What are the Two Phases of DAST?

Scanning and Analysis are the two primary phases of Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST).

Scanning Phase: In this comprehensive phase, the DAST tool or tester thoroughly traverses the entire application, leaving no stone unturned in identifying all possible entry points, such as URLs, forms, and APIs. This phase meticulously maps out the application's structure and functionalities, creating a comprehensive baseline for testing. The tool sends various inputs, including malicious ones, to these entry points to see how the application responds.

Analysis Phase: After gathering data from the scanning phase, the DAST tool or tester analyzes the responses to identify potential vulnerabilities. This phase involves evaluating the application's behavior against expected results and checking for issues like SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and authentication flaws. The findings are then compiled into a report, highlighting the vulnerabilities and their potential impact.