why you should.

• Add pointers if any kind of susceptibility is detected.
• Inform the user with a warning to download only from official sites.

8. Using BYOD policy, be attentive and take precautionary measures.

Many organizations allow their employees to us their own devices. This open network system will be more harmful.

• Create a virtual private network system.
• Use anti-virus, firewall, and anti-spam to protect devices.
• Allow only authorized devices into the system.
• Transactions from illegal and unauthorized devices should be blocked.

Conclusion

If one follows this 8-step guide to ensure the software security, the job is done. It will boost their security and in turn, the user count will increase as the company will be known for its trustworthy and secure culture. As we know, it is not a one-time job. It needs to be tested in several intervals regularly to ensure a strong and secure application.

How VTEST can help

We have built a safe environment at VTEST to ensure the security of the digital presence. We test the security of the software given by our clients vigorously and don’t stop doing it as we understand that testing is a continuous process, and when it comes to security testing, a constantly updating code is the secret for an intensely secure software.

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Data or Information plays a very significant role in our way of life. Even in all of our cultures, the scriptures and writings from the past give us insight into our ancestor’s way of life and helps us to live through our times. In the modern world, the interpretation might change but the relevance and importance of Data storage have not become any less.

As we all know, the world is becoming a more digital space. All our important data regarding all of our work-related and other activities is interpreted through the technical form. Though it is more accessible and easier to work with, it has its cons.

The threat to the security of information is a major problem we are now facing in this new, digital way. Regardless of the concerned field, it is important to secure the information going online.

Here comes in the need for Information Security Testing. The software or the applications we use regularly need to be tested regularly by a testing team to confirm that the data and the information are safe. This kind of testing is roughly what Information Security Testing is all about.

In this blog we will discuss different aspects of Information Security Testing and why is it a necessity in the future ahead of us.

Information Security Testing – Definition

Information security testing is the testing of all the security-related mechanisms in the system. It is a check on the security framework of your system.

Automatization plays its part in this process as it is done by the regularly automatized framework to mimic the hypothetical scenarios which take place in a typical security breach. Various risk designs are used while executing this.

Information Security Testing – Initial stage

When detecting application-based security errors, installing security testing in the process is a basic procedure followed by professional testers.

Next, the whole process of Information Security Testing must start by listing out the security-related requirements of the respective software. All the pre-requisites must be listed and comprehended before beginning the process.

Generally, there are 4 main objectives to be achieved through this procedure:

• To identify any software’s power against risks.
• To make sure the data framework is ensuring the data while confirming the usability.
• To verify the competence of information leakage.
• To analyze how the software behaves at the time of the massive technical crash.

Security testing should be executed separately then the general practical testing. It allows the testers to give it more attention resulting in a more secure security code. If scheduled with practical testing, it can be given less attention as it approves the data given by the analyzers which are not specialized in the field of security testing.

Information Security Testing – Types

There are several types of Security testing:

1. Vulnerability Checks:

This type of Security testing verifies the entire framework which is under test. It also identifies its vulnerabilities, doubtful powerless marks, and escape clauses.

It’s the characterization of the inadequacies of the framework. Besides,it is to predict the competence of the measures that have been taken to counter the scenario.

2. Infiltration Testing:

Also called a Pentest, the Infiltration test duplicates an attack by a certain programmer on the respective framework. It is a recreational test.

It comprises of various activities such as Data gathering, Recognition of passage focuses, and undertaking a breach-in to understand the security drawbacks of the application.

It is like a ‘white hat attack’. Mainly focusing on testing where the IT group and the security analyzers get together, it also focuses on the outer testing that verifies the less noticeable passage focuses like gadgets, servers, space names,etc.

In this type, Internal testing is also a comprising factor. It is led behind a firewall by a verified client. It checks the behavior of the application under real-time attacks.

3. Security Risk Assessment:

Risk assessment is the evaluation of the threat of the given framework. It is done by creating different scenarios to explore and halt potential dangers.

After the assessment, these threats are listed in order from High to medium to low. This classification is done by the ‘Seriousness’ variable.

