6 Top Application Security Testing Tools of 2023 [Reviewed]

Application security testing or AST is the process of scanning applications for security loopholes, misconfigurations, and vulnerabilities. It is an integral part of the application development cycle. AST can be performed at any point during the development of an app as well as after it is developed. Different types of application security testing tools are used depending on when the application is being tested and which aspects of the application are being tested.

List Of Best Application Security Testing Tools

Here is the list of top application security testing software:

1. Astra’s Pentest
2. Veracode
3. Checkmarx SAST
4. Acunetix
5. CyberRes
6. InsightAppSec

Why Astra is the best in pentesting?

• We’re the only company that combines automated & manual pentest to create a one-of-a-kind pentest platform
• Vetted scans ensure zero false positives
• Our intelligent vulnerability scanner emulates hacker behavior & evolves with every pentest
• Astra’s scanner helps you shift left by integrating with your CI/CD
• Our platform helps you uncover, manage & fix vulnerabilities in one place
• Trusted by the brands you trust like Agora, Spicejet, Muthoot, Dream11, etc.

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4 Reasons Why Application Security Testing Tools Are Essential

As we have already mentioned, the speed of software development in today’s world is pretty hard to handle. If you removed the modern application security testing tools from the equation, either the evolution of applications would come to a standstill, or we will have fantastic apps laden with security errors. Here are the specific reasons why businesses need AST tools.

1. Speed of testing

Traditional code reviews and test plans are too slow to fit into the DevSecOps model of application development. You need tools that are designed for speed and scalability.

2. Continuous testing

You need a security testing workflow in place that is constantly at work to test new features that you launch. It should also stay up to date with emerging CVEs. 

3. Triage and classification of vulnerabilities

Not having a tool to help you prioritize and fix the vulnerabilities can mean two things. One, you would spend a ton of human hours to find and authenticate vulnerabilities, two, you will leave them as they are for longer than you should, and suffer the consequences.

4. The remediation workflow

Application security demands special skill sets that are rarely found in developers. When you use an AST tool that offers remediation assistance, your developers get to pick the brains of experienced security experts. It will save you a lot of time and effort. 

Also Read: SaaS Security Management- A Complete Guide To 6 Best Security Practices | A Complete Guide to Cloud Penetration Testing

Comparison Table of Application security testing tools

10 Types of Application Security Testing Tools

If you have looked at the table of application security testing tools, you must have noticed that we have categorized them as DAST, SAST, or in some cases SCA tools. In this section, we will learn about the different classes of AppSec testing.

Also Read: Security Audit Services: Importance, Types, Top 3 Companies | Security Testing Software – 5 Things to Understand Before You Choose One

SAST

SAST stands for Static Application Security Testing. It is quite similar to white-box testing. The SAST tools have an architecture diagram and access to source code. These tools are used to examine the source code while the application is at rest. SAST can detect numerical errors, defects in input validation, path traversal vulnerabilities, etc.

DAST

DAST or Dynamic Application Security Testing closely resembles black-box security testing. DAST is used to detect security vulnerabilities in an application at its production level. It detects issues related to interfaces, requests, responses, injection, authentication, and scripting while running on code that is operational. 

Also Read: Top 5 Software Security Testing Tools You Should Know About |  Top 6 Web Pentest Tools You Should Not Miss

Software Composition Analysis (SCA)

SCA tools are used to find errors in different components of the software. They compare known modules found in code with a database of vulnerabilities. These tests detect vulnerabilities in different components and libraries used to keep an application functional and suggest available patches.

Also Read: A Complete Guide to Cloud Security Testing

Database security scanning

Applications are heavily dependent on databases. Hence, database security is a part of overall application security. Database security scanning is used to detect vulnerabilities in database management systems – outdated versions, patch requirements, misconfigurations, etc. 

IAST

IAST stands for Interactive Application Security Testing. IAST tools use a combination of SAST and DAST techniques to perform both static code analysis and vulnerability detection on a running application.

