When will security and performance be allowed to enter the functional testing?

We often talk about functional and non-functional testing. A somewhat strange distinction one can think?

In today's rapid development of technology and it's various adaptions, everything are becoming digitized and connected. 

And as security becomes a fundamental part of every part of the connected Eco-system, security is of essence. Thus, security should by right, be regarded as a function. We need to consider security in every aspect of the architecture and all steps of the design process. 

The flip-side of security is performance. Designing for rigorous security will consume CPU, power, time and user or system interactions. With connectivity and services moving out into distributed tiny devices with limited resources, performance becomes a driver of cost. Thus, performance should be regarded a functional requirement as well as security.

They aren't only non non-functional, they are also becoming much more important and should be moved up to a more focused position. These requirements shouldn't be something under consideration only when everything else is taken care of and time and budget are still available. They should be at the prime spot of everyone's attention.

As testers, we need to prioritize these and perhaps let go of other test objects that can be easily managed by others in the projects.

In agile teams, test activities are incorporated in the agile development process. Let that process extend it's coverage and have system testing activities focus more on security and performance along with the more interesting testing areas, usability, and customer value testing.

In every test plan and strategy, security and performance should be among the highest prioritized test items. Analysis and reviews of architecture and designs should highlight these areas from a wide range of aspects and we as testers should learn more about this subject and develop our skills. A connected lifestyle without proper security can be a costly experience for all of us.

Happy testing!