At this stage, various security reviews to verify administration hallways between the system,information assurance, and intra-arrange access is focused.

4. Moral Hacking:

This type uses an ordered consultant to go through the framework, mimicking the style of actual programmers.

The software is threatened from the inside to reveal security errors and vulnerabilities. It also helps to identify potential threats that hackers may feat.

5. Security Scanning:

Each step sends malicious solicitations to the given framework and the team of analyzers should verify for conduct that could reveal a weak thread of security.

• SQL Injection
• XPath Injection
• XML Bomb
• Malicious Attachment
• Invalid Types
• Malformed XML
• Cross-Site Scripting

Above is a portion of the productivities that should be quickly checked for weaknesses. After this, understanding them and decoding them is the last thing to do.

6.Access Control Testing: This type confirms the approval of authentic clients given to the application under testing.

The main aim here is to review the unraveling strategy of the parts of the product. It also confirms the adjustment of the software execution done while arranging the security arrangements. It guards the framework against unverified clients.

Information Security Testing – Importance

Any fine security testing manifesto serves to every aspect of the software in a highly intense approach.

It starts with the examination and verification of the security of the software. After that, it covers extra layers of the system like database and software presentation layers.

As we all know, software and mobile testing work towards assessing security at these levels. Cloud penetration testing is about revealing the security chunks on the cloud-based scenarios.

Without a secure software culture, the software world will have no control over the hackers and it will be chaos. As years are passing the threats are increasing so the organizations have to have security software to run through successfully.

In Security testing, a Defenselessness evaluation also plays a significant role. By executing defenseless evaluation, companies can analyze their software code for threats and take required actions for the same.

Information Security Testing – Increasing the value of Organizations

In the 21st century world, all the aspects of businesses are coming online. On the web. The market needs to be interconnected and it also delivers certain benefits that the offline system couldn’t offer.

Due to this, the rate of security threats is also increasing.

In some cases, any kind of security danger might cost a fortune to some organizations. It is harmful to their client count and reputation in the market. It ultimately costs them their income in monetary terms.

In this scenario, Information security testing is an essential move every businessman and organization should take. It becomes of paramount importance to secure the software or application from the dark and dangerous world of hackers.

All businesses currently working in the market, including small-scale start-ups, have found themselves working towards a basic goal, which is to build a strong and secure security structure for their software to guard it against potential security threats.

It’s a race. A race between organizations and companies to exceed their security structure’s potential to ensure a safe system. This ensures their client base by inducing trust in their customer’s minds. This ultimately increases the value of the given organization.

Conclusion

As we discussed earlier, the race is real. Organizations should stand on their feet in terms of creating a secure trustworthy work culture with their client base. This is only possible if they assured them to work under a safe and secure bond.

If you are a part of any organization that has an online presence, then you must give Information security testing utmost importance as it is the guarding angel of any given software.

How VTEST can help

VTEST will be the safest and most secure organization you will ever tackle. We value the eminence of Information security testing and our excellent team of hardworking testers work with a moral balance to protect any respective software from all the potential future threats. We believe it is our duty to do so.

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Until the world arrived in the 21st century, a successful business was attributed to one or more of the following things: making a great product, mass production, excessive marketing, efficient distribution- making sure your product had a pervasive market presence, good customer service, etc. The end of the last century and the last 19 years of this century have brought radical changes in almost all aspects of the world. Digital Transformation on a massive scale has sent the likes of Kodak packing, and new giants like Amazon, Google have emerged.

The key factor that distinguishes a great business from an average one isn’t marketing or cheap production, but User Experience i.e. UX. New generation customers have become well aware of their needs and various alternatives in the market. Companies have started paying serious attention to this metric, which is why UX has started to gain significance.

What is UX Testing?

UX Testing, also called Usability Testing is a process, where target end-users of a product use it and evaluate it based on preset parameters of user experience. The most important among these are:

• Ease of Use
• Whether the product functions as originally intended
• Its adaptability in managing controls.

