This article was originally published on AI Study Room. For the full version with working code examples and related articles, visit the original post.
Security Testing Tools: SAST, DAST, IAST, and RASP Compared
Security Testing Tools: SAST, DAST, IAST, and RASP Compared
Security Testing Tools: SAST, DAST, IAST, and RASP Compared
Security Testing Tools: SAST, DAST, IAST, and RASP Compared
Security Testing Tools: SAST, DAST, IAST, and RASP Compared
Security Testing Tools: SAST, DAST, IAST, and RASP Compared
Security Testing Tools: SAST, DAST, IAST, and RASP Compared
Security Testing Tools: SAST, DAST, IAST, and RASP Compared
Security Testing Tools: SAST, DAST, IAST, and RASP Compared
Security Testing Tools: SAST, DAST, IAST, and RASP Compared
Security Testing Tools: SAST, DAST, IAST, and RASP Compared
Security Testing Tools: SAST, DAST, IAST, and RASP Compared
Security Testing Tools: SAST, DAST, IAST, and RASP Compared
Application security testing identifies vulnerabilities in software. Different testing approaches find different types of issues and operate at different stages of the SDLC. A comprehensive security testing program uses multiple approaches.
SAST (Static Analysis)
SAST analyzes source code without executing it. It finds vulnerabilities early in development. SAST tools scan for injection flaws, buffer overflows, insecure cryptographic practices, and other code-level issues.
Tools: SonarQube, Checkmarx, Fortify, Semgrep. SonarQube is the most popular open-source option. Semgrep provides custom rule writing for team-specific patterns.
DAST (Dynamic Analysis)
DAST tests running applications by sending malicious inputs and observing responses. It finds runtime vulnerabilities that SAST cannot detect: authentication bypass, session management flaws, and business logic errors.
Tools: OWASP ZAP (open-source), Burp Suite (professional), Acunetix (commercial). OWASP ZAP provides automated scanning with CI/CD integration.
IAST (Interactive Analysis)
IAST instruments the application and analyzes code execution during testing. It combines SAST's code analysis with DAST's runtime context. IAST provides fewer false positives than SAST and deeper coverage than DAST.
RASP (Runtime Protection)
RASP monitors application behavior at runtime and blocks attacks. It provides real-time protection without requiring code changes. RASP complements other testing approaches by protecting against unknown vulnerabilities.
Integration
Use SAST in the IDE for early feedback. Run SAST in CI/CD for every commit. Schedule DAST scans weekly or before releases. Use IAST during QA testing. Deploy RASP in production for defense-in-depth.
See also: WAF Solutions Compared: Cloudflare, AWS WAF, ModSecurity, Akamai, OWASP Top 10 2026, Secure Code Review.
See also: Clickjacking Protection, Content Security Policy, DNS Security
See also: Clickjacking Protection, Content Security Policy, DNS Security
Read the full article on AI Study Room for complete code examples, comparison tables, and related resources.
Found this useful? Check out more developer guides and tool comparisons on AI Study Room.
Top comments (0)