Implement a Successful DAST Program for Your Organization

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Implement a Successful DAST Program for Your Organization

According to an article in the Harvard Business Review, selecting a successful Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) program for your organization involves several critical factors. These include assessing the organization’s specific security needs, evaluating the accuracy and efficiency of the program, and considering the user experience. Additionally, selecting a program that aligns with the organization’s technology stack and integrates well with existing security processes is essential.

DAST (Dynamic Application Security Testing) is a form of application security testing that performs security analysis of an application by analyzing traffic from outside the application. DAST tools simulate attacks on the target applications. They are used when no source code is available or when code changes frequently.

The Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST)

DAST can be used to evaluate the security of any website or applications, mobile applications, and desktop applications.

When an attacker attempts to exploit a vulnerability in your website, DAST will detect it before it becomes an actual attack on your system or network. It monitors all traffic leaving and entering your network via the internet using network sniffers like Wireshark or Fiddler.

DAST tools simulate attacks on the target applications.

DAST tools simulate attacks on the target applications. DAST tools are typically used in black box testing where the tester does not have the complete source code of an application. DAST cannot be used for gray box testing because there must be complete knowledge of all application inputs and outputs in order to complete a test. DAST tools also test web application vulnerabilities, including OWASP Top Ten Vulnerabilities

DAST tools typically use black box testing where the tester does not have access to the significant source code of an application and is limited to the output generated by an application when it is being used for testing. Black box testing is where the tester uses an automated tool, called a “black box tool,” to test an application without having knowledge of its internal logic and code.

A typical black box test consists of two parts:

Inputs are entered into the application under test (AUT) and recorded by the automated tool

The results generated by this input are compared against expected output values (e.g. if they contain errors or warnings).

DAST tools also test web application vulnerabilities, including OWASP Top Ten Vulnerabilities. The OWASP Top Ten Vulnerabilities list the most common web application security problems. These include:

Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
Broken Authentication and Session Management
Sensitive Data Exposure

Injection Flaws
Security Misconfiguration

DAST tools can’t find all the vulnerabilities, but they can find vulnerabilities that are easier to exploit.

This is because DAST tools typically perform static analysis on the target application using canned scripts and configurations rather than creating a custom test harness for each application. This means that they don’t interact with the application in order to discover vulnerabilities—they just look at its code and output any errors or warnings they find.

The result is that DAST tools find bugs (i.e., security flaws) that are easier to exploit than those found by other testing methods, but there are some bugs left over when a proper penetration test is completed.

DAST tools aren’t perfect, but they are a good start

DAST tools aren’t perfect. They are not guaranteed to find every vulnerability and can’t determine the impact a given vulnerability will have on your site. But they provide an additional layer of security that’s often difficult or impossible to achieve through manual testing alone. DAST tools are an excellent place to start if you’re serious about protecting your website against inadvertent vulnerabilities that might lead to data breaches.

DAST tools are an essential part of the development process and should be used to ensure that web applications are secure from attack. It is important to note that DAST tools may not find all of the vulnerabilities in an application. However, they can find vulnerabilities that are easier to exploit, making them valuable for security testing. For more insightful blogs, visit auxin.io