Copilot for Testers, GPT-4 Security Testing and More TGNS117

[00:00:00] Joe Colantonio Have you seen the new tool being called the Copilot for testers? How do you run parallel tests on virtual services, and what are some of the things testers can do with GPT 4 to identify and exploit real-world software vulnerabilities? Find out in this episode of The Test Guild News Show for the week of April 21st. So grab your favorite cup of coffee or tea and let's do this!

[00:00:21] Joe Colantonio Aee you ready to transform the way you approach automation testing? Well, I have a great resource for you to help you with this. It's The Test Guild community. I don't know how many of you know but when people join Automation Guild they get access to a bunch of premium channels in our community. But I just created a free plan where you can access a general channel and get access to a bunch of awesome automation enthusiast just like you who thrive on innovation and collaboration. So whether you're a seasoned professional or just starting your career in software testing, the Test Guild offers exclusive access to resources that are essential for mastering automation testing. So this is where you can discuss challenges, share solutions, and collaborate on projects in a supportive environment that's geared towards your growth and success in automation. Don't miss out on this opportunity to be part of the Test Guild community that's dedicated to awesomeness in automation. Depending on how well this goes that may discontinue it or may continue it. So while you can, join now in the link down below and hope to see you inside.

[00:01:20] Joe Colantonio Are you looking for ways to help streamline your testing process and integrate more tools into your workflow? Well, I have a great new release of a tool that just might do that for you. This was announced by Ru about the latest release of AltTester. So AltTester has released version 2.10, which introduces concurrent test execution, support for robot framework and a bunch of performance improvements. And this update allows testers to run multiple tests simultaneously, thereby speeding up your testing process, increasing efficiency. Additionally, the Integration Robot Framework provides users with more options for writing test scripts in a popular user-friendly environment, and these updates were designed to streamline your workflow, reduce bottlenecks, and enhance productivity, making AltTester to 2.10 a cool tool for modding testing environments. So you definitely check out. And if you haven't checked it out yet, and you can find it in the links down below.

[00:02:05] Joe Colantonio I also came across another tool that can help you enhance your automation. Let's check it out. And this was posted by Jeff on LinkedIn. That's how I found out about it. And it's how Tricentis has just introduced Copilot which is a new tool designed to enhance automation in software testing. And so Copilot integrates with Tricentis's existing test suites to simplify the creation and maintenance of test cases. And this tool uses AI to assist testers by automatically generating test scripts based on user interaction, significantly reducing manual effort and potentially increasing test coverage and accuracy. And Copilot promises to accelerate the testing process to reduce skill barriers for new testers and improve the efficiency of test maintenance, which is always a nightmare, and it helps you by automating routine tasks. Testers can now focus more on complex test scenarios and strategic tasks. As you have seen in multiple news shows, all these companies are coming up with AI assisted technology. Here's just another example that you can check out and let me know what you think.

[00:03:14] Joe Colantonio Next up is our webinar of the week resource you should definitely register for, and this is on the Test Guild, our latest webinar, which goes over the role of service virtualization to help you with your testing. This free training will go over how service virtualization allows developers and testers to simulate and test various software components in a controlled virtual environment which helps promote more efficient and thorough testing. And the webinar goes over how this technology can accelerate development cycles, reduce costs, and improve software quality by enabling testing teams to run parallel test on virtual services. And this approach is particularly beneficial and really complex enterprise wide software architecture, where multiple components must interact seamlessly. And if that's something you're dealing with, you can find out more about it and register down below and hope to see you there.

[00:04:04] Joe Colantonio We usually hear a lot about new tools in the functional automation space but how about performance testing? Well I have a cool announcement of a new tool that was brought to my attention by Millan, who pointed me to a new tool called MULTIPLE. And this new performance tool is capable of handling multiple protocols simultaneously. And Millan wrote a blog post that dives into how this tool aims to simplify and streamline the testing process for complex applications. And it goes on how it does this by supporting various technologies such as WebSockets, REST, and SOAP. All within a single interface. And this approach not only promises enhanced efficiency, but also reduces the learning curve associated with managing different testing environments. This has several benefits. The first the ability to handle multiple protocols. It also has the interface, which is designed to be user-friendly, which can decrease the need for specialized training. And allow testers to focus more on quality assurance rather than too complexity, and it helps you dip your feet a little more into performance testing. If you haven't done it yet in this blog post I'll walk you step by step on how to get started. Definitely a cool development. If you haven't tried out the tool, check it out in the comments down below.

