DAST vs Penetration Testing: Understanding the Difference

Businesses are facing more cyber threats than ever before – and businesses are increasing their cybersecurity spending by as much as 8% per year! It’s becoming more and more important to invest in cybersecurity testing to protect your infrastructure and data.

Both DAST (Dynamic Application Security Testing) and penetration testing help business operators to learn more about potential weaknesses in their systems. Crucially, both options help operators to make more informed decisions regarding ongoing protection, too.

In this guide, we will explore what both DAST and penetration testing offer in practice, and why both might be worth considering for your own security posture.

Understanding DAST and Penetration Testing

What is DAST?

DAST is automated security testing that mimics typical malicious attacks upon web applications. It does so blindly, and doesn’t need access to any internal code. DAST uses screening tools to automate threats and discover how applications respond.

DAST tools typically include dynamic testing platforms, misconfiguration scanners, and quickstart analyzers that you can customize to run automated, regular tests.

What is Penetration Testing?

Penetration testing is a manual security assessment where experts explore and exploit vulnerabilities within a client’s network and infrastructure. This is a human-led emulation of typical hacker strategies and activities.

Typical tools used by penetration testers include server scanners, injection detectors, network scanners, and password crackers.

Advantages of DAST

Let’s dive into some of the biggest benefits of using DAST for spotting and exploiting vulnerabilities.

Automated and Continuous Testing

Many business owners invest in DAST tools because there’s no need to schedule manual tests. They can simply adjust their tools’ settings and set them to scan and report whenever they need them to run.

No Need for Source Code Access

DAST tools typically work on a black box testing approach, which means they enter systems or make requests completely blindly. That means operators can run DAST without worrying about giving up their source code or sharing private data.

Real-time Application Testing

DAST is designed to run in real-time, meaning you can deploy tools and schedule tests to run in the background while a web application is live. That can give some application developers and business operators peace of mind that any weaknesses are found and reported on ASAP.

Fast and Scalable

Many DAST tools are highly scalable, meaning that businesses can adjust them as their infrastructures change. They are never “one size fits all” – meaning that, alongside running automated and scheduled requests, operators can change parameters at short notice.

They’re also remarkably efficient, meaning business owners who need quick answers regarding security worries never have to wait too long for a report.

Advantages of Penetration Testing

Penetration testing offers fantastic insights into vulnerabilities and potential threat vectors on a different level to DAST. Let’s explore some of the major benefits of pen testing in practice.

Real-World Attack Simulations

By carefully evaluating a client’s infrastructure and setting up a range of tools and potential attack points, penetration testers can safely and accurately mimic hacker actions. That means tests are “dry runs” of realistic attacks that business owners can learn from.

Manual Testing by Experts

Penetration testing is carried out by experts who understand the needs of clients and the context in which tests need to take place. Instead of leaving automation to handle the whole process, expert testers look carefully at results and decide to take certain actions.

What’s more, manual testing allows penetration testers to explore potential future threats and attack vectors by staying within systems for extended periods. This isn’t always possible with automated services.

Customizable and In-Depth

As customizable as DAST tools can be, penetration testing offers greater scalability and analysis – simply because testers can speak to clients to understand specific needs.

There are multiple types of penetration testing – such as web app and wireless testing – and different approaches that mimic real-world attacks.

In practice, for example, the VikingCloud team carefully works with clients to find methodologies and techniques that are likely to support their specific wants.

Thorough Reporting and Remediation Recommendations

Human testers and reports can build highly customizable reports and recommendations based around what they discuss with clients.

Instead of having to interpret and analyze reports themselves, clients can rely on testers to break down remediation recommendations in plain language.

Human testing also allows for a more thorough and customized approach to reporting.

Differences Between DAST and Penetration Testing

Let’s look closely at the differences between these two cybersecurity standards. The following areas are where the most differences arise:

Testing Focus

DAST primarily targets vulnerabilities that could be exploited by external attackers, without requiring access to the source code or underlying architecture.

Penetration testing takes a much broader and deeper approach, targeting the entire system architecture. The penetration tester will often look for weaknesses that could be used by an attacker to compromise the entire organization, both in terms of application vulnerabilities and broader system-level security issues.

Automation vs. Manual Effort

Deploying DAST tools typically takes less effort than penetration testing. However, they both serve different purposes, and can often complement each other.

For example, for continuous testing and reporting, DAST is recommended to leave running in the background. For deeper, more thorough and targeted testing, pen tester support is always recommended.

Depth of Testing

DAST is focused on surface-level security issues that are visible to external attackers. It identifies vulnerabilities that can be exploited in a live environment, such as insecure Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) or Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities.

Penetration testing can dive deeper into the application and infrastructure, testing not only the outward-facing vulnerabilities but also the internal systems, code logic, and more complex attack vectors.

Scope of Testing

DAST focuses primarily on vulnerabilities visible from an external perspective, testing only what is accessible via the internet or through user interactions with the system, often using a black-box approach.

Meanwhile, penetration testing adopts a more comprehensive approach, also examining internal vulnerabilities such as server misconfigurations, weak network defenses, and flaws in business logic that may be overlooked in DAST scans.

Cost and Time Considerations

The costs of using DAST tools can vary depending on the options you choose and to what extent you use them. Manipulating and analyzing DAST can take time out of you running a business, although they can be automated to scan for vulnerabilities.

Penetration testing is usually much slower to complete than DAST scanning because it’s more in-depth. Given there is no human intervention with DAST, and that it offers superfast reports, it’s usually chosen by businesses who want quick, reliable overviews. While DAST typically involves lower upfront costs, effective implementation may require expertise, and penetration testing’s higher costs are justified by its depth and expert insight.

DAST offers a cost-effective and quick solution. However, for more detailed, complex, and targeted testing, Penetration Testing offers deeper insights at a higher cost and longer timeline.

Reporting and Results

Although DAST reports can be detailed and provide extensive results, penetration testing benefits from human control.

Pen testing reports can be tailored to client needs and take into account context. Clients don’t have to analyze results themselves, and can simply listen to the advice of their testers.

Choosing Between DAST and Penetration Testing

When deciding between Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) and Penetration Testing, it’s important to understand how each method aligns with your organization’s security needs, goals, and resources. Both approaches are valuable, but they serve different purposes and offer unique benefits.

DAST focuses on identifying external vulnerabilities in web applications through automated, continuous scans, making it ideal for routine checks of publicly exposed systems. Penetration testing, on the other hand, offers a more comprehensive, manual approach, identifying both external and internal vulnerabilities, including complex issues like business logic flaws.

For the most effective ongoing protection against cyber threats, we highly recommend a blend of both options. However, you should arrange for in-depth pen testing at least once a year with leading penetration testing services.

Continuous security testing ensures you’re always protected against emerging threats – regardless of how intensive they might be.

If you’re considering penetration testing for the first time, reach out to the VikingCloud team today to learn more about the long-term benefits for your security.