Fuzzing vs Manual Testing
Developers should learn and use fuzzing when building or maintaining software that requires high security, reliability, or handles untrusted inputs, such as web applications, network protocols, or file parsers meets developers should learn manual testing to gain a user-centric perspective on software quality, catch edge cases early in development, and perform exploratory testing where automation is impractical. Here's our take.
Fuzzing
Developers should learn and use fuzzing when building or maintaining software that requires high security, reliability, or handles untrusted inputs, such as web applications, network protocols, or file parsers
Fuzzing
Nice PickDevelopers should learn and use fuzzing when building or maintaining software that requires high security, reliability, or handles untrusted inputs, such as web applications, network protocols, or file parsers
Pros
- +It is particularly valuable for identifying memory corruption issues, buffer overflows, and other vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers, making it essential in fields like cybersecurity, embedded systems, and critical infrastructure
- +Related to: security-testing, penetration-testing
Cons
- -Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case
Manual Testing
Developers should learn manual testing to gain a user-centric perspective on software quality, catch edge cases early in development, and perform exploratory testing where automation is impractical
Pros
- +It's particularly valuable for usability testing, ad-hoc bug hunting, and validating new features before investing in automation scripts, helping ensure software meets real-world expectations and reducing post-release issues
- +Related to: test-planning, bug-reporting
Cons
- -Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case
The Verdict
Use Fuzzing if: You want it is particularly valuable for identifying memory corruption issues, buffer overflows, and other vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers, making it essential in fields like cybersecurity, embedded systems, and critical infrastructure and can live with specific tradeoffs depend on your use case.
Use Manual Testing if: You prioritize it's particularly valuable for usability testing, ad-hoc bug hunting, and validating new features before investing in automation scripts, helping ensure software meets real-world expectations and reducing post-release issues over what Fuzzing offers.
Developers should learn and use fuzzing when building or maintaining software that requires high security, reliability, or handles untrusted inputs, such as web applications, network protocols, or file parsers
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