What type of software security testing technique evaluates software from an external perspective?

The technique that evaluates software from an external perspective is known as black box testing. This approach involves testing the software without any knowledge of the internal code structure, implementation details, or internal paths. The focus is on understanding the functionality of the system as experienced by the end user. Testers provide various inputs to the software and observe the outputs, verifying that the application behaves as expected under various conditions.

Black box testing is advantageous because it simulates the way a user would interact with the software, allowing the identification of potential security vulnerabilities related to the application’s external behavior. This can include issues such as improper input validation, authentication flaws, and other security concerns that can be exploited without needing insight into the underlying code. This technique is often employed in various phases of the software development lifecycle to ensure that the final product is secure and reliable from the user's perspective.