Elements of UX Testing

1. Planning

At this stage, we decide what we exactly want from the product. This helps us identify the exact parameters of the test. We decide what constitutes a successful test. Make sure that you know what possible outcomes of the test area and what they imply. Other aspects are the Usability Testing technique, the format of the test report, test demographics, etc.

2. Focus Groups

Focus groups are widely used in UX testing. A focus group is a group of people (say 5-10) whose job is to sit together and discuss a product in detail, its pros, and cons, and report them to the company. A moderator conducts the session and guides them to the relevant areas of study. Focus groups are important because they represent the target user. They give us a firsthand experience of the potential user and let us grasp the true magnitude of the product’s effect on them. The important thing to remember is that one focus group is not representative enough, so at least a few of them should be used. In the mobile app market, focus groups can be, and should be used to find out what an average user wants from the app, and how well does the app satisfy them.

3. Tree Testing

Tree Testing is a wonderful technique that guides you and the UX designer to see how well users collaborate and discover products or components in the website model. Because of it, we can see what went wrong and how to fix it. It also tells us how close/far are we from the product in our vision. The methodology determines whether your data design structure is understood by the user or not.

4. Prototype testing

This type of testing can be utilized for a product on a pre-development basis. Its entire working journey is captured and tested in this phase. This is known as the primary testing phase. A UX designer makes the prototype and structure work processes. Design prototype testing helps us get a clear picture of the product’s usability. This helps us in the next phase, i.e. product development. The following are some points to be observed:

• Characterize the objectives and budget for the testing process
• Work hard on the beginning phase tests to uncover particular zones that may require upgrades
• Choose the appropriate prototyping tool
• Use a measuring device for the prototype to accumulate analytics from the users

Moderated Usability Testing

Moderated usability testing is used to get comments on the product from actual customers. In such a test, moderators- the test conductors interact with test participants. They are in continuous contact with them, guide them about the product, and note their responses, queries. This helps us understand what the customers want. Live interaction with the test participants ensures real-time observation, query-solving, and it can’t be effectively substituted by other methods. This type of testing is used when the product is at the stage of designing.

Moderated Usability Test is run to find out the potential flaws of the concerned product. The data acquired by conducting this test is used to evaluate the level of competence and readiness of the product. It enables us to manage the risk of investing huge amounts of resources in the project.

Un-moderated Usability Testing

This technique is used when we need a large sample for testing. The test is usually led through a platform or a website that records the session, tracks the metrics, and randomizes groups and tasks. A portion of the accessible tools can get you results in a few hours so that you can keep the development procedure continuous.

Maintaining live records

Maintaining live records, by taking notes at regular intervals, is necessary to learn from the test. It may help us in the future.

It helps to note as much as we can: what the participant is doing, what they say, where they go, what they do etc. One more important thing to remember is to record timestamps and quotes in the case of important events. We should also look for verbal signs and facial prompts if we’re physically present. The note-taker may be tempted to classify problematic and non-problematic areas right there during the test. However, this might make them prone to biases, so it should be avoided.

Tools available for UX Testing

UX testing or Usability Testing is a continuously improving area. Which means its scope is also constantly evolving. With ever more complex apps coming to the market everyday, it’s become necessary to have some usability testing tools at our disposal. Here are 5 of the best tools that are in the market for UX Testing.

1. Microsoft Inclusive Design

This is a software focusing on inclusive design, as the name suggests. Their plus point is that designing for individuals with inabilities results in structures that are useful for people across the globe. The software has comprehensive design standards to follow such as learning from diversity, activity cards describing case studies and tools, videos showing the inclusive design in action, among others.

2. IDEO Design Kit

This is another amazing software from IDEO. It contains ‘Mindsets,’ which have models for design strategies, sketch main design standards, and case studies indicating how ‘human-centered design’ has driven actual outcomes. IDEO focuses more on human-centered design than on user-centered design.

3. Design Practice Methods

The Design Practice Methods focuses on Human-centered design techniques, alongside more great design techniques, for example, material testing and mood boards. Methods can be searched by category such as Creative and Analytical and with a little classification and models presented for every strategy.

