Got Stuck? Try These Tips To Streamline Your Changing Testing Approach In IoT

In recent years, the Internet of Things (IoT) has gained a lot of attention. In fact, Google searches show that IoT is the most searched term on the internet at this moment. As technology is progressing in various sectors, market demands are also increasing. As a result, companies are also strategizing to build IoT products so they can grow their connected networks. At the same time, there is an increasing fear that the number of IoT devices will cause security exposures. To manage dissents such as architecture, enormous cost, and diverse information, companies need to be alert and plan IoT testing strategies to assure the dependability of their products and devices.

This is important as IoT is utilized on both consumers as well as enterprise fronts. On the consumer front, internet-connected devices such as televisions, thermostats, lights, door locks, and refrigerator are a norm these days. Similarly, health and fitness related digital devices, which provide biometric scales like heart rate, perspiration levels, and compound measures such as oxygen levels in a bloodstream show habiliments of IoT devices. On the enterprise front, anti-theft tags, driver less trucks, power generation and delivery systems, water systems, connected sensors for farms, production systems, and IoT connected devices to alert on defective instruments demonstrates IoT applications’ significance and the requirement of its dynamic testing approach.

IoT Applications = Security in Question

There has been a surge to introduce new electrical or electronic attributes. In this competitive world, new companies with not much experience expediently disregard complex system of hardware and software security design to launch a new feature at a lower cost. The vulnerability can be understood by knowing the way manufactures treat new products. They apply the same guidelines to these complicated products as well as to the normal components. For example, manufacturers utilize old designed chips that are utilized for devices whose requirements are less when it comes to proficiencies.

In other words, when software such as home appliances or any other devices are tested, they are required to pass the test, which requires these appliances to work and to be assembled easily. At that moment, security of the software is neither a priority nor a need. Manufacturers utilize age-old chips to assemble new devices, which have many susceptibilities. Obviously, software with vulnerability which does not receive any thorough testing creates security issues at a later stage. As a result, the devices, appliances, and toys installed into homes, and offices become a more convenient target for hackers.

Having said that, following are three new ways to develop software companies’ testing approach using IoT:

1. Constantly Working on Security Testing

IoT is an easy prey for hackers. It is connected to various points of connections, which remain active through the internet and continue to reciprocate with each other. The risk of hacking can reach the device in any form. This makes it impossible to concentrate on one area of IoT and prevent security risk. Therefore, IoT is in need of modification, which can only be achieved through constant security testing.

Although, the process of software testing does not show that security testing gets the priority. Most of the times, functional and unit tests get the attention of the testing team. Hence, security testing becomes a part of the procedure and gets treated as the last step in the entire software testing cycle. Rather putting it aside, testing teams should make security testing as an integral part of the software development process. This way, security testing will become a norm than a part of the procedure.

If security testing becomes the norm for the software development process, then it will be advantageous in an environment where IoT softwares are upgraded every day. On top of that, a survey of Fortune 500 CEOs shows that CEOs have been worried about the abrupt growth in technology change as well as cybersecurity. This concern is genuine as these two entities are interrelated to IoT and cause many annoyances as software testing teams try to match the pace of cybersecurity and technology change and build softwares accordingly.

2. Utilizing Test Automation in IoT

IoT system encompasses three main components such as the connectivity apparatuses, the cloud and the mobile app, which allows end users to communicate with the device. These components are tested for performance, dependability, compatibility, and security in the period of amalgamation process. Here, possible software problems are detected and resolved. However, the manual testing of the components becomes difficult as apparatuses are to be checked for at least a thousand times.

Hence, the utilization of test automation is a practical method to do massive software tests. This technique allows virtualization of a device to remove resource coercion and impasses. Test automation authorizes consistent testing of apps with acceleration, proficiency, and enables test on all devices at the same time.

On top of that, this method allows low-cost tests on all app versions, mobile devices, and operating systems. Test automation allows measurable virtual labs, which are compatible to test flows. It also helps to mend imperfections and delivers superior features at a faster rate. This allows software testing with enhanced efficiency in IoT. More importantly, it enables to eradicate the necessity of constrained business critical infrastructure, third-party systems for testing.   

3. Finding Superfluous Testing Area in IoT

There is a need for a thorough consideration to be given when it comes to testing IoT devices. When one pays attention to the prerequisites of consistent security testing, it is also similarly vital to take heed of superfluous testing so that one can intensify delivery speed. This treatment will lessen the anxiety of relevancy in the testing area and mitigate the coercion of the time frame.

After locating the section of the software, which does not need testing at every rollout, professionals need to identify protocols that passed security testing and maintain that as such as possible for the next releases. Finding these areas are crucial, since this will enable organizations to balance hostile timeframes as well as fulfill security objectives.