Application security testing & secure development
Find security weaknesses before they become business risks.
Cyber Secret Society helps businesses assess web application and API security, identify vulnerabilities, and improve software security through practical testing and actionable remediation guidance.
- Written scope and authorization
- Manually validated findings
- Remote, for international clients
Scope map · web app & API
01 · In scope where agreed · Authentication
Sign-in, password reset, multi-factor, and account recovery — can accounts be bypassed or taken over?
How we test this: Web application testingServices
Security testing and review for the software you ship
Focused service lines, each scoped to your application, API, or codebase.
- 01Web Application Penetration TestingManual testing of web applications against real attack paths.
- 02API Security TestingAccess-control, data-exposure, and logic testing for APIs.
- 03Vulnerability AssessmentIdentify, validate, and prioritise known weaknesses.
- 04Secure Development & Code ReviewFind security flaws in source code before they ship.
- 05Security Training & CTFs for TeamsPractical workshops and authorised CTF exercises.
Not sure which service fits? Compare them side by side, or describe what you need and we'll suggest a scope.
Service 01 / 05
Manual testing of web applications against real attack paths.
Manual, scope-driven testing of your web application — authentication, authorization, session handling, input handling, and business logic, as agreed for the engagement.
Typical areas, where agreed
- Authentication
- Authorization and access control
- Session handling
- Input handling
- Business logic
- Configuration and exposure
- Who it helps
- SaaS products, customer portals, and web platforms preparing for launch, a major release, or a customer security review.
- What you receive
- A written report of validated findings, rated by risk, with reproduction steps and practical remediation guidance.
Service 02 / 05
Access-control, data-exposure, and logic testing for APIs.
Testing of REST and similar APIs for broken object- and function-level authorization, excessive data exposure, input validation, and abuse scenarios within the agreed scope.
Typical areas, where agreed
- Authentication
- Object-level authorization
- Function-level authorization
- Excessive data exposure
- Input validation and mass assignment
- Rate limiting and abuse
- Who it helps
- API-first businesses, mobile and single-page app backends, and teams exposing partner or public APIs.
- What you receive
- Endpoint-level findings with request/response evidence and fixes your developers can act on.
Service 03 / 05
Identify, validate, and prioritise known weaknesses.
Identification and validation of known vulnerabilities and misconfigurations across agreed in-scope assets, with false positives filtered out.
Typical areas, where agreed
- Asset and exposure review
- Vulnerability identification
- Configuration weaknesses
- Validation and false-positive removal
- Severity and prioritisation
- Who it helps
- Organisations that need a clear, prioritised view of their exposure — or a baseline before a deeper penetration test.
- What you receive
- A prioritised list of confirmed weaknesses with severity, affected assets, and remediation recommendations.
Service 04 / 05
Find security flaws in source code before they ship.
Security-focused review of application source code — input handling, output encoding, authentication and authorization logic, secret handling, dependencies, and security-relevant configuration.
Typical areas, where agreed
- Input handling
- Output encoding
- Authentication logic
- Authorization logic
- Secret handling
- Dependency risks
- Who it helps
- Development teams and software companies who want security issues caught in code, not in production.
- What you receive
- Code-level findings referencing the affected files, with remediation guidance that fits your stack.
Service 05 / 05 · for teams
Practical workshops and authorised CTF exercises.
Practical security workshops, hands-on labs, and authorised capture-the-flag exercises for development and technical teams.
Typical areas, where agreed
- Web and API vulnerabilities
- Secure development practices
- Defensive security concepts
- Authorised CTF exercises
- Who it helps
- Engineering teams and organisations building practical, defensive security skills.
- What you receive
- Sessions shaped around agreed learning objectives, using safe, purpose-built lab environments.
How we work
Why businesses work with Cyber Secret Society
Practical testing, clear findings, and guidance your team can act on — with the scope and rules agreed before anything starts.
Read our testing methodology- 01
Clearly defined scope
Targets, test types, timing, and exclusions are agreed in writing before any testing begins.
- 02
Practical, manual methodology
Automated tools support the work; experienced manual testing finds the access-control and logic flaws scanners miss.
- 03
Validated, actionable findings
Each finding is confirmed and documented with evidence and steps to reproduce — not a raw scanner export.
- 04
Prioritised remediation guidance
Findings are rated by risk so your team knows what to fix first, with practical guidance on how.
