Application Security Testing: A Complete Guide to AST, SAST, DAST and Security Testing Methodologies

Goal: To provide a comprehensive understanding of application security testing, including

An introduction to Application Security Testing. This field covers the basics of securing software applications throughout their lifecycle.

AST identifies vulnerabilities in applications at various stages: SAST analyzes code, DAST tests running applications, and IAST combines both, while SCA verifies dependencies. Combining these methods provides the best coverage.

SAST - Static Application Security Testing

SAST analyzes code without execution, detecting vulnerabilities early in the development process. It’s typically integrated into CI/CD pipelines and offers rapid scanning but can generate false positives.

This approach is used for regular code reviews to proactively identify potential security issues.

DAST - Dynamic Application Security Testing

DAST tests a running application, uncovering real vulnerabilities. It's less precise than SAST but provides valuable insights into runtime behavior.

This method is often used to assess the security posture of an application after it has been deployed.

Frequently asked questions