Best Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) Software
Dynamic application security testing (DAST) tools automate security tests for a variety of real-world threats. These tools typically test HTTP and HTML interfaces of web applications. DAST is a black-box testing method, meaning it is performed from the outside. Companies use these tools to identify vulnerabilities in their applications from an external perspective to better simulate threats most easily accessed by hackers outside their organization. There are similarities between DAST tools and other application security and vulnerability management solutions, but most other technologies perform internal tests and code analysis instead of focusing on black-box testing.
SAST vs DAST — Learn the difference
To qualify for inclusion in the Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) category, a product must:
Best Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) Software At A Glance
G2 takes pride in showing unbiased reviews on user satisfaction in our ratings and reports. We do not allow paid placements in any of our ratings, rankings, or reports. Learn about our scoring methodologies.
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Jit is redefining application security by introducing the first Agentic AppSec Platform, seamlessly blending human expertise with AI-driven automation. Designed for modern development teams, Jit empow
- Computer Software
- Financial Services
- 53% Mid-Market
- 36% Small-Business
521 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Akto is a trusted platform for application security and product security teams to build an enterprise-grade API security program throughout their DevSecOps pipeline. Our industry-leading suite of — AP
- Financial Services
- Computer Software
- 44% Mid-Market
- 31% Small-Business
1,334 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
HCL AppScan is a comprehensive suite of market-leading application security testing solutions (SAST, DAST, IAST, SCA, API), available on-premises and on-cloud. These powerful DevSecOps tools pinpoint
- Information Technology and Services
- Computer & Network Security
- 54% Enterprise
- 28% Small-Business
441,564 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Astra is a leading penetration testing company that provides PTaaS and continuous threat exposure management capabilities. Our comprehensive cybersecurity solutions blend automation and manual experti
- CTO
- Computer Software
- Information Technology and Services
- 67% Small-Business
- 29% Mid-Market
674 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Aikido is an application security (AppSec) platform specifically designed for developers who prioritize their coding tasks over managing security alerts. Our innovative solution consolidates nine esse
- Computer Software
- Information Technology and Services
- 78% Small-Business
- 22% Mid-Market
2,538 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Pynt is an innovative API Security Testing platform exposing verified API threats through simulated attacks. Hundreds of companies rely on Pynt to continuously monitor, classify and attack poorly s
- Computer & Network Security
- Computer Software
- 49% Small-Business
- 26% Mid-Market
373 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
StackHawk is a comprehensive API security solution designed to help developer & security teams identify and remediate security vulnerabilities within their code. By integrating seamlessly into the
- Information Technology and Services
- Computer Software
- 46% Small-Business
- 35% Mid-Market
1,142 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Cobalt unifies the best of human security talent and effective security tools. Our end-to-end offensive security solution enables customers to remediate risk across a dynamically changing attack surfa
- Computer Software
- Information Technology and Services
- 48% Mid-Market
- 26% Small-Business
8,540 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Bright Security’s dev-centric DAST platform empowers both developers and AppSec professionals with enterprise-grade security testing capabilities for web applications, APIs, and GenAI and LLM applicat
- Computer & Network Security
- Information Technology and Services
- 56% Enterprise
- 28% Mid-Market
1,522 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
PortSwigger Web Security is a global leader in the creation of software tools for the security testing of web applications. The software (Burp Suite) is well established as the de facto standard tool
- Cyber Security Analyst
- Computer & Network Security
- Information Technology and Services
- 41% Mid-Market
- 31% Enterprise
128,513 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
GitLab is the most comprehensive AI-Powered DevSecOps platform that enables software innovation by empowering development, security, and operations teams to build better software, faster. With GitLab
- Software Engineer
- Senior Software Engineer
- Computer Software
- Information Technology and Services
- 37% Small-Business
- 37% Mid-Market
167,596 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Indusface WAS (Web Application Scanner) provides comprehensive managed dynamic application security testing (DAST) solution. It is a zero-touch, non-intrusive cloud-based solution that provides daily
- Computer Software
- Information Technology and Services
- 53% Small-Business
