Sensitive information discovery and test component configuration

Abstract

Testing software applications often requires a balancing of thoroughness versus the time and computing resources available to perform such tests. Certain data handling operations may potentially expose data to unauthorized parties. However, not all data is equal; some data requires a greater degree of protection than other data, which may be based on a security context (e.g., rule, law, policy, etc.). By generating rules determined by a particular context, extraneous tests on data outside of the context, may be omitted. Unnecessary tests may be omitted and the results of each analysis process correlated to identify actual vulnerabilities and omit false positives, such as vulnerabilities to data that does not require the same degree of care to avoid unauthorized exposure.