Applus+ sees 50% boost in scan coverage with Invicti
“The Invicti team worked closely with us to understand our specific security needs and challenges for scanning web applications and APIs. We’ve maintained regular communication with them to continually fine-tune the solution. Invicti has acted as a valuable advisor, helping us align our application security strategy with broader industry best practices and emerging threats.”
—Vladlena Trayno, Cybersecurity Manager at Applus+
Applus+, one of the global leaders in the Testing, Inspection, and Certification (TIC) sector, knew they needed a new web application security (AppSec) and API security vendor when their environment became overly complex. Because they operate in several data-heavy industries—automotive, construction, aerospace, oil and gas, and more—Applus+ must consistently ensure that they meet safety, quality, functionality, and regulatory compliance requirements for their customers and employees in over 70 countries.
The Applus+ team can’t skimp on security: it’s critical for several of their operational needs, including securing sensitive client data, safeguarding intellectual property, and protecting their 26,000-plus global workforce. Applus+ must ensure that it strengthens its reputation at every turn by maintaining strict regulatory requirements in each of their industries, which isn’t easy to achieve without a comprehensive, accurate, and consistent security solution like Invicti. .
Searching for a speedier vulnerability scanner with comprehensive coverage
When Applus+ set out to refresh their security strategy, they knew one of the most significant issues to tackle was the complexity of their attack surface. The organization has many web applications and integrations to manage throughout their software development lifecycle (SDLC), which poses a challenge when securing vast, dynamic attack surfaces. They needed a way to keep track of all of their assets and the potential associated vulnerabilities or misconfigurations they carried while also enabling deeper digital transformations for their services and operations.
“We faced significant challenges in maintaining robust security across our numerous web applications due to limited resources. Specifically, we struggled to perform frequent Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) scans on our web apps. Recognizing the critical nature of this issue, we made the strategic decision to invest in Acunetix by Invicti.”
Swapping a subpar AppSec tool for Acunetix by Invicti
The Applus+ team had an application security solution prior to switching to Invicti, but the daily struggles piled up quickly. They lacked continuous penetration testing capabilities and suffered from undetected vulnerabilities. Additionally, the team had resource limitations that were prohibiting them from performing frequent DAST scans on their web applications and deeply integrating security into their workflows.
“We already had an Application Security solution in place, but we faced significant challenges in maintaining robust security across our numerous web applications. Our existing solution had limitations such as lack of continuous penetration testing capabilities, accuracy concerns, and resource constraints.”
When selecting Acunetix by Invicti for their security needs, Applus+ was drawn to Invicti’s comprehensive coverage and key benefits that would help them overcome these challenges. The accuracy, speed, and automation of Invicti’s DAST solution stood out, with more dependable, real-world results that enabled their team to reduce false positives. Ultimately, Applus+ was drawn to the scalability and reliability of Invicti’s products, both of which are critical for resource optimization as their organization grows.
Full-coverage web application security testing with 30% fewer false positives
With Acunetix by Invicti in place and working in their existing DevSecOps and DevOps processes, Applus+ has been able to increase the number of scans they complete, providing more comprehensive coverage in their application security program. More precise scan results from Invicti, coupled with a 30% reduction in false positives from Invicti’s Proof-Based Scanning, have drastically improved their efficiency, as false positives and inaccurate results were previously slowing the team down.
“We can now scan a larger number of web applications more frequently, ensuring broader and more consistent security coverage. Having a unified application security platform is crucial, as it allows us to optimize our resources and focus on what truly matters most.”
In addition to reducing false positives, Applus+ has been able to use Invicti’s unified security platform to boost DAST scan coverage by 50% for more complete security across their entire digital environment. This not only improved their security posture across all of their assets, but also the reliability and accuracy of Invicti’s security testing tools meant they were able to improve efficiency by reallocating 20% of the security team’s time and resources to other strategic initiatives.
A more secure future and fewer vulnerabilities with Invicti DAST
Heading into the future with Invicti, Applus+ is much more confident in its ability to maintain a proactive stance on web application security and API security, efficiently distributing resources throughout the security and development process. It’s easier than ever to identify security vulnerabilities with accuracy through DAST and boost scan speeds as needed, setting the team up for success as their needs scale and change.
“DAST has proven to be a critical component of our company’s security success. As an organization with a large and growing web application footprint, we’ve recognized the vital importance of comprehensive dynamic testing to identify and address vulnerabilities.”
Investing in Invicti’s application security platform aligns with the focus Applus+ has on maintaining a robust AppSec posture that secures their web apps and APIs, keeping data and information safe and maintaining client trust. That confidence will prove critical in 2025 and beyond as Applus+ expands its digital footprint.
“By implementing this AppSec solution, we’re taking proactive steps to mitigate these risks and maintain the high level of security our clients expect from a global leader in the TIC sector. This investment demonstrates our commitment to continuous improvement in our security practices and our dedication to protecting our clients’ interests.”
In the coming months, the Applus+ team will utilize Invicti’s security solutions as they continue focusing on enhancing their vulnerability management capabilities to find and fix the most critical security issues first, and strengthening their development team with more automated, integrated security in their CI/CD pipelines. As they move forward, Invicti will be there every step of the way to help ensure Applus+ is implementing the proper controls and thwarting unauthorized access into web apps and APIs.