- 36% Mid-Market
3,519 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Intruder is an exposure management platform for scaling to mid-market businesses. Over 3000 companies - across all industries - use Intruder to find critical exposures, respond faster and prevent bre
- CTO
- Director
- Computer Software
- Information Technology and Services
- 60% Small-Business
- 35% Mid-Market
952 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Invicti is an automated application and API security testing solution that allows enterprise organizations to secure thousands of websites, web apps, and APIs and dramatically reduce the risk of attac
- Information Technology and Services
- Financial Services
- 50% Enterprise
- 25% Mid-Market
2,548 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Edgescan is a comprehensive platform for continuous security testing, exposure management, and Penetration Testing as a Service (PTaaS). It is designed to assist organizations in gaining a thorough un
- 38% Enterprise
- 33% Mid-Market
2,306 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
AppCheck is a Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) and network vulnerability testing solution, developed and supported by experienced penetration testers. We approach security testing as a
- Computer Software
- Information Technology and Services
- 51% Mid-Market
- 30% Small-Business
657 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
- Computer & Network Security
- 75% Small-Business
- 17% Enterprise
15,372 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Veracode helps companies that innovate through software deliver secure code on time. Unlike on-premise solutions that are hard to scale and focused on finding rather than fixing, Veracode comprises a
- Information Technology and Services
- 75% Enterprise
- 29% Mid-Market
22,303 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Get a hacker’s perspective on your web apps, network, and cloud. Pentest-Tools.com helps security teams run the key steps of a penetration test, easily and without expert hacking skills. Headquarter
- CEO
- Computer & Network Security
- Information Technology and Services
- 66% Small-Business
- 20% Mid-Market
4,048 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Contrast Security is the global leader in Application Detection and Response (ADR), empowering organizations to see and stop attacks on applications and APIs in real time. Contrast embeds patented thr
- Insurance
- Information Technology and Services
- 67% Enterprise
- 20% Mid-Market
5,553 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Acunetix (by Invicti) is an automated application security testing tool that enables small security teams to tackle huge application security challenges. With fast scanning, comprehensive results, and
- Information Technology and Services
- Computer Software
- 39% Enterprise
- 35% Mid-Market
2,548 Twitter followers
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
NowSecure Inc., based in Oak Park, Illinois, was formed in 2009 with a mission to advance mobile security worldwide. We help secure mobile devices, enterprises and mobile apps.
- 41% Mid-Market
- 37% Enterprise
6,439 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
SOOS is the complete application security posture management platform. Scan your software for vulnerabilities, control the introduction of new dependencies, exclude unwanted license types, generate an
- Information Technology and Services
- Computer Software
- 50% Mid-Market
- 45% Small-Business
49 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Codacy is the only DevSecOps platform that delivers plug-and-play code health and security scanning for AI and human generated code. Future-proof your software – from source code to runtime – without
- Computer Software
- 61% Small-Business
- 21% Mid-Market
5,009 Twitter followers
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
DerScanner is a complete application security testing solution to eliminate known and unknown code threats across Software Development Lifecycle. DerScanner static code analysis offers developers the
- Information Technology and Services
- 58% Small-Business
- 42% Mid-Market
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Probely is a web vulnerability scanner that enables customers to easily test the security of their Web Applications & APIs. Our goal is to narrow the gap between development, security, and operat
- 47% Small-Business
- 37% Mid-Market
528 Twitter followers
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Fortify on Demand (FoD) is a complete Application Security as a Service solution. It offers an easy way to get started with the flexibility to scale. In addition to static and dynamic, Fortify on Dema
- Information Technology and Services
- 40% Enterprise
- 31% Small-Business
21,716 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Checkmarx is constantly pushing the boundaries of Application Security (AppSec) Testing to make security seamless and simple for the world’s developers while giving CISOs the confidence and control th
- Information Technology and Services
- Computer Software
- 57% Enterprise
- 26% Mid-Market
7,184 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Detectify sets a new standard for advanced application security testing, challenging traditional DAST by providing evolving coverage of each and every exposed asset across the changing attack surface.