4. Crazy Egg

It has a Heatmap that helps the website find out where every user has tapped on the site. The Confetti provides insights concerning search terms and visitor sources. And, the Overlay that will analyze the number of clicks per page component. The Scrollmap – demonstrates how far down on the page a guest has frequently looked over.

5. Usabilla

This tool has a wide range of features to be employed by UX testers, making it a very exhaustive ordeal bundle. A couple of the elements that can be actuated are: mobile feedback, exit reviews, click heatmaps, directed feedback forms, and feedback widgets that assemble information through emails. Any user can give it a shot on a 14-day free trial mode otherwise they have a month to month, a yearly pricing structure.

Conclusion

In a world where user experience has become THE buzzword, UX Testing is very important to ensure that your app or site or product fulfills the customers’ needs. Before spending huge amounts of money, getting the prototype tested is a smart thing to do. As said earlier, this a constantly evolving field, making testing very complicated. Which is why getting help from experts becomes very important.

How VTEST can help:

VTEST has ample experience in the field of UX Testing. We understand the important role played by user experience in the making of a successful software development company. Whatever your product is, we’ll help you achieve your goal.

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For any software to work properly, its code needs to be accurate. The software improves with time, and therefore its code undergoes continuous change. However, even a slight change in the script may alter its functioning considerably. Our goal is for the software to work exactly as intended. This is why it must be tested regularly, especially after every change is made to the script. Manually testing the code every such time is extremely tedious. This is why functional automated testing is useful. But let’s first see what Functional Testing means.

What is Functional Testing?

Functional testing checks whether every function of your code works as originally intended. It’s about testing the functional aspects of any given software. The testing process is basic and similar to the general testing manifesto.

You send appropriate inputs and compare the actual outputs to the expected outputs and then figure out how to remove the variance if there’s any. Since this is the primary process to ensure that the software is of the required quality, you may have to repeat it. It saves time to automate the process.

Functional Automated Testing

Functional Automated testing facilitates the automatic execution of your functional test cases. Manual testing, on the other hand, requires you to execute the test case step by step, which is lengthy. Automating functional test case saves both time and effort. It’s done with zero human intervention, thereby minimizing human error.

Drawbacks of Manual Testing

We know that it is important to test any software manually as it has several benefits but to be honest, Automations save a lot of time and effort in the process of testing. Though it is the original and old school method of testing, Manual testing has its flaws. From human errors to time consumption, the list is significantly intense.

• Extremely Lengthy
• Repetitive
• Possibility of Human Errors
• High resource consumption

Now that we have seen the setbacks faced while manually testing any given software, we will try to understand why is it important to execute functional testing in an automated approach.

Why Functional Automation Testing?

Nowadays, the software is developed very quickly. Alterations and enhancements are done continuously, and equally rapidly. Testers must match the pace by performing tests smartly. And that is why we need functional automation testing.

Companies are now following a practice called DevOps, which integrates Software Development and IT Operations to reduce the SDLC and deliver great quality software. These frequent integrations and improvements in the code require test cases to run quickly and accurately. And automation functional testing assures exactly that.

Apart from saving time and resources, Functional automated testing provides:

• Accurate Benchmarking
• Minimum Human Error
• Broad Test Coverage
• Enhanced Reusability
• Faster Finishing ( And Release)
• Quicker Bug Reports

These were some of the benefits automation provides. Now we will take a look at how functional automation testing can be seen as a tool for software development.

Functional test automation as a software development tool

Automating a test case involves applying a code to test a particular code. Developing this code is complicated just like developing any other software and therefore has the same challenges. Following the best practices in software development is the key to developing a flawless testing code. And a flawless testing code is the key to successfully perform Functional Automated Testing.

Should you automate all your test cases?

Automating all the test cases may not be a good idea. We should take into account the following things to determine which test cases to automate:

• Deterministic test cases
• Lengthy test cases
• Unit test cases
• Stress/load test cases
• Test cases are required to run on various browsers, systems, etc.
• Test cases that don’t require manual communication
• Test cases involved with fiscal-related areas of the software
• Test cases involved with risk areas of the software
• Tests that require running on different data sets
• Test cases difficult for manual testing

Despite this, the criteria for automated testing may vary from case to case.