- 05
Clear, professional communication
Plain-language summaries for decision-makers and technical detail for the engineers doing the fixes.
- 06
Confidential handling
Assessment information is treated as confidential and shared only with the contacts you nominate.
Engagement process
From first conversation to verified fixes
A simple, predictable process. Actual timing and deliverables depend on the scope we agree.
Swipe to see all 6 steps
Finding F-03
Illustrative example — not client data
Order details readable across customer accounts
GET /api/orders/{id}
- Evidence
- Request and response showing an order belonging to a second test account returned to the first.
- Reproduce
- Sign in as test account A, request an order ID created by test account B, compare the response.
- Remediation
- Check on the server that the signed-in user owns the requested order before returning it; apply the same check to related endpoints.
Technical proof
See how we work before you engage us
Client engagements are confidential, so we don't publish client names or results. Instead, here is exactly what a finding looks like — evidence, reproduction, and a fix your developers can apply — and the work we publish openly.
- Our testing methodologyHow we scope, test, rate, and report — before you commit to anything.8 phases · rules of engagement · 5-level rating scale
- Threat-actor profilesWell-documented APT groups: aliases, typical targets, and reported techniques.8 profiles · sourced from public reporting
- Glossary and investigation guideSecurity terms explained plainly, and a step-by-step alert-investigation workflow.18 terms · 6-step workflow
- CTF challenge categoriesChallenges we design for our community: web security, forensics, cloud, and more.7 categories · 42 challenge topics
- Practical articlesWrite-ups on investigation, packet analysis, ATT&CK, and application security.6 published articles
Who we help
Built for teams that build and run software
Our services are designed for organisations whose risk lives in their applications, APIs, and code.
How our services fit your industry01
SaaS businesses
Multi-tenant products where a single access-control flaw can expose one customer's data to another.
02
Software development companies
Teams that want independent security testing or code review before handing a product to their clients.
03
Web application owners
Businesses running customer portals, e-commerce, or internal web platforms that hold sensitive data.
04
API-driven businesses
Companies whose mobile apps, integrations, or partners depend on APIs that must enforce authorization correctly.
05
Digital agencies
Agencies looking for a security-testing partner to assess the applications they build for their own clients.
Resources & community
Free security knowledge, written by practitioners
Application Security · 14 min
OWASP Top 10 2025 Explained: The 10 Biggest Web Application Security Risks
The OWASP Top 10 2025 explained: all ten categories in official order, what changed since 2021, and how to prevent each risk.
Careers · 6 min
Day One as a SOC Analyst: What to Actually Expect
Your first shift in a Security Operations Center is equal parts adrenaline and information overload. Here is how to survive — and thrive.
The Society
Learn with the community
Structured learning paths, CTF challenges, and scenario-based exercises in safe, authorised environments — free and self-directed.
Visit the communityFAQ
Questions about working with us
Can't find your answer? Ask us directly, or browse every question in the full FAQ.
It depends on the service and the scope we agree. A web application or API penetration test focuses on manual testing of areas such as authentication, authorization, session handling, input handling, and business logic. A vulnerability assessment identifies and validates known weaknesses across agreed assets. A code review examines source code for security flaws. The exact test areas are listed in the agreed scope before work starts.
We start with a discussion about what you want assessed, why, and any constraints. We then propose a written scope covering targets, environments, test types, timing, and exclusions. Testing only begins once the scope is agreed and written authorization is in place.
A written report that summarises the results for decision-makers and documents each finding for your technical team — with a risk rating, supporting evidence, reproduction steps, and remediation guidance.
Assessment information — including findings, credentials provided for testing, and reports — is treated as confidential and shared only with the contacts you nominate. Please don't send credentials or vulnerability details through the website enquiry form; we arrange a secure channel once an engagement is agreed.
Yes. Our services are designed for remote delivery to clients internationally. Testing is performed against internet-reachable or remotely accessible environments that you authorise, and communication happens over agreed online channels.
We go through the findings with your team and answer questions about remediation. If retesting is part of the engagement, we verify the fixes once you've applied them and update the report.
Use the assessment request form to tell us about your application, API, or codebase and what you need. We'll reply to arrange an initial discussion and agree an appropriate scope.
Planning a security assessment?
Tell us about your application, API, or software security requirements. We can discuss the appropriate scope and next steps.
What happens next
- 01We review your enquiry and reply by email
- 02An initial discussion about your application and goals
- 03A written scope — nothing is tested until it's agreed