- Information Technology and Services
- Computer Software
- 47% Small-Business
- 35% Mid-Market
11,354 Twitter followers
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Appknox is an on-demand mobile application security platform that helps businesses detect and fix security vulnerabilities using an Automated Security Testing suite. We have been successfully reducing
- Information Technology and Services
- Financial Services
- 40% Small-Business
- 37% Mid-Market
3,096 Twitter followers
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Veracode Dynamic Analysis helps companies scan their web applications for exploitable vulnerabilities at scale. With an ability to test thousands of applications simultaneously and a less than 1% fals
- 73% Enterprise
- 20% Mid-Market
22,303 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Beagle Security helps you identify vulnerabilities in your web applications, APIs, GraphQL and remediate them with actionable insights before hackers harm you in any manner. With Beagle Security, you
- CEO
- Director
- Marketing and Advertising
- Information Technology and Services
- 91% Small-Business
- 7% Mid-Market
207 Twitter followers
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Application security testing for the modern web
- 60% Enterprise
- 40% Small-Business
122,406 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Rainforest is the all-in-one cyber security platform with an end-to-end approach to simplify corporate reputation protection by using multiple intelligences and proactive observability, adding Applica
- 42% Mid-Market
- 42% Small-Business
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
ResilientX Unified Exposure Management Platform is the leading platform that unifies Attack Surface Management, Web Application Security Testing, Network Security Testing, Cloud Security Posture Manag
- 47% Mid-Market
- 35% Small-Business
34 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Threatspy, is a developer-first, AI-powered AppSec management platform. Threatspy empowers developers and security teams to proactively identify and mitigate both known and unknown vulnerabilities in
- Information Technology and Services
- 38% Mid-Market
- 38% Small-Business
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
HostedScan provides 24x7 alerts and detection for security vulnerabilities. Industry-standard, open-source, vulnerability scans. Automated alerts when something changes. Manage target list manually or
- 85% Small-Business
- 15% Mid-Market
56 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Cyber Chief is a vulnerability scanner & issue management tool that helps you ship software with zero known security vulnerabilities. It gives your software team the power to find and fix thousan
- 43% Mid-Market
- 43% Small-Business
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
WebInspect offers automated dynamic application security testing (DAST) and interactive application security testing (IAST) technologies that mimics real-world hacking techniques and attacks, provides
- 80% Enterprise
- 20% Mid-Market
21,716 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Code Dx’s automated application vulnerability correlation shaves weeks off that process so you can get right to fixing your code. Its vulnerability management lets you quickly prioritize vulnerabiliti
- 67% Enterprise
- 33% Mid-Market
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Rezilion's software attack surface management platform automatically secures the software you deliver to customers, giving teams time back to build. Rezilion works across your stack, helping you to k
- 45% Mid-Market
- 36% Enterprise
206 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
CyCognito is a cybersecurity solution designed to help organizations discover, test, and prioritize security issues across their digital landscape. By leveraging advanced artificial intelligence, CyCo
- 80% Small-Business
- 20% Enterprise
10,545 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Escape is the only DAST that works with your modern stack and tests business logic instead of missing headers Escape helps teams secure modern applications: • Document all your APIs in minutes a
- 63% Small-Business
- 38% Mid-Market
334 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Semgrep is a highly customizable application security platform built for security engineers and developers. Semgrep scans first and third-party code to find security issues unique to an organization,
- Computer Software
- Information Technology and Services
- 58% Mid-Market
- 29% Enterprise
3,817 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
beSTORM is an intelligent black box fuzzer that ensures the security of products, including software and applications, before they are deployed. This easy-to-use dynamic application security testing (
- 100% Small-Business
2,461 Twitter followers
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Crashtest Security is a SaaS-based security vulnerability scanner allowing agile development teams to ensure continuous security before every release. Our state-of-the-art dynamic application securi
- 50% Mid-Market
- 50% Small-Business
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
RamQuest’s solutions include our fully integrated closing, escrow accounting, imaging, transaction management, esigning, and digital marketplace solutions and are available on-premise or in a hosted e
- 100% Enterprise
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
esChecker combines many years of penetration testing experience with a unique dynamic engine simulating attack techniques, such as reverse-engineering or code tampering. No source code is needed, on
- 100% Small-Business
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Manage, measure and integrate security for the entire software lifecycle.
