SAST vs DAST vs SCA

SAST vs DAST vs SCA — What You Actually Need Every security team eventually reaches the same realization: choosing between SAST, DAST, and SCA feels like choosing between three equally important tools that all do different things. Because they do. And here's the uncomfortable truth that vendors try to downplay: you probably need all three. But before you throw up your hands and budget for three separate platforms, let's break down what each approach actually does, when it's useful, and what the false choices really are. SAST: Static Analysis Security Testing SAST tools analyze your source code without running it. They scan your codebase, build an abstract syntax tree, track data flow, and look for patterns that indicate security vulnerabilities. Think of SAST like a code reviewer with perfect memory and inhuman pattern recognition. The reviewer reads every line of code, tracks how data flows through your application, and flags suspicious patterns like untrusted input reaching a dangero