We now head to the practical aspect of Functional Automated Testing i.e. ROI. Return on Investment.

RoI: The business factor

ROI or Return on Investment is the deciding factor in any business decision. Whether to automate your test cases or not, is also largely dependent on ROI. Investment decisions are generally made using estimates and past figures because we can’t exactly predict what the conditions in the future will be. A well-known formula for estimating the cost of automation is given below:

Automation Cost = automation tool cost + cost of the labor to automate test cases + maintenance cost.

This cost should be compared with the manual testing cost before making the final decision. It should be kept in mind that manual testing cost is a variable cost (owing to human labor). That is why it keeps piling up as test cases increase. Automation cost, on the other hand, is fixed and therefore is reduced (per test) as the test cases increase. Other factors may vary from case to case.

What Not to Automate

Even good things shouldn’t be overdone. By executing all the test cases by automation, one might allow errors to occur in some test cases. Remember, extremities won’t take you anywhere. All test cases are not designed to be automated. There’s a limit to what test cases you can automate. Here are some that you shouldn’t:

• Single performed test cases
• Usability test cases
• Customized test cases
• Test cases that do not have a predictive result

Discretion is necessary to decide which tests to automate. Functional test case automation can be highly beneficial for you if done wisely.

Conclusion:

To summarize,

We discussed what functional testing is and its benefits when done in an automated way. Along with that, we looked at some much-discussed drawbacks of manual testing. Coming on next to the need for automation in functional testing. ROI i.e. Return on Investment also cannot be ignored.

On an ironic note, we looked at some of the flaws of over-executing automation. Because as we all know, even good things shouldn’t be overdone.

We all know that among all the types of testing, functional testing is one of the most important phases of the Software Testing Life Cycle i.e. STLC. Most of the time, it is done manually, with testers rigorously working day and night to make sure the functions of the software are running smoothly. This makes the whole process very tedious. It takes a lot of time, effort, manpower, and money to execute functional testing manually. To make it more efficient, automating function test cases is the right thing to do. It saves both time and money and testers can give proper attention to the parts of the testing process which require more focus.

How can VTEST help?

VTEST understands that time is money. We’ll advise you on what tests you need to automate, how best to do it. Once we take over, you’ll realize your time is spent to focus on your core areas, and not worrying about how long it’s going to take to release your new product.

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In today’s world, we depend a lot on software in our lives. Naturally, software testing has gained great importance as well. With our ever-rising and ever-complex needs, new technologies, big data, software testing is undergoing rapid transformations too. There’s a noticeable shift towards the use of Bots and AI for testing from the traditional manual testing.

This shift, however, in no way indicates that manual testing is going to perish totally. What actually will happen is that software testing will integrate manual testing and automated testing to and make it more efficient, to match the growing complexities of the software world.

Awareness regarding AI and bots is quickly increasing with their growing usage. They are disrupting many fields including software testing. These technologies are cost-effective and time-productive and free from human error. Machine learning in software testing and developments is much more efficient and permanent compared to training people. As data keeps piling up, feeding them, these machines will only get better and better.

The Role of AI and Bots in Software Testing

1. Scope

Software is a continuously improving piece of technology. Changes occur when new features are to be added, bugs are to be fixed, etc. Effecting these changes requires writing new code. However, even a small change in the code may alter the performance of the software considerably. It is, therefore, necessary to test the software every time there’s a change in the code.

This increases the scope of testing and adds up to the workload of the testers as well. Due to increased workload, testers might lose their focus while working, resulting in a bad product.

On the other hand, A bot can easily recreate the necessary tests to integrate new parameters and also run parallel tests, reducing the tester’s burden. This frees the tester to do the manual parts of the job and thus resulting in a more fine output.