- 50% Enterprise
- 50% Mid-Market
21,716 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
ProjectDiscovery Cloud is a highly customizable vulnerability management platform built for the modern internet. ProjectDiscovery combines exploitable vulnerability detection with exposure management,
- 67% Enterprise
- 33% Mid-Market
36,263 Twitter followers
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Assisted by AI, SAMI (Security Automated by Machine Intelligence) simplifies cyber related financial and operational risk management. Demonstrably reducing risk, saving cost, enhancing ROI, streamlini
- 100% Small-Business
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
VulnSign is help to organizations enhance their cybersecurity posture and protect their web applications from potential threats. Our intuitive, user-friendly platform allows users to quickly and e
- 100% Small-Business
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
AppScanOnline is the leading provider of mobile app security software for today's developers. AppScanOnline's automated static vulnerability testing service quickly provides security teams with a deta
27 Twitter followers
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Appvigil is a completely automated Mobile Reputation Protection Suite for Mobile Apps.Powered by patent pending technology, Appvigil employs intensive static, dynamic & stringent network analysis.
473 Twitter followers
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Conviso Platform has got the whole security pipeline covered to empower developers to build secure applications. Because Security shouldn't be an isolated part of your development pipeline — it should
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Enso Application Security Posture is a platform for AppSec teams to manage their day-to-day work, implement their security strategy into an AppSec organizational program, enforce it and automate it. A
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Universal DevSecOps platform to simplify vulnerability management. Assess, analyze, and assign vulnerabilities, ensuring a secure and controlled environment.
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Mobix is a SaaS mobile application testing platform that reduces application analysis costs and time, making tests creation and finding vulnerabilities effortless. Mobix's unique characteristics inclu
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Get autonomous AppSec engineers with one click. We build AI agents that autonomously perform the first level of application security in developer environments.
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Dynamic Application Security Testing for DevOps Frequent changes to applications, whether built by in-house DevOps teams or outsourced from commercial suppliers, means risk evaluation must shift tow
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Panoptic Scans is a hosted vulnerability scanning platform designed to bolster cybersecurity for businesses by offering automated, comprehensive network and application vulnerability scans. Our pla
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
ProtoCrawler is an intelligent fuzz testing solution, used to identify security weaknesses and implementation bugs.
17 Twitter followers
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
PT Application Inspector™ (PT AI™) is a comprehensive source code analysis tool that offers protection for web applications of any scale. Its holistic approach combines the advantages of static, dynam
- 67% Enterprise
- 33% Small-Business
5 Twitter followers
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Designed for app development, Q-mast embeds security directly into your workflow to identify security, privacy, and compliance risks before the mobile app is released. With a design tailored for DevSe
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
With prooV Red Cloud, you can assess how technologies will react in the case of a cyberattack before you implement them It is a tailored, cloud-based environment that gives you the flexibility to car
859 Twitter followers
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Detect security flaws in your website or web application and avoid being hacked. HTTPCS Security puts Machine Learning at the service of your cyber security to protect your site against hacking and da
2,703 Twitter followers
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Sn1per Professional is an all-in-one offensive security platform that provides a comprehensive view of your internal and external attack surface and offers an asset risk scoring system to prioritize,
- 100% Enterprise
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Empower your business with complete visibility and control over your application security posture. Eliminate blind spots, prioritize threats effectively, and streamline remediation. Strobes ASPM Adv
207 Twitter followers
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
SWAT (the Secure Web Application Tactics) is a continuous vulnerability management solution. Continuous penetration testing and scanning Combine automated application security scanning with CREST ce
- Overview
- Pros and Cons
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
The Premier Platform for On-Demand Security. PTaaS Penetration Testing as a Service. Offensive Security Testing that Improves Your Security Posture Over Time One platform, many uses. Expect strategi
- 50% Enterprise
- 50% Mid-Market
26,896 Twitter followers
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) uses penetration testing while web applications are running to simulate an attack by a skilled and motivated attacker.
