Software development could easily open up the door to cybercriminals. This is why applications must contend with a constant barrage of malicious activity from bots and automated scripts designed to probe for vulnerabilities that could yield access to various web apps hosting valuable content. The sheer disconnection between software developers and IT security teams ends up securing a spot in an unwanted lot of internal application vulnerabilities considered critical risks. Historically, web developers had limited choice when it comes to static application security testing (sast) tools, but that is no longer the case. With the inception of an open source framework and language like NodeJS, SAST-enabled integrations. This application has exploded in popularity, yet many of these options are still largely unknown to the development community.
SAST – Static Application Security Testing
Static application security testing (SAST), or static analysis is mainly responsible for the testing of the source code of applications to uncover definite vulnerabilities that could be a serious threat to anyone’s business.
Working of SAST
Static Analysis tools are designed in such a way that it analyzes and detects defects in code, ranging from minor issues with code readability and style to potential vulnerabilities that can result from the usage of improper programming constructs. They can also be exposed to changes in the environment.
But now the question arises, What is a security guard’s role to prevent anyone with bad intentions from entering the premises?
AStatic Code Analyzer looks over every source code to identify pieces of code that can allow any anonymous user to inject signs of malicious activity onto a website or an application.
Benefits of SAST
- Static application security testing (SAST) presumably scans source code looking for anomalies that may indicate a weakness in the security features.
- Following shifting security ‘Left’, SAST tools can be implemented early in the SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle) and can be utilized before any type of code is even compiled, which allows for detecting vulnerabilities in the building stage.
- Static application security testing (SAST) reports real-time bugs in their system.
- SAST tools can be easily added to a development team’s already-made toolset. This allows them to run scalable testing on their codebase – giving developers the freedom to choose how and when they want to test their applications without putting undue limitations on themselves or their crucial projects.
Drawbacks of SAST
The main drawbacks of SAST include:
- It doesn’t provide any insight into how applications or their elements behave within dynamic environments making it important to conduct additional testing in dynamic environments whenever possible.
- Static application security testing assessments have a very high probability of reporting false positives which can automatically lead to an inflated sense of a project’s vulnerabilities.
- Static application security testing (SAST) is only as good as its last scan and therefore it’s important to run a new scan every few hours to track the most recent updates on reports.
Tools used for SAST
Source analysis security testing tools are the main tools that are used by software engineers to scan their source code for additional risks. The readily available frameworks or libraries that line the shelves of essential coding resources have already been tested and approved.
Conclusion
There are also earlier detection tools available where Static Application Security Testing (SAST) tools shine. These operate before the deployment of apps in the production environment and can also help identify defects that could lead to potential vulnerabilities in any software or website.