What is Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST)

Dynamic application security testing (DAST) is a form of security testing that involves the manual or automated testing of applications while they are in use. This type of security testing is used to identify vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers. DAST is often used in conjunction with static application security testing (SAST) to have a more comprehensive view of web application vulnerabilities.

There are many benefits of using DAST, including:

• Increased security posture: DAST can help to identify and fix vulnerabilities in web applications before they can be exploited by attackers. This can help to improve the overall security of an organization’s network.
• Improved compliance posture: DAST can help organizations to meet compliance requirements by identifying vulnerabilities

Problems with DAST

Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) and Static Code Analyzers (SAST) tooling are not always useful for red teamers since it can’t analyze all contemporary web application functions to provide a white-box view of web apps especially to realize authentication & authorization flaws.

With DAST evaluation, the process of integrating business logic conformance checks into authenticated scans and detecting access control breaches becomes more difficult.

Moreover, removing false positives is not simple, and finally, DAST scan in the SDLC after CI/CD process jeopardizes developer productivity and shift-left ideals.

Penetration testing as Code (PAC) provides significant benefits over using DAST tools. These benefits are summarized in the table below.

Conclusion:

In Prancer, both automated penetration testing and dynamic application security testing (DAST) have their own strengths and weaknesses when it comes to identifying vulnerabilities in software systems. While DAST offers more accurate results by directly interacting with the target system, automated penetration testing offers a more comprehensive approach with its ability to simulate real-world attacks. Ultimately, the choice between the two will depend on the specific needs of the organization and the nature of the software being tested. Regardless of the approach chosen, regular and thorough Automated penetration testing is essential for organizations to maintain a strong security posture and protect against potential cyber threats.