Scenario Matrix Template

About

A Scenario Matrix Template for Security Testing helps organize and track test cases that verify the system’s ability to protect data, resources, and operations from unauthorized access, misuse, or malicious attacks. The focus is on identifying vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and weaknesses before they can be exploited in production.

This matrix ensures:

• All authentication, authorization, and encryption mechanisms are validated

• Vulnerabilities such as SQL injection, XSS, CSRF, and insecure configurations are detected and mitigated

• The system complies with security standards and regulatory requirements

• Threats are simulated in a controlled environment to assess system resilience

Security testing scenarios often include penetration testing, vulnerability scanning, access control validation, secure data handling, and network security checks.

Template

Scenario ID	Scenario Description	Preconditions	Test Data / Inputs	Steps to Execute	Expected Result	Priority	Remarks
SEC-01	SQL injection vulnerability test	Test DB with sample data	Malicious SQL input	Submit input with SQL payload	System rejects input, no DB impact	High	OWASP Top 10 check
SEC-02	Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) test	Web application running	Script injection payload	Enter script in input field	Script is sanitized and not executed	High	Prevents client-side attacks
SEC-03	Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) test	Authenticated session	CSRF attack payload	Simulate forged request	Request is rejected without valid CSRF token	High	Protects against unauthorized actions
SEC-04	Brute force login attempt	Login module active	Multiple invalid credentials	Attempt rapid login attempts	Account locks after defined attempts	Medium	Validates brute force prevention
SEC-05	Role-based access control validation	Multiple user roles	Restricted resource URLs	Access resources with unauthorized role	Access is denied with proper error	High	Ensures authorization enforcement
SEC-06	Data encryption in transit test	HTTPS enabled	Packet sniffing tool	Capture network traffic	Data is encrypted (TLS)	High	Ensures secure communication
SEC-07	Data encryption at rest test	Encrypted DB/filesystem	Stored sensitive data	Attempt direct DB/file access	Data unreadable without key	Medium	Protects stored data
SEC-08	Session hijacking simulation	Active user session	Stolen session ID	Replay stolen session	Access denied or session invalidated	High	Prevents session misuse
SEC-09	API key and token protection	API with authentication	Invalid/missing token	Call API without valid credentials	API rejects request	Medium	Prevents unauthorized API use
SEC-10	Security misconfiguration check	Deployment environment	Configuration scanner tool	Scan configs and headers	No insecure defaults found	Medium	Prevents exploitable settings