2. Working 24*7

AI and bots are extremely useful when lengthy, monotonous, and those tests where human intervention is not needed are to be conducted, which would be very tiring for human testers. As bots can work 24*7 with the same efficiency, they are the right fit for these kinds of jobs. Deploying them minimizes human efforts, human error. It also frees the testers to focus on inspecting the test results and resolving the issues, if any.

3. Advanced Continuous Testing

Continuous testing is the key to enhance the quality of your software. Continuous testing helps detect anomalies early on and take action on any corrupt information present.

This type of testing, however important, is very time-consuming for human testers. As future software becomes even more complex, it will become downright impossible. Bots and AI can easily perform such tests, resulting in a bug-free software.

Now vs. Future of AI and bots in Software Testing

Currently, the use of AI and bots is limited to detecting defects in dedicated parts. It will take time for them to take up more complex tasks. However, as the bots get smarter, it’s estimated that they will be able to detect any anomalies in the script, even understand and predict the user’s needs.

If this happens, and believe me it will, the workings of the world will change drastically. Some may think that unemployment will be a prominent issue but the rise of AI can also be seen as a positive scenario. It may open up newer and fresher avenues for technical engineers as most of the menial work they are doing today will be done by smart and efficient AI models.

Although we can’t exactly predict what role AI will play in our lives in the future, we know for sure that its role will be much more than what it is today.

Conclusion:

We have seen AI mostly in Science Fiction movies, and in almost every one of them it takes over human life in a big way. We don’t know how and how much it will shape our lives, but it’s safe to assume that in the distant future, most human jobs will be redundant.

In the context of software development and testing, as our software needs become more and more advanced and sophisticated, we’ll need software testing of similar complexity and competence. AI and bots will play a big role here. Bots can perform the more time-consuming and high volume work, leaving human testers to oversee the bots.

How can VTEST help?

VTEST understands the importance of automation from a micro-level to a larger picture in today’s busy world. We are working tirelessly towards making the world less busy and more efficient. We have developed great capabilities in AI and bot employed testing. Our considerable infrastructure and expertise also play an important role in our projects. With our expert testers, we ensure we’ll meet all your testing needs.

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All the youthful activities in today’s world are driven by technology. May it be dating culture, newer innovative business startups, delivery applications… The list can go on. If we look closely, we will observe that the face of all these forces of today’s digital world is software. Though it can be seen and used in various formats like websites, applications, etc., it is the single most impactful and game-changing piece of technology in the current era.

A software, like any other product, is developed to meet a predetermined goal. The purpose of software testing, in simple terms, is to find out whether the software meets that particular goal, to assess its strengths and weaknesses, areas of improvement.

Software testing is an independent activity that determines whether your software is ready to be launched in the target market. Some of the common characteristics tested include its design, development, response to all kinds of inputs, execution of the desired functions within the right time-frame, and overall efficiency.

Software testing can be performed at different stages of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), as per the choice of the developer. However, it’s advisable to perform it as early as possible, as it significantly saves resources. If not, you could do it as soon as the most basic prototype is developed.

The software testing process usually includes these steps:

1. Planning – Plan the whole process systematically.
2. Analysis and Design – Analyze and design proper test cases to execute while testing.
3. Implementation and execution – Implement and Execute the test cases to find out the bugs/errors.
4. Evaluation and reporting – Evaluate the whole testing result mainly comprising of all the bugs found and draft a report based on the evaluation.
5. Test closure – Finish the process by sending the report to the developers’ team.

One should note that this process should be repeated certain times to finalize the testing process before the release of the application or software.

Every company is keen to get its software tested in a thorough, comprehensive manner to find out and fix all the glitches. However, it’s not easy to know how far you’ve come towards your goal. There’s always scope for improvement. Here are some general guidelines:

• Define a process

Before going ahead with actual testing, it certainly helps to define a clear-cut, expert-approved testingprocess. Instead of being strictly followed, this can act as a guideline. We can make this process as a baseline and tweak it as we go on developing it. But a process is only as good as it’s executed, so it should be designed with a practical approach.

