chatGPT answer:
SAST, DAST, and SCA are all different approaches to application security testing:
- SAST (Static Application Security Testing) - SAST involves analyzing the source code of an application without actually executing it. SAST tools scan the source code for potential security vulnerabilities such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and buffer overflows. SAST is often used during the development process to catch security issues early on.
- DAST (Dynamic Application Security Testing) - DAST involves testing an application in a running state to identify potential security vulnerabilities. DAST tools simulate real-world attacks and analyze the application's responses to these attacks. This approach helps to identify vulnerabilities that may not be apparent from the source code alone, such as misconfigurations and authentication weaknesses.
- SCA (Software Composition Analysis) - SCA involves analyzing third-party components and libraries used in an application to identify potential security vulnerabilities. SCA tools examine the open-source libraries and other third-party components used in an application for known vulnerabilities and alert developers if any issues are found. This approach helps to ensure that known vulnerabilities in third-party components are not introduced into the application.
In summary, SAST analyzes source code, DAST tests running applications, and SCA examines third-party components used in an application for known vulnerabilities. Each approach has its strengths and weaknesses, and it's often recommended to use a combination of these approaches to provide a comprehensive application security testing strategy.