Building a Paved Road: How to Implement DAST That Actually Scales

Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) traditionally performed by security teams in production environments must evolve to integrate more effectively into developer workflows to keep pace with modern development practices. True shift-left DAST requires integration into continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) systems, fast runtime testing, and actionable findings for developers, but it is more complex to implement than Static Application Security Testing (SAST). This complexity results from the need for setting up test environments, configuring authentication, and tuning for specific APIs, which often causes DAST initiatives to stall. However, DAST identifies critical vulnerabilities like authentication bypasses and runtime injection flaws that SAST misses, making it essential for effective security. To scale DAST, organizations should create a "paved road" with standardized templates, comprehensive documentation, and repeatable processes that allow development teams to self-onboard without custom configurations. This strategy includes defining testing requirements, integrating tests into developer workflows, and establishing governance and infrastructure support. The goal is to embed security testing seamlessly into the software development lifecycle, allowing teams to fix vulnerabilities efficiently and scale security efforts without proportionally increasing headcount. By building such systems, organizations can enhance their application security posture even as development accelerates with AI and other technologies.