23,126 Twitter followers
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Trickest provides an innovative approach to offensive cybersecurity automation, assets, and vulnerability discovery. The platform combines extensive adversary tactics and techniques with full transpar
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
TruStacks is a software delivery engine that offers standardized, efficient DevOps workflows to help teams ship products faster and more frequently.
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Uleska helps security and development teams manage application security at scale by automating and orchestrating their preferred security tools within CI/CD. With Uleska, teams can confidently start
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
AppSec Testing(AST) - Whatever your motivation, a proactive security push or a compliance compulsion, our AST service can help keep your application secure against external threats. Security Automati
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
A Key Part of Fortra (the new face of HelpSystems) Digital Defense is proud to be part of Fortra’s comprehensive cybersecurity portfolio. Fortra simplifies today’s complex cybersecurity landscape by b
2,461 Twitter followers
- Overview
- User Satisfaction
- Seller Details
Continuous security delivery fabric for modern enterprise infrastructure.
Learn More About Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) Software
What is Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) Software?
Dynamic application security testing (DAST) is one of the many technology groupings of security testing solutions. DAST is a form of black-box security testing, meaning it simulates realistic threats and attacks. This differs from other forms of testing such as static application security testing (SAST), a white-box testing methodology used to examine the source code of an application.
DAST includes a number of testing components that operate while an application is running. Security professionals simulate real-world functionality through testing the application for vulnerabilities and then evaluate the effects on application performance. The methodology is often used to find issues near the end of the software development lifecycle. These issues may be tougher to fix than early flaws and bugs are, but those flaws pose a larger threat to critical components of an application.
DAST can also be thought of as a methodology. It’s a different approach than traditional security testing because once a test is completed, there are still tests to be done. It involves periodic inspections as updates are pushed live or changes are made before release. While a penetration test or code scan might serve as a one-off test for specific vulnerabilities or bugs, dynamic testing can be performed continually throughout the lifecycle of an application.
Key Benefits of Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) Software
- Simulate realistic attacks and threats
- Discover vulnerabilities not found in source code
- Flexible and customizable testing options
- Comprehensive assessment and scalable testing
Why Use Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) Software?
There are a number of testing solutions necessary for an all-encompassing approach to security testing and vulnerability discovery. Most start in the early stages of software development and help programmers discover bugs in the code and issues with the underlying framework or design. These tests require access to source code and are often used during development and quality assurance (QA) processes.
While early testing solutions approach testing from the standpoint of the developer, DAST approaches testing from the standpoint of a hacker. These tools simulate real threats to a functional, running application. Security professionals can simulate common attacks such as SQL injection and cross-site scripting or customize tests to threats specific to their product. These tools offer a highly customizable solution for testing during the later stages of development and while applications are deployed.
Flexibility — Users can schedule tests as they please or perform them continuously throughout an application’s or website’s lifecycle. Security professionals can modify environments to simulate their resources and infrastructure to ensure a realistic test and evaluation. They’re often scalable, as well, to see if increased traffic or usage would affect vulnerabilities and protection.
Industries with more specific threats may require more specific testing. Security professionals may identify a threat specific to the health care industry or financial sector and alter tests to simulate the threats most common to them. If performed correctly, these tools offer some of the most realistic and customizable solutions to the threats present in real-world situations.
