Interactive Application Security Testing (IAST) Tools
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Learn More About Interactive Application Security Testing (IAST) Tools
What is Interactive Application Security Testing?
Interactive Application Security Testing (IAST) tools analyze an application’s code from within the application while an external test or human tester interacts with a specific functionality. IAST is primarily used for web application and web API security testing. IAST used embedded agents within the application to test for vulnerabilities in the application as it runs dynamically. This structure allows for easier testing automation than legacy application security testing (AST) methods.
There are several benefits of using Interactive Application Security Testing. IAST generally takes place in the testing/QA stage of the software development life cycle (SDLC). This means that problems are caught and addressed quickly, and usually much earlier in the SLDC than other (AST) tools. It also integrates with existing development pipelines, which reduces disruptions in existing testing and development processes.
IAST is often used in conjunction with other security tools. For instance, accompanying functionalities like software composition analysis provide IAST with even more peripheral data to identify, assess, and alert developers to vulnerabilities. Using IAST within a broader security tech stack can also mitigate some of the drawbacks of the tool, such as language-based or server-side limitations.
IAST vs. DAST and SAST
Interactive Application Security Testing has emerged out of pain points from dynamic application security testing (DAST) and static application security testing (SAST). Static application security testing looks at the code of an application while it is at rest, while dynamic application security testing simulates attacks on an active application in a testing environment to expose vulnerabilities. Both of these testing classes operate outside of the application itself, while IAST functions within the application. This provides for more granularity and rapid results than either SAST or DAST. IAST also allows for more continuous testing than its predecessors.
IAST primarily differs from SAST in that SAST tests the entire codebase, while IAST only tests the discrete functions being interacted with. This allows IAST to be used more flexibly than SAST, while creating fewer false positives because IAST uses more than just source code to determine vulnerabilities. However, SAST can provide a more comprehensive test of the codebase than IAST on its own.
IAST is distinct from DAST because of its location within the application itself. The embedded agent allows for more granular issue identification with IAST than with DAST. IAST tools can specify the line of code in question, while DAST can only infer the sources of observed vulnerabilities. DAST also requires specialists to manually conduct tests, while IAST can be automated in many cases.