• Involve testers in the development

If testers are involved from the beginning throughout the process, they can get a good, close look at the product, which helps them devise a comprehensive testing process.It also helps find out and fix glitches early on, saving resources. The more they know and understand, the more they can contribute, it’s that simple.

• Maintain records

In your day-to-day life, you store all the important documents you need in your cupboard. You store food in the fridge. Why do you do it? It’s because storing these things helps you do your activities in the future more smoothly. Just like this, it’s highly useful to store all the relevant information related to a product, from its testing plan to its product details, in the form of documents, reports in a separate folder, as it becomes easier for us to access it. This way, we don’t have any last-minute regrets, and helps us streamline our testing operation.

• Have Prototypes ready in advance

It’s safe to have prototypes ready in advance for the fourth stage. This helps improve the productivity of the developer as well as the tester. It saves time. It can also help the testers find out if the requirements mentioned for the product can be tested. It’s pertinent, however, that these prototypes; test cases are easily understood by the tester.

• Be Critical

The job of a tester, any tester, is to independently evaluate the product they’re testing. It’s important to be unbiased before, while, and after testing. One can’t assume that software is perfect regardless of how good the developer is. Start by thinking that there are glitches, and then rule them out step by step. If you’re looking for glitches, you’ll find glitches, which helps us fix them. That should be the aim.

• Divide the product into parts

The testing team can divide the entire product module into smaller parts. This ensures that even the smallest aspect of a particular application doesn’t remain unnoticed. The division of the entire logic into smaller modules makes it simple to identify. Any glitches that come up are easy to spot and fix. Additionally, doing this saves time, contrary to what we might think.

• A Comprehensive Testing Report

A clear and detailed bug report is a must if you want to deliver a flawless product. Apart from leading the developers to the bugs and helping them fix them, it saves valuable time. The report should be clear and understandable to the developers and the testers themselves, to work together to deliver the product.Check out our blog on how to draft a good bug report to get a clearer picture.

• Create a good test environment

The testing team must test a product in a simulated environment the same as the one it’s intended to be used in after it’s launched. This is to ensure that there are no glitches or bugs that are missed out during the product’s testing.

Ex. If a developer has added certain configurations or run scripts but has missed adding the same in release document or configuration file. The testers may not be able to thoroughly test the product, resulting in some glitches in the end.

• Developer-tester coordination

This is the most important, yet the most difficult point to realize. Any great product is a combined effort of the testing team and the developing team. Coordination between these two teams (Ex. discussing a testing report, brainstorming ways to fix the glitches) pays off. It is equally important to keep an e-trail of all such discussions so that you can refer back to them, just in the case.

Conclusion

As discussed earlier, Software Development is not a flick that can be ignored. It is here to change the game. If we need to go ahead into a brighter and smarter future, Software Development is the path on which we should walk.

That’s why software testing is a must. It is like repairing the road to the future. If we do not remove these bumps called bugs on this road of coding, we as humans might fail in the long run.

Software testing is a necessary activity before its launch. What we need is a well-thought-out plan, a critical approach, and a nice working relationship between the testing team and the developing team, who are committed to delivering a flawless product. Simple enough to understand, it’s not so easy to realize.

How VTEST can help?

We at VTEST strive to excel. With our tea of intelligent, young, and dynamic testers, we are changing the game of software testing. We understand how important it is to streamline a testing process, to stick to it without losing the main purpose of testing. Our experts can work well with developing teams to deliver an error-free product.

VTEST it!

They say in the 21st century, data is the new oil. With the advent of the internet and allied technologies, doing the most basic things has changed radically. As smartphones and the internet are becoming cheaper and cheaper, every business is trying to attract and retain customers via mobile apps. The demand for mobile app testing services is, therefore at an all-time high. These businesses need the help of testing services to make their app a success. Thousands of apps are flooding the app stores daily. Sadly, most of them remain unnoticed.

One of the main reasons for this happening is the lack of awareness about the need for mobile app testing. Let’s see what mobile app testing is in detail.

