As the threat landscape continues to evolve, organizations have had to strengthen their cybersecurity posture to overcome more sophisticated and more numerous attacks. Web application security testing has become an increasingly important part of that process, helping teams identify and remediate vulnerabilities at the application layer of their infrastructure before an attacker exploits them.
This guide will look at the components of an effective web application security framework and show why having one is so critical for modern organizations. We’ll also look at the different types of web application security testing, the benefits it brings to the table, the leading web application security tools, and how Kiuwan offers an end-to-end solution for all your web application security needs.
As with all software, web applications will inevitably contain some amount of defects or vulnerabilities. When threat actors identify and exploit these vulnerabilities, your organization’s digital assets, partners, or network can come under attack.
Web application security testing is the process of detecting and remediating the vulnerabilities found within your applications, making them more resistant to a cybersecurity threat.
To protect assets from potential bad actors, web application security testing may integrate a wide number of security controls into an app. One tactic is to employ secure development practices such as real-time code analysis throughout the software development lifecycle (SDLC). Another is to implement specific testing tools into your development environment, and another is to apply security protocols from the appropriate industry standards.
Reporting is also critical for any web application security pipeline. Once the appropriate development practices and testing tools are integrated into your operations, the next step is to present any issues to the system owner.
An actionable report should contain an assessment of the risk that each defect presents, and a proposal for how to resolve it. A comprehensive web application security testing solution should provide all these functionalities, not only equipping development teams with the tools needed to expand their testing coverage, but with the actionable reporting needed to triage and respond to the risk that each defect presents.
With over 8.9 million apps in existence as of 2025, web applications have become a staple of many everyday processes, both at home and in the business world. Many recent cyberattacks have occurred due to vulnerabilities within these applications, costing companies millions of dollars. Losses can include stolen data or intellectual property, compliance violations, or operational downtime, as well as reputational damage, broken partnerships, and tarnished brand trust.
Since many data breaches are the result of vulnerabilities at the application layer of a company’s IT environment, developing a proactive web application security testing framework to identify and resolve these defects has become more crucial than ever. Some components of a robust testing environment include:
By detecting any areas of vulnerability or poor design early on, you can reduce your app’s attack surface and mitigate the likelihood of an incident while minimizing your technical debt. You can also safeguard your data, intellectual property, and other digital assets, improving your compliance with regulatory requirements in the process.
Application vulnerability testing also helps you gain consumer trust and elevate your brand’s reputation, as all stakeholders can feel confident that you’re taking every precaution to keep their data secure.
To form a comprehensive web application security testing environment, you’ll need to implement a wide number of tests. Each one evaluates the performance of your application under a unique set of conditions, revealing vulnerabilities under different modes of operation, so leveraging them all can maximize your testing coverage.
The 5 main types of web application security testing are:
Here’s a closer look at each type of web application security testing.
DAST employs a black box approach to security testing, where you search for vulnerabilities in the app without evaluating the source code inside. This method more accurately simulates an external threat actor who would likely launch a series of attacks until one tactic succeeds. DAST software will simulate attacks such as cross-site scripting (XSS) or SQL injection, revealing vulnerabilities such as configuration issues, authentication errors, or other problems that arise during runtime.
Since DAST tools don’t require access to the application’s original source code, they can be automated to run quickly, frequently, and typically yield relatively few false positives. They’re often best for internally-facing, low-risk applications that must comply with regulatory security assessments, so combining them with other testing methods can deliver greater security for medium-risk and business-critical applications.
Unlike DAST, SAST employs a white box testing approach. SAST tools have access to an application’s source code, bytecode, or binaries, enabling them to analyze defects within the script without running the program. They work by scanning the code using a series of rules and algorithms, which search for patterns that are known to be insecure. By detecting risks like injection attacks and memory management flaws early in the development process, SAST helps developers address potential vulnerabilities before they become security threats.
SAST tools allow developers to discover and remediate vulnerabilities within their application’s code earlier in the SDLC, letting them shift left and build a more secure application. They can be automated and easily integrated into your current environment. However, because they analyze the code without running it, SAST tools operate from a more theoretical standpoint, causing them to occasionally report more false positives than DAST testing methods.
IAST combines some aspects of both SAST and DAST technology. It also analyzes the application’s source code, but measures an application during runtime using certain instrumentation as well. The combination not only lets IAST tools monitor the app’s behavior and identify any runtime vulnerabilities, but also provides a more comprehensive view of an application’s security posture than DAST or SAST tools could provide on their own. This results in fewer false positives and easier remediation of security issues, streamlining your web application security testing processes.
