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Security Assessment Methodology

Table of Contents

Manual-first. Standards-driven. Findings you can reproduce.

Automated scanners miss complex business logic flaws, multi-step authorization bypasses, and context-dependent vulnerabilities. My testing methodology prioritizes deep manual analysis to uncover high-impact flaws where automated tooling fails, delivering zero-false-positive findings you can act on immediately.


🎯 Manual-First & Business Logic Focus

  • 60–70% Manual Effort: Scanners handle initial surface mapping, while the core engagement focuses on manual exploitation.
  • Where Tools Fail: Automated tools cannot understand application context. Manual testing focuses specifically on:
    • Multi-step authentication & authorization bypasses
    • Race conditions and transaction manipulation
    • Complex business workflow abuse
  • Zero Noise: Every finding is manually verified and triaged before being documented.

📐 Industry Standards & Frameworks

Assessments follow globally recognized security baselines:

  • Web Applications: OWASP WSTG (v4.2 stable / v5.0 dev)
  • APIs: OWASP API Security Top 10 (2023)
  • AI & LLM Applications: OWASP Top 10 for LLM Applications (v2.0), MITRE ATLAS
  • Mobile Applications: OWASP MASVS (v2.0)
  • Penetration Testing Standards: PTES, NIST SP 800-115
  • Vulnerability Scoring: CVSS v3.1 & CVSS v4.0

🛠️ Tooling & Stack

Tooling supports manual analysis—it never replaces human judgment.

CategoryTools & Technologies
Core Proxy & InspectionBurp Suite, OWASP ZAP, Caido
Recon & AutomationNuclei, Custom Automation Scripts
Mobile SecurityFrida, MobSF
Static Analysis (SAST)Semgrep, Custom Rulesets

📝 Reporting Standard

Every vulnerability report provides clear, actionable detail:

  1. Description & Business Impact: Explanation of the vulnerability and real-world risk to your business.
  2. Reproduction Steps: Step-by-step instructions with redacted proof-of-concept (PoC) evidence.
  3. Severity Rating: Standardized CVSS v3.1 / v4.0 scoring.
  4. Remediation Guidance: Specific code or configuration fixes tailored to your stack.

Default reports include OWASP and CVSS mappings. Extended compliance mapping (DPDP S.8(5), SOC 2 CC7.1, ISO 27001 A.8.8) is available upon request.


🔄 Retest & Support Policy

Post-Assessment Support (30 Days Included)

  • 1 Free Retest: Includes one complimentary retest covering all original findings within 30 days of report delivery. Subsequent retests are quoted separately.

  • Async Email Support: 30 days of direct asynchronous email support to assist your engineering team during remediation.


Ready to Secure Your Application?

If you need a manual-first security assessment or have questions about scoping, let’s discuss your requirements.

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