What to Test Where: DAST Across the Development Lifecycle

Dynamic application security testing (DAST) has evolved from being a slow, production-only activity to a versatile, fast, and integral part of the CI/CD pipeline, enabling security testing at multiple stages of development. Modern DAST tools, designed for API-first and config-as-code environments, can now provide real-time feedback to developers, addressing the increased risks posed by AI-assisted rapid code generation. These tools allow for comprehensive testing not only in production environments, where testing is limited to non-invasive checks, but also in staging, CI/CD pipelines, and even at the developer's workstation. Each stage of testing has its own set of constraints and focuses, from read-based checks in production to full exploitation attempts in staging, and from smoke tests in pipelines to comprehensive local testing during code creation. This multi-stage approach is crucial for detecting a wide range of vulnerabilities, including authorization bypasses and business logic flaws, and ensures that security issues are addressed early when they are easier and cheaper to fix. StackHawk exemplifies this shift-left strategy by enabling DAST across all development stages, aiming to catch vulnerabilities early and integrate security feedback into the developer workflow, ultimately reducing the remediation cost and window of exposure.