What is Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) Software?

Dynamic application security testing (DAST) is one of the many technology groupings of security testing solutions. DAST is a form of black-box security testing, meaning it simulates realistic threats and attacks. This differs from other forms of testing such as static application security testing (SAST), a white-box testing methodology used to examine the source code of an application. DAST includes a number of testing components that operate while an application is running. Security professionals simulate real-world functionality through testing the application for vulnerabilities and then evaluate the effects on application performance. The methodology is often used to find issues near the end of the software development lifecycle. These issues may be tougher to fix than early flaws and bugs are, but those flaws pose a larger threat to critical components of an application. DAST can also be thought of as a methodology. It’s a different approach than traditional security testing because once a test is completed, there are still tests to be done. It involves periodic inspections as updates are pushed live or changes are made before release. While a penetration test or code scan might serve as a one-off test for specific vulnerabilities or bugs, dynamic testing can be performed continually throughout the lifecycle of an application. Key Benefits of Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) Software Simulate realistic attacks and threats Discover vulnerabilities not found in source code Flexible and customizable testing options Comprehensive assessment and scalable testing

Why Use Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) Software?

There are a number of testing solutions necessary for an all-encompassing approach to security testing and vulnerability discovery. Most start in the early stages of software development and help programmers discover bugs in the code and issues with the underlying framework or design. These tests require access to source code and are often used during development and quality assurance (QA) processes. While early testing solutions approach testing from the standpoint of the developer, DAST approaches testing from the standpoint of a hacker. These tools simulate real threats to a functional, running application. Security professionals can simulate common attacks such as SQL injection and cross-site scripting or customize tests to threats specific to their product. These tools offer a highly customizable solution for testing during the later stages of development and while applications are deployed. Flexibility — Users can schedule tests as they please or perform them continuously throughout an application’s or website’s lifecycle. Security professionals can modify environments to simulate their resources and infrastructure to ensure a realistic test and evaluation. They’re often scalable, as well, to see if increased traffic or usage would affect vulnerabilities and protection. Industries with more specific threats may require more specific testing. Security professionals may identify a threat specific to the health care industry or financial sector and alter tests to simulate the threats most common to them. If performed correctly, these tools offer some of the most realistic and customizable solutions to the threats present in real-world situations. Comprehensiveness — Threats are continuously evolving and expanding, making the ability to simulate multiple tests more necessary. DAST offers a versatile approach to testing, wherein security professionals can simulate and analyze each threat or attack type individually. These tests deliver comprehensive feedback and actionable insights that security and development teams use to remediate any issues, flaws, and vulnerabilities. These tools will first perform an initial crawl, or examination, of applications and websites from a third-party perspective. They interact with applications using HTTP, allowing the tools to examine applications built with any programming language or on any framework. The tool will then test for misconfigurations, which expose a greater attack surface than internal vulnerabilities. Additional tests can be run, depending on the solution, but all the results and discoveries can be stored for actionable remediation. Continuous assessment — Agile teams and other companies relying on frequent updates to applications should use DAST products with continuous assessment capabilities. SAST tools will provide more direct solutions for issues related to continuous integration processes, but DAST tools will provide a better view of how updates and changes will be seen from an outside perspective. Each new update may pose a new threat or unveil a new vulnerability; it is therefore crucial to continue testing even after applications have been completed and deployed. Unlike SAST, DAST also requires less access to potentially sensitive source code within the application. DAST approaches the situation from an outside perspective as simulated threats attempt to gain access to vulnerable systems or sensitive information. This can make it easier to perform tests continuously without requiring individuals to access source code or other internal systems.

What are the Common Features of Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) Software?

Standard functionality is included in most dynamic application security testing (DAST) solutions: Compliance testing — Compliance testing gives users the ability to test for various requirements from regulatory bodies. This can help ensure information is stored securely and protected from hackers. Test automation — Test automation is the feature powering continuous testing processes. This functionality operates by running prescripted tests as frequently as required without the need for hands-on or manual testing. Manual testing — Manual testing gives the user complete control over individual tests. These features allow users to perform hands-on live simulations and penetration tests. Command-line tools — The command-line interface (CLI) is the language interpreter of a computer. CLI capabilities will allow security testers to simulate threats directly from the terminal host system and input command sequences. Static code analysis — Static code analysis and static security testing is used to test from the inside out. These tools help security professionals examine application source code for security flaws without executing it. Issue tracking — Issue tracking helps security professionals and developers document flaws or vulnerabilities as they are discovered. Proper documentation will make it easier to organize the actionable insights provided by the DAST tool. Reporting and analytics — Reporting capabilities are important to DAST tools because they provide the information necessary to remediate any recently discovered vulnerabilities. Reporting and analytics features can also give teams a better idea of how attacks may affect application availability and performance. Extensibility — Many applications offer the ability to expand functionality through the use of integrations, APIs, and plugins. These extensible components provide the ability to extend the platform beyond its native feature set to include additional features and functionalities.

Page 3 | Best Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) Software: User Reviews from September 2026

SOOS

SOOS is the complete application security posture management platform. Scan your software for vulnerabilities, control the introduction of new dependencies, exclude unwanted license types, generate and manage Software Bill of Materials (SBOM), and fill out your compliance worksheets across all your teams. SOOS’s ASPM is a dynamic, comprehensive approach to safeguarding your application infrastructure from vulnerabilities across the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) and live deployments. Easy to integrate, all in one dashboard. SCA - Deep tree vulnerability scanning, license compliance, governance DAST - Automated Web & API vulnerability scanning Containers - Scan contents for vulnerabilities SAST - Analyze code for security vulnerabilities IaC - Cloud security coverage SBOMs - Create – monitor – manage

Average Rating: 4.6/5.0

Total Reviews: 42

How Do G2 Users Rate SOOS?

Has the product been a good partner in doing business?: 9.1/10 (Category avg: 9.2/10)
API / Integrations: 7.4/10 (Category avg: 8.7/10)
Detection Rate: 8.9/10 (Category avg: 8.8/10)
Test Automation: 9.4/10 (Category avg: 8.8/10)

Who Is the Company Behind SOOS?

Seller: SOOS
Year Founded: 2019
HQ Location: Winooski, US
Twitter: @soostech
44 Twitter followers
LinkedIn® Page: www.linkedin.com
21 employees on LinkedIn®

Who Uses This Product?

Top Industries: Information Technology and Services, Computer Software
Company Size: 50% Medium, 43% Small

What Do G2 Reviewers Say About SOOS?

AI-generated summary from verified user reviews

Pros

Users commend the ease of use of SOOS, highlighting its user-friendly setup and supportive onboarding process.
Users highlight the awesome customer support from SOOS, enhancing the overall user experience during onboarding.
Users value the easy integrations of SOOS, enhancing workflow without hindering developer efficiency.
Users appreciate the easy integrations of SOOS, enhancing workflow without hindering development processes.
Users find the easy setup of SOOS intuitive, enabling quick integration and effective use with minimal effort.

Cons

Users express concern over the lack of guidance in documentation and actionable recommendations for vulnerability remediation.
Users highlight poor reporting in SOOS, seeking better filtering and display options for vulnerability analysis.
Users find the dashboard issues frustrating, as richer reporting and filtering options are lacking.
Users note the need for inadequate reporting features, highlighting a lack of customization and richer options for analysis.
Users find SOOS to be lacking features, particularly in reporting and user interface intuitiveness.

What Are Recent G2 Reviews of SOOS?

"Reliable continuous security assessment for our pipelines"

Rating: 4.0/5.0 stars

— Brallan G.

Best Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) Software - Page 3

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