Understanding SAST and Its Impact on DevSecOps
Static Application Security Testing (SAST) is a white-box testing methodology used to analyze source code, byte code, or binaries of an application for security vulnerabilities. Unlike dynamic testing, which requires running the code, SAST is performed without executing the program. It’s an integral part of the Secure Software Development Life Cycle (SSDLC), allowing developers to identify and fix security issues early in the development process. In this article, I am going to be discussing more on this. It is part of my series — I am a dummy, enlighten me.
SAST tools scan the application before the code is compiled, providing real-time feedback to developers. This helps in identifying vulnerabilities like buffer overflows, SQL injection, and cross-site scripting at the earliest stages, making it easier and less costly to address them.
The Impact of SAST on DevSecOps
The integration of SAST into DevSecOps — the practice of integrating security into the Continuous Integration/Continuous Development (CI/CD) pipeline — has a profound impact on the development process. DevSecOps aims to incorporate security as a shared responsibility throughout the entire development lifecycle, rather than as a final checkpoint.
