Security scanning for your next web application
Boss: “Hey Xiao Ming, we have this new website going live next Monday. Could you ensure they are tested and secured?”
Analyst:
In this article, we’ll explore the types of open-source security scanning tools that can fortify your web application(s) against vulnerabilities and attacks. These are tools commonly used our DevSecOps pipeline, and some of them also come in paid/commercial alternatives.
With hundreds of product offerings in the market, it can be quite overwhelming to decide on the tool(s) to use. We can first ask ourselves a few questions to narrow down the list, such as:
- What is the nature of our web application?
- What is/are our potential threat(s)?
- Do open-source tools suffice or can it meet the compliance for our project?
Disclaimer: This is not a complete and comprehensive list and are our personal recommendations; it is also not an endorsement in any way, shape, or form.
Software Composition Analysis (SCA) is the process that identifies the open-source software in a codebase; it is sometimes also referred to as the Open-Source Scan (OSS). This tool enables teams to quickly track and analyse any open-source components brought into a project. It can discover all related components, their supporting libraries, and both their direct and indirect dependencies. It checks them against known security vulnerability databases and can identify issues such as outdated libraries with known security flaws.
Example of an open-source/free tool: OSV Scanner
Static Application Security Testing (SAST) is the process of analysing source code or compiled versions of code to help find security flaws. Some SAST tools can even be attached to your IDE. These tools can help you detect vulnerabilities, bugs, and security risks during software development. SAST findings can help you save time and effort, allowing developers to address and fix them early during the development process.
Example of an open-source/free tool: SonarQube Community Edition, GitHub code scanning
Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) is the process of analysing software programs while it is “running”. This allows them to discover vulnerabilities that may not be apparent in the source code alone. DAST tools can also handle different authentication mechanisms, such as login forms and session management, to test how security is implemented throughout the application’s user journey.
Example of an open-source/free tool: OWASP ZAP
Other tools — tools like the CSA Internet Hygiene Portal and Mozilla Observatory can help to assesses your web application’s security posture by checking for security headers, TLS configuration, and other factors, offering insights into areas for improvement. They also provide steps to educate developers on how to configure their sites safely and securely.
For more comprehensive/advanced testing, Burp Suite and Kali both include many useful toolkits to help simulate cyberattacks to identify weaknesses.
Examples of open-source/free tool:
In conclusion, we have explored a variety of open-source security scanning tools that can help you fortify your web application against vulnerabilities and attacks. Unfortunately there is no one size fits all solution because every web application is unique in the technologies it adopts. You will have to tailor it to your specific requirements and environments.
We hope this article has been helpful, and we encourage you to explore the tools mentioned above. Do share and discuss in the comment section below on your experiences with security scanning tools.
Till then, stay safe and keep learning!
🧙🏼♀Team Merlin 💛
Application security is not any individual’s problem but a shared responsibility.