MAST

Mobile Application Security Testing or MAST combines DAST, SAST, and digital forensics to test applications for mobile-specific issues like improper platform usage, jailbreaking, code tampering, reverse engineering, data leakage, etc. 

ASTaaS

Application Security Testing as a Service is simply when you pay a vendor to perform application security testing on your web or mobile application. 

Also Read: A Complete Guide to Cloud Penetration Testing | 7 Best API Penetration Testing Tools And Everything Related

Correlation Tools

As the name suggests, correlation tools help you correlate findings from different AST tools to reduce the noise from false positives and validate and prioritize critical vulnerabilities.

Test-coverage analyzers

These are tools used to determine what percentage of an application’s code is tested. This is useful in two ways. One, it helps an organization understand the efficiency of their AST process, and if they are running behind, they can try to optimize and accelerate the process. Two, it can identify lines of code that the SAST tools might fail to reach. The organization can recognize this problem and take measures. 

ASTO

ASTO stands for Application Security Testing Orchestration. These application security testing tools coordinate the different AST tools operating at different stages of the software development life cycle and help the users achieve a single source of truth.

Read also: Web Application Security Testing: Methodology, Tests and Tools

More about the Application Security Testing Tools

By now, you know about all the different classes of AST tools and processes. You have probably also figured out what kind of tools your organization needs. In this section we will learn about the six application security testing tools from the table you found earlier in a little more detail.

Astra’s Pentest

Astra Security has created tailor-made AppSec testing solutions for web apps built on a wide range of different platforms. The DAST tool by Astra can be optimized for different technologies. The tool fits into the CI/CD pipeline and it is extremely easy to set it up for continuous scanning.

Here are some key features

• Scans behind logged-in pages
• Interactive vulnerability management dashboard
• Scanner rules are updated every week
• Zero false positives ensured by manual pentesters
• 3000+ tests conducted
• Thorough reporting and remediation support

Also Read: 11 Best Penetration Testing Tools & Platforms

Veracode

Veracode implements different types of AST to create a wholesome AppSec testing experience. It also offers security training for developers. They ensure that your developers can keep the AppSec programs up and running.

Some key features

• Integration with the development pipeline
• Help setting up application security
• Acceleration of remediation procedure
• Smooth scalability

Checkmarx SAST

This SAST tool helps your developers accelerate their work in terms of finding and fixing vulnerabilities. They provide security scanning for your code and produce accurate insights.

Some key features

• Scans across 25+ development frameworks
• Interactive AppSec training for developers
• Scalability is suitable for enterprise-level security testing. 
• Scopes for collaboration

Acunetix

Acunetix is a popular web application security testing tool with a strong vulnerability scanner. The application security testing tool offers a 360-degree view of an organization’s security posture. The plug-and-play vulnerability scanner is quite useful for application scanning. 

Key features

• Detects misconfigurations and out-of-band vulnerabilities
• Produces scan results at a brisk speed
• Scans multiple environments at the same time
• Pinpoints vulnerability locations

CyberRes

CyberRes has a host of security solutions and one of them is Fortify which is an application security platform. It applies SAST techniques to test your application. CyberRes offers application security as a service as well.

Key features include

• Machine learning assisted auditing to remove 90% of false positives
• Integrates with the app development process

InsightAppSec

InsightAppSec is the application security testing tool by Rapid 7. It offers scalable security scanning solutions with a bunch of interesting features. It is definitely one of the top application security testing tools out there.

Features include

• Cloud and on-premise scan engines
• 95+ attack types
• Compliance reporting
• Scan scheduling 
• Automatically crawls web applications to detect SQLi and XSS

Conclusion

Application security testing tools are available in abundance for different types of applications and test stages. It falls on you to choose the tool or tools that fit your purpose. Make sure that you find a tool that does not slow you down in any way. DAST tools like Astra’s Pentest can be a game changer in this respect with its smooth integration with your CI/CD pipeline, video PoCs, remediation assistance, and a solid vulnerability management dashboard. 

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