Always look a gift horse in the mouth — check those teeth. There’s a rather intelligent saying in Spanish that has become a mantra for most enterprises, “lo que sale gratis sale MUY caro.” Loosely translated it comes out as, “if it’s free, then it’ll cost you.” And that in a nutshell is the whole commercial vs open-source security debacle summed up. In this article, we’re going to give you an inside look at the open-source market and what you, as a consumer, need to be aware of. Tech, currently, drives the heart of businesses and communication, and that is why understanding what paid options bring to the table is paramount when it comes to your security. From e-commerce platforms to mobile apps, the need for robust app security has never been more crucial.
Understanding App Security Testing Tools
Before we dive into the commercial vs. open-source debate, let’s get our foundations right. Let’s understand why security is such a big issue nowadays. App security testing tools are the unsung heroes of the software development world. They are responsible for identifying vulnerabilities and weaknesses in your applications, ensuring that your digital assets are resilient against cyber threats.
This, in a way, has always been the case. Since a bit started hooking up with another bit and information began to mingle, security has been an issue. Why? Because that communication between bit A and bit B is both sensitive as well as easy to hack. And, right now, that communication is full of interesting facts, and details, and tasty information. From financial data to personal details, to IPs, that back and forth between bits is a hacker’s buffet.
In our interconnected world, where cyberattacks are on the rise, having robust app security is a non-negotiable part of any digital infrastructure. Hackers are becoming more and more creative resilient and financially-backed. Right now, due to the payoff from a score – from an attack – which ranges into the million dollars – hackers have the best technology under their belt. And, they are no longer lone wolf individuals, but a collective of professionals similar to a business. With departments, payrolls, and scaling goals, and everything in between.
The commercial vs. open-source debate
Choosing the right app security testing tool can make a world of difference. Each option comes with its own set of benefits and limitations. And sometimes, depending on your business, and your industry, a free option might very well adapt to your overall needs. But, most of the time, it might be a hindrance.
Commercial App Security Testing Tools
Meet Bright Security
To begin, let’s explore the world of commercial app security testing tools. Bright Security, for instance, is a notable player in this field. We offer a suite of security testing solutions that cater to a wide range of applications, from web platforms to mobile apps. We’ve been in the field for ages, perfecting our products and making them accessible to all types of clients.
What distinguishes Bright Security and other comparable commercial solutions is their unwavering commitment to customer support, frequent updates, and a comprehensive set of features. In particular, they place a strong emphasis on API security, ensuring that your digital assets remain safeguarded and up to date.
Notable Features and Benefits
- Comprehensive Scanning: Commercial tools often provide extensive coverage, allowing you to scan for a wide range of vulnerabilities. Bright Security, for instance, supports automated scanning for OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities, ensuring you’re well-protected.
- Customization: These tools offer a high degree of customization. You can tailor your security tests to suit your application’s unique needs, a crucial feature for businesses with specific requirements.
- Support and Documentation: With commercial tools, you usually have access to excellent customer support and comprehensive documentation. This is a lifesaver when you run into issues or need guidance on using the tool effectively.
- Regular Updates: Commercial tools are proactive in addressing emerging threats. They provide timely updates and patches, ensuring your security protocols stay up to date.
And Bright Security isn’t the only player in this field. There is a smorgasbord of security products and brands out there.
What’s important to understand, when it comes to paid-commercial options, is that they have been built from the ground up as a product meant to turn a profit. That means it is in their best interest to create a product that works perfectly. Part of their profit goes back into the business — allowing them to evolve their software, poach team members from industry leaders, and basically create a platform whose aim is to not only help you secure your apps, but to become a viable financial brand.
Now, let’s turn the spotlight to open-source app security testing tools.
Exploring Open-Source App Security Testing Tools
Core Characteristics and Advantages of Open Source Security
Open-source security tools, like OWASP ZAP and Brakeman, operate on a different ethos. They are community-driven, built and maintained by volunteers, and come with their unique advantages.
- Cost-Efficiency: The most obvious benefit is that open-source tools are free. You can get top-notch security testing without shelling out a penny.
- Transparency: Open-source tools are transparent. You can dig into the source code, ensuring there are no hidden surprises or security loopholes.
- Community Support: These tools benefit from the wisdom of the crowd. The open-source community is a thriving hub of knowledge, and you can often find extensive documentation, forums, and user-contributed plugins.
- Endless Customization: If you’re a tinkerer, open-source tools offer endless possibilities for customization. You can adapt them to suit your unique requirements.
The issue with open-source products, not only when it comes to security but also apps, and coding, is the fact that they are NOT meant to turn a profit. They are created to help the community and give them much-needed assistance. They are altruistic in nature. Which is both a good thing as well as a curse. Why?
Because in their lack of continued funding, they find themselves in a precarious situation. They subsist on the support of the community. A community with different personalities and goals. This has brought a smorgasbord of issues to the table.
- Open-source products have been known to have errors that are never fixed.
- A great deal of them, upon deep scanning, have built-in backdoors — ways for community members to enter it once installed and linked to a platform.
- They lack continual updates.
Limitations and Effectiveness
Other limitations include
- Resource-Intensive: They can be resource-intensive, requiring a steep learning curve and time investment to set up and maintain.
- Limited Support: While community support is abundant, it may not be as responsive or dedicated as the support you’d get with a commercial tool.
- Updates Vary: The pace of updates can vary in open source, and you might not always get the timely patches needed to protect against the latest threats.
Commercial vs Open-Source App Security Testing Tools
Now that we’ve taken a closer look at both sides of the coin — let’s compare commercial and open-source app security testing tools directly. And understand some of the reasons why you might settle for one option or the other.
The Price Factor
Commercial Tools come with a price tag — with different price tags at that. This can be a huge drawback for smaller businesses or startups. Still, the investment comes with a powerful support team and regular updates.
Open Source Tools: Free is great, especially for budget-conscious projects. However, the hidden cost lies in the time and resources required for setting up and maintaining these tools. Not only that, but in most cases what you really get when it comes to “free” is a basic model of the security apparatus — any add ons, widgets, customisations – any of the really cool stuff – has to be paid.
Customization
Commercial Tools: A high degree of customization is often available, enabling you to adapt the tool to your specific needs. But those customizations have a limit. Why? Because the developers don’t trust you to muck it up. They’ve gone through all iterations and understand what you really need, and what you can do without. They don’t want you to “jailbreak” your security apparatus.
Open Source Tools: The sky’s the limit when it comes to customization. You can craft your solution exactly as you like.
Support and Documentation
Commercial Tools: They usually provide dedicated support, ensuring you can quickly resolve issues or get guidance when needed. All you need to do is call them up and they are there to help you out.
Open Source Tools: While community support is strong, it might not be as focused or rapid as commercial support. They have other things to do. You get, at the end of the day, what you paid for. It’s as simple as that.
Updates and Security
Commercial Tools: Hackers are often finding new ways to get over barriers. In the security world you know there is no such thing as an impenetrable firewall — they will find a way. You just bought yourself some time. Regular updates and patches are part of the package, keeping you well-protected against the latest threats.
Open Source Tools: The pace of updates can vary, and it might require more vigilance on your part to stay secure.
The choice between commercial and open-source app security testing tools ultimately depends on your project’s unique requirements, your budget, and your team’s capabilities. It mostly depends on what information you are trying to keep under wraps — what you are trying to protect. If anything in your vaults might come back to haunt you, either financially or branding-wise, we wholeheartedly recommend going with a paid security option. After all, the security of your digital assets is too important to be left to chance.
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