Different Types of Application Security Testing Tools

Anything that has a digital presence is prone to security threats. If you have a website, mobile app, or any other digital product, you always run the risk of security attacks. And let’s be honest, you can’t completely help it either. There’ll always be security risks involved with a digital product. It can be minimized to a significant extent through different types of security testing but can’t be eradicated.

Today, we’ll talk specifically about application security testing and look at the different types of tools used for that matter.

What is Application Security Testing?

As the term suggests, Application Security Testing or AST refers to testing the application against possible security threats or attacks and making it more resistant to them by identifying security vulnerabilities in the source code.

It’s a fact that apps have made our lives easier but it also can’t be denied that security threats have drastically increased too. And therefore not considering security testing during app development can cause irreparable damage. Though the security of an app can be tested at any point before or after development, the best practice is to ensure that all security measures are taken during development followed by regularly checking the running application post-development. Performing application security testing protects your app from malicious attacks and other damages such as loss of data, revenue, reputation, etc.

Benefits of Application Security Testing

Conducting application security testing benefits an organization or an app owner in many ways, such as-

1. It helps identify security flaws in the application and provides detailed insights along with how to address them.

2. AST helps protect customer data and minimizes the chances of a security breach.

3. It saves time and costs on fixing security issues that could cause financial and reputational damage later.

4. Keeps the application’s security intact.

Types of Application Security Testing Tools

Organizations use a combination of several AST tools at different stages of application development. This includes-

1. Static Application Security Testing (SAST)

SAST refers to a white-box testing tool or method where testers examine the static source code of the application to examine flaws and security weaknesses in it followed by preparing reports. To understand what white-box testing is, it is when a tester has prior knowledge about the system or software being tested. They have access to the source code to test the internal structure and design of the application. Since the code is visible to testers, it is also referred to as Clear box testing, Transparent box testing, Open box testing, and Glass box testing.

SAST tools use source code analyzers to run on the non-compiled code to check for syntax errors, calculation errors, input validation issues, etc. On the other hand, binary and byte-code analyzers can be used for the same on the compiled code. Some SAST tools run on source code only, some only on compiled code, and some can run on both.

2. Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST)

In contrast to SAST, DAST refers to a black-box testing tool or method where testers inspect the code in runtime to identify security issues and vulnerabilities. These issues can be related to query string, memory leakage, requests and responses, use of scripts, authentication, data injection, and more.

In black-box testing, testers do not have any prior knowledge about the software application. They test the app’s functionality without peering into its internal structure or coding. In other words, black-box testing involves testing from an end-user perspective.

Organizations leverage DAST tools to perform large-scale scans simulating numerous malicious or unexpected test cases and reporting on the application’s response.

3. Interactive Application Security Testing (IAST)

IAST tools follow a hybrid approach and combine the best of SAST and DAST tools to detect a broad range of security weaknesses. Like DAST, IAST tools run dynamically and inspect code during the runtime, however, they are run from within the application server, which makes them similar to SAST, and hence the approach is termed ‘hybrid’. IAST tools test whether the identified vulnerabilities in the code are actually exploitable during runtime. They provide crucial information about the root cause of security weaknesses and the specific lines of code that are affected, thereby making rectification relatively easier. They can analyze the application flow, data flow, and are quite suitable for API testing. These tools work exceptionally for reducing the number of false positives, and in Agile and DevOps environments where using DAST and SAST tools, in particular, can be too time-consuming.

4. Software Composition Analysis

SCA tools are highly effective tools in helping organizations track and identify security vulnerabilities in the third-party components or open-source components and libraries used within the software. An enterprise application can have a slew of third-party components which may possess security weaknesses. SCA tools compare the known modules found in the code with the known vulnerabilities and provide information as to which components carry those vulnerabilities, what components are actually being used, detect the issues severely affecting the components, and help understand the easiest way to remediate them. These tools can be run on source code, byte code, binary code, or some combinations.

Most, if not all, SCA tools use the NIST National Vulnerability Database Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs) as a source for known vulnerabilities. A lot of commercial SCA products also use the VulnDB commercial vulnerability database.

5. Mobile Application Security Testing (MAST)

MAST tools are a blend of static analysis, dynamic analysis, and forensic data (generated by mobile apps) analysis. These tools perform almost similar functions to that of static and dynamic analyzers but also enable mobile code to be run through many of those analyzers. So, MAST tools, in addition to testing for security vulnerabilities like SAST, DAST, and IAST, can address several other mobile-specific issues like spoofed wifi networks, handling and validation of certificates, jailbreaking, and data leakage.

6. Database Security Scanning

Databases can be significantly affected by applications although they aren’t always considered a part of an application. Database Security Scanning tools are used to inspect weak passwords, configuration errors, updated patches and versions, access control issues, etc. Database scanners usually run on static data while the database-management system is in operation.

Which Tools Should You Pick?

There are a few factors that will help you choose the appropriate security tools from the different AST tools type. However, it is important to note that no single tool will solve all problems.

Until your application grows in complexity, AST would mostly be done using SAST, DAST, and Database Security Scanning as they are the most used tools to address common security issues. You can then gradually move towards IAST and MAST.

A few other key points-

1. If you have access to the source code or the application is developed in-house, it would be ideal to start with a SAST tool to do the code analysis. Otherwise, DAST would be the perfect choice if you don’t have the access to the source code.

2. SCA should be the primary choice if the application involves a lot of third-party components irrespective of whether you have source code access or not.

Final Thoughts

Implementing AST tools would initially require you to invest some time and resources, however, they’ll help you in the long run. What’s important is that you realize how crucial application security testing is for the maintenance of your application’s health. You shouldn’t leave any space or loopholes to disturb the application’s security.

If you don’t want to perform it yourself, you can hire someone to perform security testing for your application. This is what we call ASTaaS (Application Security Testing as a Service).