Choosing the Right Approach

No single testing approach provides complete security coverage—effective programs combine multiple techniques based on specific needs and constraints. Start with SCA if your applications heavily rely on third-party components, as addressing known dependency vulnerabilities provides immediate risk reduction. The relatively simple implementation and high-confidence findings make SCA an excellent starting point for organizations beginning their application security journey.

Add SAST when you have substantial custom code requiring analysis, particularly for applications handling sensitive data or critical business functions. SAST makes sense when development teams are mature enough to handle security feedback and when resources exist for tool tuning. Organizations practicing true DevSecOps benefit most from SAST's shift-left approach, catching vulnerabilities during development rather than in production.

Implement DAST to validate that deployed applications resist attack, regardless of whether vulnerabilities exist in custom code or dependencies. DAST is essential for compliance requirements mandating vulnerability scanning and provides confidence that security controls function correctly in production-like environments. Organizations with diverse technology stacks benefit from DAST's language-agnostic approach.