[00:05:12] Joe Colantonio So, speaking of performance testing, one of the people I think about when I think of performance is Henrik Rexed, who's moved over recently to more of a cloud native advocate at Dynatrace. He just introduced a new in-depth video on a technology you should know more about, which is open telemetry and two telemetry tools you need to know more about as well. And so in this video, Henrik goes over Fluent Bit in OpenTelemetry Collector, and because of his expertise in performance engineering, he's really able to unpack the design, plugin availability and processing capabilities of both agents in this recent demonstration. In the video that he links to Fluent Bit, renowned for its log management now supports metrics and traces which provides a simplified configuration approach. And on the other hand, OpenTelemetry Collector which began with trace data ingestion now also supports logging metrics. What's the difference? Which one should you choose? Well, watch the video because he goes over a rigorous test that reveals which tool does better and outperforms best with things like CPU and memory optimization, particularly in log management. And I think as testers it really helps you find what tool is best for the job that you're dealing with. And here's a go to resource to figure out if you're doing anything in Opentelemetry, check it out.

[00:06:27] Joe Colantonio Another announcement is GitLab has just introduced GitLab Duo Chat, and this goes over how it's a new integrated communication tool for developers. And this feature aims to streamline collaboration within Git Labs platform by allowing users to interact directly through chat functionality aligned with ongoing projects and repositories. Also, GitLab Duo Chat supports multiple real time. And asynchronous conversations, potentially enhancing productivity and coordination among teams. What does this mean to you if you're a tester? Well, testers can now quickly communicate with developers within the same environment where the code is being written and tested. You also get immediate access to updates, and because of the streamlined workflows, the ability to discuss and troubleshoot test results in real-time within the chat can speed up resolution times and enhance the overall quality of your software. So if you're using GitLab, definitely something you should check out to see if it helps you and your teams as well.

[00:07:22] Joe Colantonio In our Follow the Money segment, which security tool just raised $8 million? So VulnCheck, which is a cybersecurity startup has successfully secured seed funding to enhance its vulnerability detection platform. And what's really cool is this platform provides developers and enterprises with sophisticated tools to design to comprehensively scan and safeguard applications against a wide array of cyber threats. And with the funding, the company plans to add advanced features to its platform like real-time monitoring, automated patching suggestions, and customizing reports to help users understand security vulnerabilities within their systems. And obviously, this investment underscores the growing importance of proactive cyber security solutions that you should know about as a software tester as well.

[00:08:08] Joe Colantonio And have you seen the recent study on the impact of GPT 4 on security testing? If not, let's check it out in. This report goes over how GPT 4, as you know, which is an advanced AI model, can identify and exploit real-world software vulnerabilities. And the article goes over how these capabilities underscore the dual use nature of AI technologies that can aid in cybersecurity efforts, but also pose significant risk if misused. So the findings, which were published last week demonstrate GPT 4's ability to understand complex code patterns and potentially suggest or create exploits. And these results prompt a discussion about the need for robust ethical guidelines and security measures as AI technologies become increasingly integrated into software development and security industries. Why should you care about as a tester when you're in your sprints, you need to educate your teams on why this is important to know about. And what's really great, is testers can leverage these AI tools to enhance your existing testing procedures, ensuring more robust software defense mechanisms. This also means, though, that testers need to stay updated on AI advancements and possibly rethink traditional testing frameworks to integrate and counter AI-driven security threats effectively. I definitely agree, and you should learn more to take a deeper dive in the link down below.

[00:09:24] Joe Colantonio And for links of everything of value we covered in this news episode, head on over to that link down below. So that's it for this episode of the Test Guild News show, I'm Joe, and my mission is to help you succeed in creating end-to-end full-stack pipeline automation awesomeness. As always, test everything, and keep the good. Cheers.