Cracking the Code: Unveiling the Strength of SAST Scans for Enterprise Security

Static application security testing (SAST) is crucial in identifying potential security vulnerabilities in software code. By performing automated scans of the code, it can identify security issues early in the development cycle, making it an essential component of secure software development. According to Forrester’s report on SAST, implementing this practice can significantly reduce the likelihood of a data breach, which can be costly for businesses. The report also highlights that SAST helps developers to identify and fix security issues before they make it into production, ultimately saving time and money in the long run.

As the number of applications and systems in enterprises grows, so does the need for effective security measures. One such measure is static application security testing (SAST) scanning. This scanning is an automated process of detecting application source code vulnerabilities before deployment.  

It has become integral to the security testing process in modern-day software development. In this blog, we’ll discuss the benefits of scanning and how it can benefit your enterprise. 

What is SAST scanning? 

It is a type of code analysis that analyzes an application’s source code for vulnerabilities. It is performed during the development phase, aiming to detect security flaws before the application is released to production.  

This is automated and relies on predefined sets of rules to identify vulnerabilities in the source code. These rules include identifying security issues such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), buffer overflow, and more. 

Benefits of SAST scanning 

Cost-effective 

One of the most significant benefits of SAST scanning is that it is cost-effective. These scans can identify vulnerabilities early in the development process, which is much cheaper than identifying and fixing vulnerabilities later in the software development life cycle.  

The cost of repairing a vulnerability discovered during development is a fraction of the cost of fixing the same vulnerability in production. Additionally, the cost of a data breach can be catastrophic, and scanning can help prevent such incidents. 

Improved software quality 

SAST scanning improves software quality by identifying security issues that might lead to software malfunctions, downtime, or crashes.  

Scanning ensures the application is more secure and reliable and performs as expected by detecting vulnerabilities early in development. This can lead to higher customer satisfaction, increased productivity, and improved business processes. 

Early Detection of Security Vulnerabilities: 

One of the most significant benefits of scanning is the early detection of security vulnerabilities. By scanning your source code, such tools can identify potential security flaws before they become significant.  

This early detection allows developers to address the issues before they reach production, saving your organization time and money in the long run. 

Improved Code Quality: 

SAST scanning can also help improve the overall quality of your code. By scanning your code, SAST tools can identify areas that need improvement, such as coding standards violations, dead code, and redundant practices. 

AlphaSAST 

After considering various SAST tools such as Rapid7, Acuentix, Invicti, and Intruder, we at AUXIN have launched AlphaSAST. A software best suited for your application security and other security needs. The following criterion summarizes why we are the best at the game. 

We use Unauthenticated and authenticated scans that go beyond OWASP10. A significant edge that Auxin has over our competitors is that we allow scans behind a firewall. So, no loophole gets unchecked. To minimize the challenges mentioned above, AUXIN allows vendor and consultant mode.  

This will enable stakeholders and company developers to have shared access to the tool so their concerns regarding privacy and confidentiality get resolved. We try out best to minimize false positives as much as we can and provide industry-specific scan and test results. AlphaSAST allows applications to scale more significantly without lowering their security. You can read more about Auxin and our services at auxin.io