RASP also applies various instruments to an application, but uses them to monitor the inputs, outputs and behavior of the app to identify potential attacks, instead of analyzing it for vulnerabilities. The sensors embedded into an application with RASP serve as a kind of security alarm, detecting and blocking cyberattacks such as code injection, zero-day exploits, and malware in real time. The result is an application that protects itself from an attack, creating a more proactive cybersecurity posture.
Typically performed by ethical hackers and DevOps engineers, penetration tests simulate real-world attacks to reveal how your application’s cyber defenses can withstand them. Because penetration tests are carried out by an expert, they can reveal more subtle vulnerabilities than other testing methodologies, giving you deeper insights on how you can protect your network from an attack.
A strong web application vulnerability testing environment can yield many benefits to an organization. It can mitigate your cybersecurity risks, improve compliance with regulatory requirements, improve application performance, and maximize your business continuity, all while elevating customer trust.
Application vulnerability testing lets you prevent the consequences of a breach, such as loss of app control, customer data theft, or damage to your brand and finances. It also enables teams to take a proactive stance in detecting and resolving any design issues, so that they can minimize their cyber risk.
By remediating any vulnerabilities or security issues, application security testing ensures that your app performs as intended. Addressing security flaws can also improve speed and functionality, and the detailed insights that security tests deliver can be used to drive further continuous improvement efforts. The result is a secure, optimized app that creates fewer disruptions and that enhances your business processes while delivering a seamless user experience.
From ransomware and remediation fees to legal expenses and tarnished brand trust, companies incur many costs due to a data breach. Web application security testing lets you proactively address security issues before they lead to a full-scale attack, making it more cost-effective than a reactive response.
Application security tools like Kiuwan not only let teams remediate vulnerabilities but also generate custom action plans to prioritize fixing the riskiest weaknesses first. The result is greater business continuity, with fewer disruptions to the rest of your business processes.
Compliance violations can be one of the biggest costs incurred by a breach. Many industries possess strict regulations regarding data protection and cybersecurity, and web application security testing can help your company meet these requirements, avoiding the cost of a violation at the same time.
Demonstrating a commitment to secure development helps companies build trust with consumers, partners, and stakeholders. Such trust improves customer loyalty, increases the likelihood of a recommendation, and elevates engagement with your application, all of which boost profitability.
Having the right web app security tools is critical for completing your vulnerability testing processes. Used for checking application elements for potential security weaknesses, these scanners crawl networks, databases, and codebases, searching for vulnerabilities that are exploitable by SQL injections, malicious code, or other common attacks. They can be operated manually or automated, analyzing input fields, forms, or other application elements periodically, or performing manual in-depth assessments when more direct interaction is needed.
Some of the most common web application security tools are:
While they are not typically categorized as web application security tools, automatic backups are critical for maintaining your application’s resilience and are therefore an important part of your web app security environment.
They enable faster recovery after a breach, helping safeguard your data and indirectly supporting your application security. A comprehensive application security tool should offer automatic backups as one of its functionalities to help you maintain your continuity.
From classical XSS and DDoS attacks to advanced AI-powered threats, modern threat actors have plenty of attack vectors from which they can exploit your applications’ vulnerabilities. By implementing the leading application security tools, organizations can maximize their test coverage and minimize their attack surface as a result.
By combining the latest testing functionalities with an intuitive interface that embeds security into your workflow, Kiuwan empowers teams to deliver secure, reliable applications without sacrificing productivity.
Some of Kiuwan’s key security features include extensive vulnerability detection to scan for issues in code and third-party dependencies, actionable reporting that helps developers prioritize and resolve any concerns, and a user-friendly design that integrates with the most popular CI/CD environments.
Ready to experience a simpler, stronger appsec environment, and more secure software that’s better equipped to withstand the dangers of tomorrow’s threat landscape? Try Kiuwan free for 14 days today.
Web application security testing is the process of detecting and remediating the vulnerabilities found within your applications, making them more resistant to a cybersecurity threat.
There are five main types of web application security testing:
• Dynamic application security testing (DAST)
• Static application security testing (SAST)
• Interactive application security testing (IAST)
• Runtime application self-protection (RASP)
• Penetration testing
Web application security testing can mitigate your cybersecurity risks, improve compliance with regulatory requirements, improve application performance, and maximize your business continuity, all while elevating customer trust.
Some common tools are:
• Web application firewalls (WAF), protects servers from infiltration through apps, plugins, and custom solutions.
• Continuous scanning, monitors real-time malware and vulnerabilities, allowing for prioritized responses.
• Open-source code dependency scanning removes outdated components to improve app safety.
• Compliance verification, periodically checks adherence to security standards (e.g., OWASP, CIS, NIST, ISO).
• Local code analysis, scans code locally and syncs only results to the cloud for enhanced security.
Yes, Kiuwan’s Insights (SCA) can help identify and remove obsolete open-source components to enhance app safety and functionality.
