Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) security solutions vendor Qualys, today announced updates to its QualysGuard Web Application Scanning suite, including the ability to integrate with Selenium, the open source tool that lets users to record their browser actions and save them as scripts that can then be replayed at a later time.
The integration with Selenium will help overcome some of the challenges of dynamic application security testing (DAST) for web applications that require complex authentication with a multi-step login processes.
“As financially-motivated attackers have shifted their focus to applications, Web application security has become a top priority. However, the responsibility for web application security cannot rest solely with information security,” said Neil MacDonald, vice president and Gartner fellow. “Enterprises should evaluate how to identify vulnerabilities in Web applications earlier in the development process as transparently as possible using web application security testing products or services.”
“While we now identify and eliminate vulnerabilities on network devices efficiently, this is not the case for web applications which have become the primary target of cyber attacks,” said Philippe Courtot, chairman and CEO for Qualys.
In addition to integrating with Selenium, QualysGuard WAS 2.1 added features including:
• Client Certificate Support: Expanded support for client SSL certificates that are required by many high-risk web applications, providing the ability to upload client SSL certificates which canbe used by WAS to perform authenticated scanning.
• Post Data Black List: Users can identify pages for which forms should not be submitted. This prevents the potential impact of posting the forms but allows the page view to be evaluated for security vulnerabilities.
• Additional URL Support: WAS 2.1 expands coverage by enabling users to enter a list of links to be scanned that may not be linked to the initial URL.
Sold as an annual subscription, QualysGuard WAS 2.1 is available now in the U.S. and will be available in Europe on December 15th, 2011.
In addition to the QualysGuard WAS updates, the company announced a new partnership with the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) to provide local and state government agencies with IT security and compliance management solutions in the cloud to help them with vulnerability identification, mitigation, and managing regulatory compliance, while reducing costs and streamlining operations.
Under the agreement, the MS-ISAC, a division of the national not-for-profit Center for Internet Security, will offer the QualysGuard suite of services, including vulnerability management, policy compliance, web application scanning and PCI compliance to the nation’s state, local, territorial and tribal (SLTT) governments. The MS-ISAC will deliver the service through its operations center that provides network monitoring, early cyber threat warnings and advisories, vulnerability identification and mitigation and incident response for the nation’s SLTT governments.
