Speed Meets Security: Shifting Left with DAST and SAST

Software development is a game of speed, much like a high-stakes car race. The winner is the fastest one who doesn't crash and burn.

Success depends not only on the driver’s skill but also on the vehicle’s performance. Racers push their cars to the limit, aiming for maximum speed, but they know that neglecting maintenance or overlooking potential flaws could lead to disaster. A single mechanical failure or miscalculation can mean the difference between victory and catastrophe.

In development, SAST and DAST are the tools that keep your “vehicle”—your application—in top condition. Like a racer inspecting brakes, tires, and engine components before hitting the track, these tools identify vulnerabilities in both the codebase and runtime environment, ensuring you can move fast without risking a costly security “crash.” By combining proactive safeguards with real-time analysis, SAST and DAST help teams avoid incidents that could bring development to a screeching halt, allowing them to focus on winning the race to innovation.

Legacy security practices often fall short in modern development environments, relying on reactive methods that address vulnerabilities too late. This delayed approach drives up costs and consumes valuable time and resources, creating friction for developers under pressure to deliver quickly. To meet the demands of today’s fast-paced workflows, many organizations are embracing a shift-left approach, embedding security directly into the earliest stages of development.

The idea of shifting security left is more than streamlining processes. It’s a change in prioritizing what matters most to building secure, reliable applications while protecting customer trust and organizational reputation. By detecting and addressing vulnerabilities early, teams can significantly reduce the risk of breaches and the fallout they bring. Perhaps most importantly, the shift-left approach encourages a collaborative mindset between development and security teams. When both groups share responsibility for security, they create applications that are robust and delivered with the speed and agility required to stay competitive.

Two varieties of tools first come to mind in application security: SAST (Static Application Security Testing) and DAST (Dynamic Application Security Testing). Each tool addresses unique application security aspects and works together to build a strong foundation addressing the code at rest and runtime.

SAST starts this process by focusing on the code as it exists before it runs. It looks through the codebase, searching for known vulnerabilities like insecure coding practices, hardcoded secrets, or logical errors that developers may not immediately realize.

DAST, on the other hand, takes a different approach. Instead of analyzing static code, it examines how an application behaves in runtime environments. By simulating real-world attack scenarios, DAST uncovers vulnerabilities that only surface when the application is actively processing data. Issues like injection flaws, misconfigurations, and access control weaknesses are identified in staging or live environments, where the dynamics of the application and its interactions reveal risks that static analysis alone might miss.

When implemented together, SAST and DAST can empower teams to identify vulnerabilities early and maintain robust security without slowing innovation.

Start by embedding SAST tools directly into CI/CD pipelines. By integrating static analysis during the build phase, developers can catch coding issues such as hardcoded secrets or insecure logic as they write and commit their code. This proactive approach ensures vulnerabilities are addressed before they become entrenched, minimizing disruptions later in the cycle. Simultaneously, schedule DAST scans for staging or live environments to simulate real-world attack scenarios. This dynamic testing uncovers vulnerabilities that static analysis may miss, such as runtime misconfigurations or injection flaws, ensuring the application performs securely under real-world conditions.

Automation plays a critical role in streamlining these processes. By automating SAST and DAST, teams can reduce the manual overhead that often slows traditional security practices, enabling continuous testing without disrupting workflows. But tools alone aren’t enough—successful integration requires fostering a security-conscious culture. Educate developers on the distinct roles of SAST and DAST, highlighting how each contributes to comprehensive security. Establishing a security champion program within development teams can further embed security as a shared responsibility, empowering individuals to advocate for best practices and guide peers.

Finally, integration isn’t a one-time effort. Continuously review and adapt workflows to keep pace with evolving threats and new development practices. This iterative approach ensures that SAST and DAST remain effective as technologies, attack vectors, and organizational needs evolve, enabling teams to deliver secure, high-quality applications without compromising speed or agility.

Understanding the quality of security is about more than the tools used; it’s about the results achieved. There is no doubt that SAST and DAST are valuable tools, but the value isn’t truly seen until they integrate into development workflows. This is where their true value shines.

Metrics help us measure this value, bringing quantifiable evidence to the security practices we adopt. They reveal where security strategies shine and where they need refinement, transforming abstract efforts into actionable insights.

One of the most valuable metrics we can track is the reduction in vulnerabilities discovered in production. As issues are caught earlier and addressed in development, fewer security flaws slip into live environments, where they can wreak havoc. It’s the difference between an application that launches confidently and risks its reputation on day one.

Equally important is tracking the mean time to remediate (MTTR) vulnerabilities—a clear indicator of how quickly teams can respond to threats. A shorter MTTR tells a story of efficiency, agility, and minimized exposure, showcasing the value of integrating security directly into workflows.

But the numbers only tell part of the story; the real transformation lies in the cultural shift they reflect. As secure coding practices take root, developers move from reacting to vulnerabilities to preventing them altogether. Teams shift their focus from firefighting to innovation, unlocking the speed and creativity that agile methodologies promise. Faster delivery cycles paired with robust security mean more than just internal wins—they build trust with customers, creating applications that inspire confidence and reduce the risk of high-profile breaches.

These metrics are more than benchmarks; they’re a compass for continuous improvement. They show where you’ve been and where you’re heading, helping teams refine their strategies to stay ahead of evolving threats. In the end, meaningful metrics do more than measure—they validate the integration of SAST and DAST as essential tools in delivering secure, high-quality applications.

The perception of security is changing from a roadblock to a partner. By reframing security as an enabler rather than an obstacle, organizations empower developers to take ownership of application security. Using proactive security practices, like integrating DAST and SAST into development workflows, enhances efficiency, making developers’ jobs easier, not harder, while gaining the added security benefit.

Embedding SAST and DAST into CI/CD pipelines is no longer dissonant with speed, but it harmonizes with the existing tools and processes developers already use. It eliminates last-minute vulnerability checks and provides real-time feedback during development so vulnerabilities can be caught early and resolved well before release.

Shifting security left isn’t just a strategy—it’s a transformative approach to development that empowers teams to deliver secure applications without compromising speed or quality. By integrating DAST and SAST into workflows, developers can catch vulnerabilities early, address them efficiently, and minimize costly downstream fixes. This proactive stance doesn’t just save time and resources; it creates a culture where security is embedded into every stage of development, reducing risks and fostering greater trust in the applications you build.

Ready to make security an accelerator rather than a bottleneck? Tools like Snyk and Probely are designed to seamlessly integrate proactive security practices into your workflows, empowering your team to build confidently. From identifying vulnerabilities in code to detecting runtime risks, these solutions provide the insights and automation you need to stay ahead. Schedule a demo today and take the first step toward faster, smarter, and more secure development.

Try a demo today to see how Probely and Snyk can help your organization securely adopt SAST and DAST.