Tools are a normal part of testing jobs because they can amplify our ability to learn about product quality. It's a good idea to review new tools for automation, performance, or monitoring to see if some solution will help you test better. Before you even look at tools, though, there are two questions you should ask.

For many organizations, traditional testing groups are separated from the IT security group. But having traditional testers perform some security testing efforts is a great way of achieving a balanced approach to shifting left while being mindful of staffing and budgetary challenges. It also has some great advantages.

Test design can contribute greatly to how manageable and maintainable your automation is. Hiding detailed steps in actions makes their automation easier to maintain, and the high-level actions can be leveraged to define less common tests. Here's how you can write tests as a sequence of actions to improve coverage.