What is dynamic application security testing (DAST)?

Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) is a methodology focused on evaluating an application while it is running. This approach involves testing the application in its deployed environment to identify vulnerabilities and security flaws by simulating attacks to assess the application’s security posture. DAST is beneficial because it provides insights into how an application behaves under various conditions and helps uncover issues that may not be present when reviewing static code.

This method is particularly effective in identifying runtime vulnerabilities such as authentication issues, session management bugs, and other security flaws that are only evident when the application is executed. Unlike other methods, DAST does not require access to the source code, making it suitable for applications where the code is either not available or for third-party software.

While the other options pertain to various aspects of security testing and best practices, they do not describe DAST accurately. For instance, testing software before it is developed pertains to requirements gathering or static testing methodologies, while static analysis involves reviewing code without executing it. Reviewing documentation for security practices, on the other hand, focuses on policies and procedures rather than the actual behavior of the running application, which is essential in identifying dynamic vulnerabilities. Therefore, the correct understanding of DAST is its focus on testing applications in a live environment.