Best Practices for SAST Configuration

Optimal SAST configuration balances security coverage with practical constraints like scan time and false positive rates. Start with default rule sets but customize them based on your application's risk profile and technology stack. Disable rules that consistently produce false positives in your environment while ensuring critical vulnerability types remain covered.

Custom rule development allows organizations to enforce specific security requirements. Many SAST tools provide domain-specific languages for writing custom rules. For example, you might create rules to ensure all database queries use parameterized statements or verify that sensitive data undergoes encryption before storage. Share custom rules across teams to ensure consistent security standards throughout the organization.

Performance tuning becomes crucial as codebases grow. Configure appropriate memory limits and timeout values to prevent scans from consuming excessive resources. Use distributed scanning to parallelize analysis across multiple machines. Implement intelligent caching to avoid re-scanning unchanged code. Monitor scan performance metrics to identify bottlenecks and optimization opportunities.