What is a main advantage of Static Application Security Testing (SAST) compared to Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST)?

Static Application Security Testing (SAST) is primarily focused on analyzing the source code or binaries of an application without executing the program. One of the main advantages of SAST is that it can identify vulnerabilities early in the software development lifecycle, which can lead to more accurate results regarding potential security flaws. This early detection allows developers to address issues before they propagate to later stages, where they might be harder and more costly to resolve.

SAST techniques examine the code structure, libraries, and data flow without the need for the application to be running, allowing for a comprehensive understanding of how the application is built and where vulnerabilities may lie. This upfront analysis tends to catch a wider range of issues related to coding practices and design flaws, enhancing the accuracy of the security assessment.

In contrast, Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) analyzes applications in their running state, which can limit its ability to detect certain types of vulnerabilities that are embedded in the source code or that require specific conditions to be triggered. Therefore, while DAST can effectively identify runtime issues, SAST’s focus on the code itself tends to provide more accurate and encompassing results concerning security risks.