SAST, DAST, and SCA
Integration of SDLC and CI/CD Pipeline
What Are SAST, DAST, and SCA?
| Type | Full Form | What It Does |
| SAST | Static Application Security Testing | Scans your source code or binaries for security flaws before the app runs |
| DAST | Dynamic Application Security Testing | Tests the running application (usually in staging) for real vulnerabilities |
| SCA | Software Composition Analysis | Scans dependencies (open source libraries) for known vulnerabilities (CVEs) |
NOTE:: CVE, short for Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures, is a public catalog of known cybersecurity vulnerabilities and exposures.
Advantages of SAST: | Disadvantage of SAST: |
SAST – Think: “White-box” code review
Goal: Identify issues like SQL Injection, XSS (Cross-site scripting), insecure crypto, hardcoded secrets
When: Early (during coding/commit/build)
Scope: Custom application code
Pros: Fast feedback, shift-left, no need to run app
Cons: False positives, no runtime context
Tools: SonarQube
DAST – Think: “Black-box” penetration testing
Goal: Find exploitable vulnerabilities in the deployed app
When: After deployment to test/staging
Scope: HTTP endpoints, UI interactions
Pros: Real-world vulnerability detection
Cons: No code visibility, can miss logic flaws, slow
Tools: OWASP ZAP, Burp Suite (Pro) etc.
SCA – Think: “Dependency health checker”
Goal: Find CVEs in your third-party packages (NPM, Maven, pip, etc.)
When: During build (or even pre-commit)
Scope: Dependency manifests like
package.json,pom.xml,requirements.txtPros: Fast, covers (Open Source Softwares) OSS risks, license checking
Cons: May miss deeply nested/transitive issues
Security Development Life Cycle (SecSDLC or SDL):
An extension of SDLC that integrates security practices throughout every phase to build software that is secure by design, minimizing vulnerabilities and risks.
Phases Comparison Table
| SDLC Phase | Purpose | SecSDLC Phase | Purpose |
| Requirements | Gather functional requirements | Security Requirements | Define security needs & compliance |
| Design | Create software architecture | Threat Modeling & Secure Design | Identify threats, design secure system |
| Implementation | Code development | Secure Coding & SAST (Snyk and sonarqube) | Write secure code, perform static scans |
| Testing | Functional & integration testing | Security Testing (DAST, Pen Test) (OWASP ZAP, Burp Suite) | Dynamic scanning & vulnerability testing |
| Deployment | Release to production | Secure Deployment & Configuration | Apply secure configs, scan IaC & containers |
| Maintenance | Bug fixes & updates | Continuous Monitoring & Patch Management | Monitor security posture & patch vulnerabilities |
How to Embed SAST, SCA, and DAST into CI/CD
A[Code Commit] --> B[SAST & SCA Scans ]
B --> C[Build & Run Unit Tests]
C --> D[Deploy to Staging]
D --> E[DAST Scan (Dynamic Application Testing)]
E --> F[Security Gate Check (Policies, CVE Threshold, License Check)]
F --> G[Deploy to Production]
DevSecOps Pipeline Security Steps
| Step | Stage | Description & Tools |
| A | Code Commit | Code pushed triggers automated scans. |
| B | SAST & SCA | Static code and dependency scans. Tools: Snyk, Checkov, Trivy |
| C | Build & Unit Tests | Compile code and run unit tests. |
| D | Deploy to Staging | Deploy app to staging for further testing. |
| E | DAST Scan | Dynamic scans for runtime vulnerabilities. Tools: OWASP ZAP, Burp Suite |
| F | Security Gate | Enforce security policies; block risky deployments. |
Some Other Tools:
Snyk
NOT a pure SAST or DAST tool, but a Developer-first Security Platform.
At its core, Snyk is an SCA tool, but it has expanded into a DevSecOps platform by offering::
SCA (Software Composition Analysis) → scans open-source dependencies (like in
package.json,pom.xml, etc.)Container security (Docker image scanning)
IaC ( Infrastructure as Code ) scanning (Terraform, Kubernetes YAMLs)
Partial SAST Capabilities (with Snyk Code)
Zscaler – Cloud Security Platform (Zero Trust)
A cloud-based secure gateway that protects users and workloads on the internet and internal apps.
When it's used:
In network-level security, protecting users, endpoints, and cloud environments.What it does:
Enforces Zero Trust Access (ZTNA)
Protects users from malware, phishing, malicious content
Secures outbound internet access (SWG, Cloud Firewall)
DLP (Data Loss Prevention)
Benefits:
Prevents data breaches and malware
Secures remote access without a VPN
Ensures least privilege access
Okta – Identity & Access Management (IAM)
A secure identity provider that manages authentication and authorization across apps and APIs.
When it's used:
Across the entire SDLC — both during development (auth integration) and production (access enforcement).What it offers:
OAuth2.0, OpenID Connect (OIDC)
SSO (Single Sign-On)
MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication)
RBAC (Role-Based Access Control)
Benefits:
Prevents account takeovers
Enforces secure login policies