Comprehensiveness — Threats are continuously evolving and expanding, making the ability to simulate multiple tests more necessary. DAST offers a versatile approach to testing, wherein security professionals can simulate and analyze each threat or attack type individually. These tests deliver comprehensive feedback and actionable insights that security and development teams use to remediate any issues, flaws, and vulnerabilities.
These tools will first perform an initial crawl, or examination, of applications and websites from a third-party perspective. They interact with applications using HTTP, allowing the tools to examine applications built with any programming language or on any framework. The tool will then test for misconfigurations, which expose a greater attack surface than internal vulnerabilities. Additional tests can be run, depending on the solution, but all the results and discoveries can be stored for actionable remediation.
Continuous assessment — Agile teams and other companies relying on frequent updates to applications should use DAST products with continuous assessment capabilities. SAST tools will provide more direct solutions for issues related to continuous integration processes, but DAST tools will provide a better view of how updates and changes will be seen from an outside perspective. Each new update may pose a new threat or unveil a new vulnerability; it is therefore crucial to continue testing even after applications have been completed and deployed.
Unlike SAST, DAST also requires less access to potentially sensitive source code within the application. DAST approaches the situation from an outside perspective as simulated threats attempt to gain access to vulnerable systems or sensitive information. This can make it easier to perform tests continuously without requiring individuals to access source code or other internal systems.
What are the Common Features of Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) Software?
Standard functionality is included in most dynamic application security testing (DAST) solutions:
Compliance testing — Compliance testing gives users the ability to test for various requirements from regulatory bodies. This can help ensure information is stored securely and protected from hackers.
Test automation — Test automation is the feature powering continuous testing processes. This functionality operates by running prescripted tests as frequently as required without the need for hands-on or manual testing.
Manual testing — Manual testing gives the user complete control over individual tests. These features allow users to perform hands-on live simulations and penetration tests.
Command-line tools — The command-line interface (CLI) is the language interpreter of a computer. CLI capabilities will allow security testers to simulate threats directly from the terminal host system and input command sequences.
Static code analysis — Static code analysis and static security testing is used to test from the inside out. These tools help security professionals examine application source code for security flaws without executing it.
Issue tracking — Issue tracking helps security professionals and developers document flaws or vulnerabilities as they are discovered. Proper documentation will make it easier to organize the actionable insights provided by the DAST tool.
Reporting and analytics — Reporting capabilities are important to DAST tools because they provide the information necessary to remediate any recently discovered vulnerabilities. Reporting and analytics features can also give teams a better idea of how attacks may affect application availability and performance.
Extensibility — Many applications offer the ability to expand functionality through the use of integrations, APIs, and plugins. These extensible components provide the ability to extend the platform beyond its native feature set to include additional features and functionalities.
Potential Issues with Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) Software
Testing coverage — While DAST technologies have come a long way, DAST tools alone are unable to discover the majority of vulnerabilities. This is why most experts suggest pairing them with SAST solutions. Combining the two can decrease the rate at which false positives occur. They can also be used to simplify the continuous testing process for agile teams. While no tool will detect every vulnerability, DAST may be less efficient than other testing tools if used alone.
Late-stage issues — DAST tools will require code to be compiled for each individual test because they rely on simulated functionality to test responses. This can be a roadblock for agile teams constantly integrating new code into an application. Reports are usually static and result from single tests. For agile teams, those reports can become outdated and lose value very quickly. This is just one more reason DAST tools should be used as a component of an all-encompassing security testing stack rather than a standalone solution.
Testing capabilities — Because DAST tools do not access an application's underlying source code, there are a number of flaws DAST tools will be unable to detect. For example, DAST tools are most effective at simulating reflection, or call-and-response, attacks where they can simulate an input and receive a response. They are not, however, highly effective in discovering smaller vulnerabilities or flaws in areas of the application that are rarely touched by users. These issues, as well as vulnerabilities in the original source code, will need to be addressed by additional security testing technologies.
