Application security testing, or AST, is a crucial component of software development. It involves the use of techniques and tools to identify, analyze and mitigate potential vulnerabilities in an application. The goal of AST is to ensure that an application is robust enough to withstand any potential security threats and that it performs its intended functions without any compromises on its security.
Application security testing includes two main categories: static application security testing (SAST) and dynamic application security testing (DAST). SAST involves examining the source code of an application to identify potential vulnerabilities during the early stages of development.