Ensuring the security of web applications remains a top priority for organizations worldwide. As cyber threats continue to evolve, leveraging robust security testing tools is crucial for identifying and mitigating vulnerabilities.
The Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) has curated a list of vulnerability scanning tools available in the market today to help you enhance your web application security. These tools are widely recognized and trusted by security professionals for their effectiveness and comprehensive features.
In this blog, we will explore the 6 best OWASP security testing tools of 2024, each offering unique capabilities.
Whether you are a seasoned security expert or a developer new to the field, these tools provide essential resources for maintaining a strong security posture.
Why should you follow OWASP?
OWASP provides comprehensive guidelines and best practices that help organizations identify and mitigate common security risks.
Its widely recognized OWASP Top 10 list highlights the most critical web application security vulnerabilities, serving as a foundational resource for addressing significant threats.
By leveraging the collective knowledge of a global community of security experts, OWASP offers invaluable resources, which enhance security practices.
Adopting OWASP guidelines ensures compliance with industry standards, improves the credibility of applications, and fosters a proactive approach to security by addressing potential issues early in the development process.
Security testing using OWASP standards is a structured and effective approach to assessing the security posture of web applications. OWASP provides a framework of guidelines, tools, and best practices that help you identify and mitigate vulnerabilities.
The 6 best OWASP security testing tools in 2024
Now let’s look at the best OWASP security testing tools in 2024 along with a detailed overview, features and pricing details.
1. Beagle Security
Beagle Security is an advanced automated penetration testing platform designed to identify vulnerabilities in web applications and APIs. It provides practical insights to help you address and fix these issues effectively.
Leveraging an AI-powered core, Beagle Security goes beyond the capabilities of other OWASP security testing tools in this list. It can manage complex login processes such as 2FA, magic links, and third-party logins.
With a supervised learning system for understanding the business logic of an application, Beagle Security’s AI engine ensures a comprehensive assessment of critical application functionalities.
By supplying information about your application’s tech stack—like the programming language, database, and framework—you can receive contextual reports with tailored recommendations that are easy for developers to implement. These reports include proof of exploitation and a detailed timeline of vulnerability discoveries.
Additionally, Beagle Security assists in meeting compliance requirements for standards like GDPR, HIPAA, and PCI DSS. This not only reduces the risk of penalties and reputational damage but also builds trust with customers and partners.
Key features of Beagle Security
Tailored LLM based recommendations to address security issues
Asset discovery
Security test complex web apps with login
Compliance reports - GDPR, HIPAA & PCI DSS
OWASP report for ISO & SOC 2 compliance
Test scheduling
DevSecOps integrations
Role-based access controls
SSO
Beagle Security pricing
Beagle Security pricing plans start at $99/month, billed annually. A 10-day free trial is available.
You can also check out an interactive demo or book a personalized demo of the Beagle Security platform.
2. ZAP
ZAP, short for Zed Attack Proxy, is a versatile, open-source web application security testing tool.
ZAP is highly regarded within the security community. Written in Java, it not only functions as a scanner but also doubles as a proxy interceptor, allowing for manual testing of web pages.
Key features of ZAP
Multi-platform compatibility
Support for authentication
AJAX spidering
ZAP pricing
ZAP is a free and open-source tool.
3. Burp Suite
Burp Suite, developed by PortSwigger, is a comprehensive web application security testing tool that has earned acclaim for its robust features and versatility in identifying vulnerabilities.
It is widely recognized for its flexibility in both automated and manual testing scenarios.
Burp Suite is used by security professionals, developers, and penetration testers to assess the security posture of web applications throughout the development lifecycle.
Key features of Burp Suite
Proxy server
Automated crawling and scanning
Detailed reporting
Burp Suite pricing
Pricing for Burp Suite Professional plan starts from $ 449/user/year. Dastardly from Burp Suite is a free, lightweight DAST scanner for your CI/CD pipeline that checks for 7 security issues.
4. SonarQube
SonarQube is a versatile open-source SAST tool that identifies vulnerabilities and assesses the overall source code quality of web applications. Despite being written in Java, SonarQube supports analysis of over 20 programming languages.
It seamlessly integrates with continuous integration tools like Jenkins, streamlining the incorporation of security checks into the development pipeline.
Issues detected by SonarQube are categorized with green indicating low-risk vulnerabilities and red highlighting more severe issues. Advanced users can access SonarQube through command-line interfaces, offering flexibility in how security assessments are conducted and managed.
Key features of SonarQube
DevOps integration
Set up analysis of pull requests
Supports quality tracking of code branches
Quality gate
SonarQube pricing
The pricing plans of SonarQube starts from $160 billed annually. There’s also a free community edition available.
5. W3af
W3af is a widely used web application security testing framework developed in Python. It offers comprehensive capabilities for identifying more than 200 types of security vulnerabilities in web applications, such as:
Blind SQL injection
Buffer overflow
Cross-site scripting (XSS)
Cross-site request forgery (CSRF)
Insecure configurations in Distributed Authoring and Versioning (DAV)
Utilizing W3af, testers can automate the detection of these vulnerabilities, helping to secure web applications against a broad spectrum of potential threats.
Key features of W3af
Authentication support
Ease of use
Flexible output options
W3af pricing
W3af is a free and open-source tool.
6. Kali Linux
Kali Linux is a specialized Linux distribution designed for penetration testing, digital forensics, and security auditing.
Developed and maintained by Offensive Security, Kali Linux is renowned for its comprehensive suite of tools that assist cybersecurity professionals, ethical hackers, and security researchers in testing and securing networks and applications.
Key features of Kali Linux
Customization and flexibility
Support for forensics and incident response
Regular updates and community support
Kali Linux pricing
Kali Linux is a free and open-source service.
Wrapping up
The landscape of OWASP testing tools continues to evolve, offering robust solutions for ensuring web application security. The 6 best OWASP testing tools stand out for their ability to comprehensively identify and address vulnerabilities, catering to a range of organizational needs and application types.
These tools are equipped with advanced scanning capabilities, supporting modern web technologies such as single-page applications (SPAs) and APIs, while providing extensive automation to facilitate continuous security assessment throughout the development lifecycle.
A key feature across these tools is their ability to integrate seamlessly with popular development and CI/CD platforms, ensuring that security testing is embedded within the software development process.
By leveraging these tools, you can enhance your security posture, ensure compliance, and build trust with your customers and stakeholders.
