The DAST-first mindset: A CISO’s perspective

CISO’S CORNER  It hardly needs repeating that applications are moving through development pipelines faster than ever. Microservices, APIs, containerization, and CI/CD have transformed how software is built and deployed, but they’ve also expanded the attack surface dramatically. Security leaders are under pressure to manage risk without slowing innovation. As CISOs, we need to be pragmatic, strategic, and aligned with the pace of the business. That’s where a DAST-first mindset comes into play.

Why start with DAST?

Dynamic application security testing (DAST) examines applications in their running state. Unlike static analysis or dependency scanning, DAST doesn’t analyze code in isolation but evaluates how the application behaves in real time, much like an attacker would. This approach provides something every security leader values: clarity. When you run a good DAST tool, you’re not just identifying potential vulnerabilities. You’re finding exploitable vulnerabilities that threat actors could actually leverage to compromise your systems and data. That’s a critical distinction when you’re managing risk at the enterprise level.

DAST isn’t a late-stage application security control. It’s where the conversation about real-world risk should begin.

DAST gives direct visibility into what’s exposed and exploitable, not just in theory but in practice. It helps us separate the signal from the noise. Security teams today are overwhelmed by alerts from a growing stack of tools—SAST, SCA, CSPM, IaC scanning, and more. Each tool serves its purpose, but when you’re facing thousands of findings, most of which will never become incidents, prioritization becomes key. DAST helps cut through that clutter by identifying issues that are actually reachable and impactful in real-world environments.

Risk clarity and operational efficiency for the business

The business case for taking a DAST-first view is also compelling. First, it helps align remediation efforts with actual risk. Developers want to code, not chase elusive security reports, so they are more likely to act on a vulnerability when it’s shown to be exploitable, especially when tied to specific user flows or application functionality. That translates into faster remediation times and more secure code in production.

What’s more, DAST also operates where the business operates—in staging, pre-prod, and even production environments. This runtime-centric view means security isn’t confined to the development stage but integrated throughout the application lifecycle.

Aligning with compliance and risk frameworks

From a compliance standpoint, DAST supports a wide range of frameworks and controls. In the context of NIST SP 800-171 and 800-53B, DAST directly supports requirements for continuous vulnerability monitoring and security testing of systems that handle Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). It also aligns with CMMC 2.0 practices related to risk management and proactive vulnerability discovery. For organizations operating under the guidance of DISA STIGs or NSA recommendations, DAST complements hardening efforts by validating whether expected security controls are holding up in runtime.

Breaking the myth that DAST is only post-deployment

One of the common criticisms of DAST in years past was that it came too late in the testing process. That argument simply doesn’t hold anymore. Modern DAST platforms have evolved significantly. They’re now capable of testing APIs, handling authenticated sessions, and integrating into CI/CD pipelines, not to mention the ability to perform in-line scanning or even scan containerized environments early in the development process. In short, they can shift left just like SAST and SCA—but they also shift right, providing continuous validation once code is deployed. That bi-directional coverage is critical for organizations embracing DevSecOps.

Five key steps for a risk-based, DAST-first strategy

For CISOs evaluating a DAST-first approach, the goal isn’t to replace existing security tools but to prioritize what matters most. Taking a runtime-first perspective allows us to identify real exposure rather than theoretical weaknesses. It helps us communicate risk to the board in more tangible terms and demonstrate to auditors and regulators that we’re not just checking boxes but actively reducing our attack surface and improving our security posture year on year. 

Here are five key recommendations for security leaders looking to pivot to a DAST-first model:

1. Integrate DAST into your DevOps toolchain to make it part of every release cycle, not just pen testing after the fact.
2. Tune DAST for your architecture to ensure it can scan your APIs, SPAs, microservices, and cloud workloads.
3. Use DAST findings to prioritize risk by feeding real exploitable issues into your risk register and vulnerability management process.
4. Leverage DAST as a continuous monitoring control by using it for post-deployment validation and to support zero trust efforts by testing attack paths regularly.
5. Educate development teams and share DAST results in a way that developers can act on quickly—context, severity, and remediation guidance matter.

Final thoughts

Adopting a DAST-first mindset lets us be factual about where threats originate and how attackers operate. It’s about focusing our limited time and resources on the vulnerabilities that present real business risk and aligning security more closely with how modern applications are built and delivered. From my own vantage point as a CISO, DAST doesn’t just serve as another tool in the security stack—it becomes a strategic capability, enabling security to move at the speed of development while maintaining visibility, control, and assurance.

For security leaders who are serious about reducing exposure, meeting compliance requirements, and enabling resilient innovation, DAST isn’t a late-stage control. It’s where the conversation about real-world risk should begin.