Understanding Different Types of Security Scanners

Automated security testing encompasses various tool categories, each designed to identify specific vulnerability types at different stages of the development lifecycle. Static Application Security Testing (SAST) tools analyze source code without executing it, identifying vulnerabilities like SQL injection, cross-site scripting, and buffer overflows by examining code patterns and data flows. These tools integrate directly into integrated development environments (IDEs) and code repositories, providing developers with immediate feedback.

Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) tools take a different approach by testing running applications from the outside, simulating how attackers might exploit vulnerabilities. DAST tools send malicious inputs to application endpoints and analyze responses to identify security flaws. Unlike SAST, DAST tools don't require access to source code, making them valuable for testing third-party applications or validating that implemented fixes actually prevent exploitation.

Software Composition Analysis (SCA) tools address the growing challenge of third-party dependencies. Modern applications often contain more third-party code than proprietary code, inheriting any vulnerabilities present in those dependencies. SCA tools maintain databases of known vulnerabilities and scan project dependencies to identify components with security flaws. They also analyze licenses to ensure compliance with organizational policies.