Static Application Security Testing (SAST) Tools

Static Application Security Testing (SAST), also known as white box testing, is a form of application security testing that detects vulnerabilities within source code. SAST can be highly beneficial for identifying vulnerabilities during the early stages of application development, as fixing bugs during later stages can become costly, and complicated.

SAST is often used in combination with DAST (Dynamic Application Security Testing) tools which detect vulnerabilities across user-facing aspects of the application i.e. without users having any access to the source code. These testing tools therefore ensure a security-first approach when building software, to ensure no loopholes are left undetected to cause potential security breaches in the future.

With cybersecurity now being top of mind for most forward-thinking companies today, SecOps and DevSecOps oriented software development workflows need tools like SAST to keep perimeters secure, and even maintain compliance in some cases.

Other tools that are used in conjunction with SAST for maintaining application security include:

• Interactive Application Security Testing (IAST),
• Penetration testing,
• Adversary simulation,
• Vulnerability management.