🔄 SAST vs DAST: Side by Side

The most important thing to understand is that SAST and DAST are complementary, not competing. They find different types of vulnerabilities at different stages. Using only one leaves gaps that attackers can exploit. Professional security teams always use both.

💡 Real-World Example: How Microsoft Uses Both

Microsoft's Security Development Lifecycle (SDL) requires both SAST and DAST for every product. During coding, SAST tools integrated into Visual Studio scan every line as developers type. Before each release, DAST tools scan the running application from the outside. This dual approach helped Microsoft reduce the number of vulnerabilities in Windows by over 50% after introducing the SDL. Google, Amazon, and Facebook follow similar practices — no major tech company relies on only one approach.