Mobile app testing consists of the following elements:

1. Performance Testing
2. Interrupt Testing
3. Installation Testing
4. Recover-ability Testing
5. Functional Testing
6. Memory Leakage Testing
7. Usability testing
8. Security testing
9. Compatibility Testing

Now let’s learn more about each of these in greater detail. We’ll also learn how it differs from desktop app testing.

1) Performance Testing

• In performance testing, a tester addresses multiple challenges such as the draining of battery due to heavy battery usage, bandwidth problems (switching from 3G to 4G/ Wi-Fi, change in the network,etc.), difficulties while transferring heavy files because of low memory, etc. Therefore, the purpose of performance testing is to understand the performance of an app under different conditions and users.

• The idea of performance testing of desktops is irrelevant since it is assumed to have only one user.
• In this type of testing, individual functions such as Use Case, configuration, troubleshooting are tested.

2) Interrupt Testing

• We face many interruptions while using a mobile app. Some of these are receiving SMS, incoming calls, issues while connecting external devices, inserting power cable when the app is running, etc.
• To make sure that your app can withstand all these interruptions, a tester is supposed to perform interrupt testing in mobile devices as well as desktops.

3) Installation Testing

• It’s important to check the consistency of your app during installing and uninstalling processes.
• It’s a well-known fact that frequently crashing apps during these processes do not survive in the market.
• Installation testing checks whether the software is compatible with the desktop/mobile and whether it affects the navigation or the flow of other apps.

4) Recovery-ability Testing

• In this type of testing, crash recovery, interruptions during transactions are tested.
• Recovery ability testing mainly checks how an app works on transactions when there is an app failure, and also analyses whether the system (mobile/desktop) recovers the data after suspended connections.

5) Functional Testing

• The purpose of functional testing is to determine whether an app is functioning as intended.
• Functional testing is a very complex, exhaustive, and lengthy process. Therefore, it’s only wise to do it automatically, instead of manually.
• In the case of desktops, it’s a type of black-box testing which aims at checking whether system function is as originally intended and is user friendly.

6) Memory Leakage Testing

• The next test is the memory leakage test. This is performed to ensure that your app is utilizing optimized memory on different mobile devices.
• When compared to computer systems, the inbuilt memory of a mobile device is very low. Most of the OS environments shut applications that are consuming too much memory.
• By performing mobile leakage testing, we ensure that an app does not slow down mobile devices.

7) Usability testing

• The success of any app depends, inter alia, on its flexibility to use. A good app should be able to provide a greatuser experience. This is where usability testing comes in.
• Usability testing in desktop differs from mobile app testing as it tests distinctive features like configuration, customization, high personalization, user diversity, etc.

8) Security testing

• This is the most important type of testing. No user will ever use an app that has a lax data protection system.
• Security testing helps you in giving assurance to your customers that your app is free from security threats. Understandably, desktop testing demands more security concerning its access, along with data protection.

9) Compatibility Testing

• Compatibility Testing is performed on mobile phones to know how an app works on different devices.
• There are several devices with different screen size, resolution, hardware and software functionality, versions, etc. which make compatibility testing important.
• Compatibility testing determines whether the user interface of the application is as per the desired screen size, so no text is partially inaccessible or invisible.
• Compatibility testing for desktop apps aims at checking whether desktop apps are compatible with different platforms such as Mac OS, Windows, Linux, etc., report defects, and fixing them.

Conclusion

We live in a world where one person with a smartphone can get more done than many people could in the last century. Organizations, therefore, are keen on developing their apps to get things done quickly and efficiently. Mobile apps also help them scale up, reach almost any number of people.

An app working exactly as intended may make a huge impact on a company’s future. It is therefore imperative to thoroughly test an app before it’s launched.Even though new devices come up every day, the fundamentals of testing for both mobile and desktop remain the same. Yet, mobile application testing is more difficult than desktop software testing due to more variables.

How VTEST can help?

The need for mobile app testing is increasing day-by-day and it is important to have a strong backup company to test the apps. VTEST is a strong option. After we’re done with your app, we promise your app will be ready for the market. We’ve got you covered.

VTEST it!