What are the main challenges of scaling SAST and DAST across large and complex applications?

Several major challenges with SAST include the cost and complexity of the tools, as well as the need for expert human resources. There are no reliable free or open-source tools for global SAST implementation. Commercial tools are costly, or necessitate using SAST as a service, which involves sending code to third-party scanners outside the organization's trust boundaries. Understanding various analyzers like Dataflow, Control Flow, Configuration, and Semantic in a single tool is complex, especially with hundreds of programming languages. Additionally, dealing with false positives, complex integrations, skill gaps, and lack of code context for auditors are significant challenges.

Scaling with the right scope of application code and right scan types are critical while running SAST! Just deploying SonarQube to get a minor code smell is a typical routine of Security Engineer but it wont imitate industry based real code hacks. It has to be revised with the right plugins from time to time!

1.Tool Selection: Choose SAST tools that best fit your development environment, codebase. 2.Integration: Automate scans as part of the CI/CD pipeline to ensure continuous security testing. 3.Customization: Invest time in configuring and tuning SAST tools to align with your coding standards and reduce false positives. 4.Developer Training: Provide training for developers to understand security principles and how to use SAST tools effectively. 5.Complementary Testing: Including dynamic application security testing (DAST) and manual code reviews.6.Prioritization: Implement a risk-based approach to prioritize and address the most critical vulnerabilities first. 7.Reporting: Improve reporting mechanisms to ensure findings are clear.

Remember that SAST challenges are a developer challenge - not just an AppSec one. One way to get started is to interview your development team to learn more about: - Their applications (languages, frameworks, etc) - Their CI/CD tooling - Their ticketing process / pains - Their IDE tooling Getting an understanding of the developer workflow will increase the likelihood that you create a scalable program that they adopt and accept.

1.Complementary Testing: Use a combination of security testing methods, including SAST and manual code reviews and reduce the likelihood of missed vulnerabilities. 2.Authentication Handling: Properly configure DAST tools to handle authentication and authorization processes. 3.Automate Testing: Integrate DAST tools into the CI/CD pipeline to enable continuous testing. 4.Prioritize Findings: Implement a risk-based approach to prioritize and address the most critical vulnerabilities first. 5.Regular Updates: Keep DAST tools and 6.Effective Reporting: Improve reporting mechanisms to ensure that findings are presented in a clear 6.Training and Awareness: Provide ongoing training for developers and security teams to understand DAST findings.

The majority of organisations choose ZAP for DAST which is an open source and not many aware that those open sources wont produce frequent versions with latest fixes to fresh hack types. It is highly recommended to choose the right tool such as BurpSuite Enterprise which is heavy weight but also capable enough to break applications to produce useful violations based on my industry experience!

Setting aside that DAST can have undesirable effects if not supervised properly, it's recommended to choose a tool that can not only scan the web app but also the exposed APIs. One of the biggest challenge is also to be able to provide distinct and multiple credentials that will be used for authentication (when required).

Best Practices for SAST and DAST Integration Shift Left: Incorporate SAST early in the development process to catch and fix vulnerabilities before they reach later stages.Automate: Leverage automation to integrate SAST and DAST seamlessly into the CI/CD pipeline, ensuring continuous and consistent security testing.Continuous Monitoring: Use DAST for continuous monitoring of the application in staging and production environments to detect vulnerabilities that may arise from configuration changes or newly introduced code.Collaboration: Promote a culture of collaboration between development, operations, and security teams to ensure that vulnerabilities are effectively identified and mitigated.Ensure that scan results are fed back to developer.

IAST and RASP are advanced mechanisms to rely upon vulnerability identification rather than limiting only to SAST and DAST. IAST is a better relevant solution to modern hacks in coming years hence any cloud solution without SAST/DAST/IAST will lead to potential insecure space in live user interactions.

Many modern security platforms actually unify SAST and DAST results. Finding 'one vendor' that handles both SAST and DAST can help reduce the complexity of vulnerabilities found across both.