Faster, Accurate,
Developer-Friendly SAST Scanner

SAST, also known as static application security testing, is a technique used to identify potential security vulnerabilities within code.

These vulnerabilities include:

• Injection flaws
• Cross-site scripting (XSS)
• Buffer overflows
• Insecure cryptographic implementations
• Insecure authentication mechanisms
• Insecure handling of sensitive data
• Improper input validation
• Insecure direct object references
• Code injection vulnerabilities
• Security misconfigurations
• Improper error handling
• Insecure use of third-party libraries and components
• Access control vulnerabilities
• Information leakage and exposure of sensitive information
• Business logic flaws

For security teams, SAST is one part of a comprehensive application security testing (AST) strategy and a must-have component within a complete Application Security Posture Management (ASPM) platform.

Importantly, SAST tools should be integrated with developer tools and CI/CD pipelines, allowing for automated security checks throughout the development lifecycle.

SAST helps identify vulnerabilities early in the software development lifecycle (SDLC), which is crucial since making fixes early can be 100 times cheaper than resolving them in production.

By integrating static analysis tools with IDEs, version control systems, and CI/CD pipelines, organizations can also:

1. Identify and prevent security issues early: SAST scans code without execution, allowing identification and remediation of vulnerabilities early in the development process. This prevents them from lingering undetected and potentially causing breaches later.
2. Enhance efficiency: Compared to manual code reviews, SAST tools can efficiently scan massive codebases, saving development teams time and resources.
3. Improve code quality: SAST goes beyond security vulnerabilities, often flagging coding best practice violations. Fixing these can lead to cleaner, more maintainable code.

SAST also aligns with DevSecOps principles, fostering a security-focused culture. Acting as a real-time security coach, SAST tools highlight insecure code and educate developers on best practices, boosting their confidence and productivity by minimizing the need for subsequent iterations and streamlining development workflows.

SAST tools and static analysis tools fall into several categories, each designed to meet the diverse needs of developers and security teams. Enterprise SAST tools, including ASPM platforms like Cycode, often come with extensive support and integration capabilities, making them a reliable choice for organizations looking to enhance their security posture efficiently. On the other hand, open-source SAST tools provide flexibility and cost savings but require more effort to set up and maintain. There’s also the risk of delayed updates and inconsistent quality, which can leave applications vulnerable.

Offering	Enterprise SAST	Open-Source SAST
Support	Extensive	Limited
Integration	Robust	Requires Effort
Cost	High	Low
Update frequency	Regular	Varies
Quality	Consistent	Inconsistent

It’s also important to distinguish between traditional and modern SAST solutions. Traditional SAST tools have been around for over 25 years but are known for slow scanning speeds and high false-positive rates. These inefficiencies discourage developers from running scans early in the development process.

In contrast, modern SAST tools offer faster scanning speeds and more precise findings, enhance the developer experience, and support continuous code delivery. They also tend to incorporate AI-powered code resolution for automated fix suggestions, streamlining the remediation process.

Feature	Traditional SAST	Modern SAST
Scanning Speed	Slow	Fast
Integration	Robust	Requires Effort
False Positive Rates	High	Low
Developer Experience	Poor	Enhanced
Automation	Minimal	Robust

Beyond point solutions, a complete Application Security Posture Management (ASPM) platform covers the entire SDLC, including all components, tools, libraries, languages, CI/CD pipelines, and cloud infrastructure. A complete ASPM platform offers its own proprietary scanning tools, including SAST, IaC, SCA, and more into one solution, providing a unified approach to security that addresses vulnerabilities across the development lifecycle and all application components. A Complete ASPM also allows you to integrate any of your third party security tools. This holistic approach ensures robust security measures are in place at every stage, enhancing overall security posture and efficiency.

SAST inspects source code without running it, identifying security risks through lexical analysis, syntax checks, control flow, and data flow tracking. It uses rule-based pattern matching to spot vulnerabilities like hardcoded secrets or injection flaws. The process concludes with a report detailing vulnerabilities, severity levels, and fixes. Scan times vary based on codebase size and complexity.

SAST tests code without executing it, detecting vulnerabilities within the written code. DAST (Dynamic Application Security Testing), however, tests an application while it’s running, uncovering security issues in real-world behavior.
While SAST targets code issues, DAST focuses on runtime vulnerabilities, making them complementary for a comprehensive security assessment.

SAST analyzes custom source code for vulnerabilities, while SCA (Software Composition Analysis) scans open-source and third-party components for known security issues and licensing risks.
Together, SAST and SCA provide a complete security check by covering both internal code and external dependencies.