Test Oracle

A Test Oracle is a mechanism for determining whether the program has passed or failed a test. The use of test oracles involves comparing the output of the system under test, for a given test-case input, to the output that the oracle determines that product should have. A test oracle can be any of the following:

• a program (separate from the system under test) which takes the same input and produces the same output
• documentation that gives specific correct outputs for specific given inputs
• a documented algorithm that a human could use to calculate correct outputs for given inputs
• a human domain expert who can somehow look at the output and tell whether it is correct
• or any other way of telling that output is correct.

Source: StackOverflow

Additional Reading: Pen Testing is Not A Luxury And Why You Can’t Afford to Ignore It

Related Terms: Black Box Testing, Penetration Testing, White Box Testing

What does this mean for an SMB?

Test oracles come into play for businesses when they are doing penetration testing. Penetration testing is something that almost every business should do if they have the means to do so.

If you aren’t proactively reinforcing your cybersecurity measures, there’s a good chance you’ll fall prey to the attacks of cybercriminals. Running a penetration test, can help you address this threat. Pen testing can strengthen your cybersecurity and help you get rid of most of your network’s security gaps.

To learn more about Test Oracles, watch this short 2 minute video: