A secure code protects business data from hacking and leaking into the wrong places. It attracts customer trust, saves money, and safeguards cybersecurity vulnerabilities. Vulnerabilities happen when developers fail to observe practices like security tests and including security features in the code. SAST tools scan every part of the code ensuring it meets the established cyber security standards. Here are popular SAST tools that help keep your code base secure.
What to look for when choosing SAST tools
The top things to look for in SAST tools are performance and integration with many third-party platforms like APIs, software builders, and testing tools. The program should allow a high level of customization to produce results based on specific algorithms. It should provide accurate scanning results and allow users to scale as needs arise. These tools should generate detailed reports and do deep scans covering every component of the code and finished product. It should have a simple interface allowing quick setup, easy navigation, and a simple learning curve.
SAST is a critical process that every software developer should embrace to ensure they launch tightly secure applications. SAST means Static Application Security Testing and lets developers scan an app’s byte, binary, and source code. The teams use the same tool to generate a SAST report allowing them to decide on the features they need to fix. When discussing about SAST here, the reference is to a security best practice used by development companies to identify security flaws in real time. This knowledge ensures the team launches credible and safe applications.
1) Codacy
In app security testing, Codacy has always offered the best solutions including SAST, DAST, CSPM, SCA, and more. It puts an added focus on SAST compared to any other tools in this field.
Codacy scans your code deeply for security issues by using open-source linters and scanners. The idea here is to detect and fix bugs early in the software development lifecycle. By doing a detailed analysis of the source code, vulnerabilities are fixed so that there are no security or compliance issues. The standout feature that helps Codacy rank on top is its ability to scan common security risks for OWASP Top 10 issues like XSS and SQL injection. For development teams and organizations that consider cybersecurity as an essential part of their software and apps, Codacy has been and continues to be a popular choice.
2) Fortify Static Code Analyzer (SCA)
SCA was developed to perform consistent security scans to ensure every software component is secure. It can run on any programming language and handles any project size effectively. Due to this, SCA effectively handles large-scale projects and apps that require advanced tools to scan complex code.
It scans software structure and code behavior and does this in more than 25 languages. The tool lets users configure its security settings to create customized rules to deal with specific problems.
3) SonarQube
SonarQube is one of the open source SAST tools that scan code security and quality. It is free to use and is good for projects of any size, which makes it favored by many developers. The tool integrates well with software builders and programming languages. It identifies code errors, duplicate features, and malicious code like XSS and SQL injection that could compromise software integrity.
The code-safe tool handles any type or project size. Developers can integrate it with more than 27 languages and identify most security issues. Besides, SonarQube is open source meaning users can modify it to meet specific uses. The app’s main components are plugins, a server, a database, and an analyzer which benefits developers in multiple ways.
- Developers publish quality code because the tool scans every component to pinpoint security issues.
- It fits into many projects because it works in more than 27 languages.
- The tool allows customizations to let it follow specific software development guidelines.
It reduces cybersecurity risks and can be scaled to ensure well-rounded code quality management.
4) Veracode
Veracode does not require installation because it entirely works on the cloud. Many large software development brands prefer this tool due to the extensive number of features it provides. It scans three key software components including third-party features, binaries, and code.
SAST requires the application to be running, but this tool starts checking for security gaps immediately after the first code framework is designed. It perfectly fits large DevOps projects because it integrates well with code builders and testing programs like GitHub and Jenkins.
It is a full coverage tool for checking security flaws in the finished product and source code. Its advantage is that the tool generates a detailed report covering every software component scanned. Veracode does not require configuration or setup because it works in the cloud.
5) Bandit
Bandit is an OpenStack Security Group tool developed for scanning Python-based programs. It has a simple interface allowing it to fit both small and large projects. One setback of this tool is that it is limited to Python-developed software. The tool integrates well with many types of plugins and allows developers to customize plugin features to achieve specific results.
Bandit is designed to scan the most common vulnerability setbacks such as failure to validate data and storing passwords within the code. These are flaws such as insecure code design, broken authentication and authorization, security misconfiguration, and outdated features. The tool is light allowing it to work on different devices at lightning speed and generate instant reports.
6) Checkmarx
Checkmarx is a popular SAST tool preferred by large and small companies due to its deeper security scanning capabilities and detailed reports. It is one of the SAST tools used to ensure software meets standardized compliance guidelines such as PCI-DSS and the OWASP Top 10.
The tool perfectly fits development teams that consistently add new features, updates, and projects. It benefits them by performing thorough and detailed scans giving accurate results. The tool integrates perfectly with most coding programs and provides an elaborate view of cybersecurity issues in each tool.
Conclusion
SAST tools are designed to provide detailed software security checks throughout the development lifecycle. They are useful for providing developers with insights into security situations in software and making informed decisions. Using these tools ensures developers enjoy a smooth development experience where the code and software are free from small or bigger security gaps.
