Many different types of security tests are available to developer teams. However, some can only work in specific environments, and others might only work once the application runs. That’s precisely why SAST and SCA are so important for protecting your application from malicious actors.
Let’s compare SAST vs. SCA directly, including where each test is used and why both are essential to protecting your products.
The overwhelming majority of applications—upwards of 97 percent—use at least one open-source component. While having access to open-source code has made it easier for development teams to build programs quickly, they can be more vulnerable to security breaches. This is especially true if the IT team does not have someone constantly monitoring open sources for critical updates to vulnerabilities.
However, software composition analysis (SCA) allows developers to find and manage potential vulnerabilities in open-source components. At a glance, Kiuwan’s SCA tools allow them to do the following:
Since almost every application and product uses open-source components on some level, SCA testing is always necessary. This is especially true before initial deployment.
However, testers can also run SCA security tests during and after building the application’s open-source components. With tools like Kiuwan SCA, teams can also run tests continuously after deployment to more easily release critical patches and identify dependencies in their applications.
Static application security testing (SAST) scans your app’s proprietary or first-party source code for vulnerabilities without running the program or working through a test case. Software testers often use it alongside SCA testing but before dynamic application software testing (DAST) to detect vulnerabilities in their program’s code.
SAST tools analyze your entire application from the inside based on the rules you set with the testing tools.
SAST testing tools reveal the locations of vulnerabilities like SQL injections before the program enters the QA phase, allowing developers to streamline the development lifecycle. These tools also minimize the vulnerable areas in your application’s code, making costly and embarrassing data breaches less likely.
Unlike other types of code analysis, SAST can run during every phase of software development, even in the earliest stages. It also allows developers to easily identify the location of vulnerable code, down to the line number within the file. This makes it more difficult for malicious actors to exploit unsecured lines of code by minimizing them overall.
Your software testing team can use SAST tools at any point during development. Thanks to its static approach to detecting security vulnerabilities, it can find potential security risks in individual lines of code—meaning your team can use SAST tools at any time before deployment.
With scanning tools like Kiuwan’s SAST capabilities, developers and testers can run tests from the earliest stages of production and throughout the development process, including during QA and final checks.
When comparing SCA vs. SAST, it’s important to remember that both types of tests work with different types of code. Here are the key differences between the two at a glance:
Because SCA and SAST address security issues in two different types of code, both are equally essential for improving your software’s security. Using both types of tests allows your team to make your applications more secure and address potential issues proactively.
Are you looking for ways to keep your first-party and open-source code secure for your clients and users? Kiuwan may have the tools you need. Request a free trial and see how to keep your applications safe.
