Welcome back to my in-depth and fun blog! Today, we are going to dive deep into the world of Stackhawk. If you haven't already heard of it, StackHawk is a B2B SaaS product that helps teams ship secure software faster and eliminate disruptive fix processes. It's like having a hawk's eye on your code, hunting down any security vulnerabilities before they have a chance to cause trouble. So, let's spread our wings and explore StackHawk!
StackHawk Review: What is StackHawk?
At its core, StackHawk is a modern Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) and API security testing tool. It runs in CI/CD, which means it seamlessly integrates into your development workflow. With StackHawk, developers can quickly find, triage, and fix security issues before they hit production. It's like having a security guard on duty 24/7, ensuring that your code is safe and secure.
StackHawk Review: How can it be used?
StackHawk can be used in various ways depending on your needs. Whether you're a developer, a DevOps engineer, or an application security professional, StackHawk has got you covered. Here are just a few examples of how StackHawk can be used:
- Automate Application Security Testing in CI/CD Workflows: StackHawk seamlessly integrates into your CI/CD workflows, allowing you to automate security testing and catch vulnerabilities early in the development process.
- Test Early, Test Often, Deliver Secure Applications: With StackHawk, you can test your applications and APIs early and often, ensuring that you deliver secure software to your users.
- Application Security at the Speed of DevOps: StackHawk understands the need for speed in the world of DevOps. That's why it provides application security solutions that keep up with the pace of your development process.
- Ship Secure APIs with Automated Testing in CI/CD: APIs play a crucial role in modern software development. StackHawk helps you ship secure APIs by providing automated testing in your CI/CD pipeline.
- Scale Application Security Through Engineering: StackHawk believes that application security should be a collaborative effort. That's why it focuses on scaling application security through engineering, empowering developers to take ownership of security.
- Testing for OWASP Top 10, Automated in CI/CD: The OWASP Top 10 is a well-known list of the most critical security risks for web applications. StackHawk automates the testing for these vulnerabilities in your CI/CD pipeline, ensuring that you stay ahead of the game.
- Check for GraphQL Vulnerabilities on Every Pull Request: GraphQL has gained popularity in recent years, but it also comes with its own set of security challenges. StackHawk helps you check for GraphQL vulnerabilities on every pull request, giving you peace of mind.
- Keep Your gRPC Services Secure with Automated Security Testing: gRPC is a high-performance, open-source framework for building remote procedure call (RPC) APIs. StackHawk provides automated security testing for your gRPC services, keeping them secure.
StackHawk Review: Who is it for?
StackHawk is designed to meet the needs of various user profiles and industries. Here are some of the user segments that can benefit from StackHawk:
- Developers: StackHawk empowers developers to take ownership of application security, providing them with the tools they need to find and fix vulnerabilities.
- DevOps Engineers: StackHawk understands the importance of seamless integration into CI/CD workflows. DevOps engineers can rely on StackHawk to automate security testing and ensure secure software delivery.
- Application Security Professionals: For application security professionals, StackHawk provides a comprehensive platform to identify, investigate, and triage security bugs in one place.
StackHawk Features
Now that we understand what StackHawk is and who it's for, let's take a closer look at some of its key features:
- Automated Security Testing: StackHawk automates security testing in your CI/CD workflows, catching vulnerabilities early and reducing the time it takes to fix them.
- Complete API Coverage: StackHawk provides customized API security testing, ensuring complete and accurate coverage across REST, GraphQL, gRPC, and SOAP APIs.
- Integration with Popular Developer Tools: StackHawk seamlessly integrates with popular developer tools like GitHub, Jira, AWS, and more, making it easy to incorporate security testing into your existing workflows.
- Real-Time Results and Alerts: StackHawk streamlines security testing results in real-time, providing faster alerts and enabling quicker fixes.
- Fine-Tune Scanning: StackHawk allows you to fine-tune scanning across your technology stack, helping you identify and prioritize actionable insights.
StackHawk Plans
If you want to know more about the pricing plans offered by StackHawk, I've written a more in-depth review about it on my blog at stackhawk pricing. Feel free to check it out!
StackHawk Alternatives
- Netsparker
Netsparker is a comprehensive web application security solution that offers automated vulnerability scanning and exploitation. Its unique selling point is the Proof-Based Scanning technology that can effectively verify vulnerabilities, thereby reducing false positives. This feature is particularly beneficial for users as it saves time and minimizes the resources spent on addressing non-existent threats.
Netsparker is designed to be user-friendly and thorough. It not only identifies vulnerabilities but also provides detailed information about each one of them, including potential impacts and recommendations for fixes. This makes it an excellent option for organizations that lack extensive security expertise but still want to maintain robust web application security.
In addition to its core features, Netsparker also offers a range of integrations with popular issue tracking and CI/CD tools, thereby facilitating a smooth workflow. However, it's essential to note that while Netsparker is a powerful tool, it might be overkill for smaller businesses or teams with simpler web applications.
Veracode
Veracode is another major player in the application security market. It provides an end-to-end application security solution, making it a one-stop-shop for all your application security needs. Veracode's platform offers automated, on-demand, application security testing tools that can identify and fix security vulnerabilities at every phase of the development lifecycle.
One of the main advantages of Veracode is its ability to facilitate seamless integration into the development process. It supports a wide variety of programming languages and frameworks, making it a versatile tool for diverse development teams. Veracode's solution also includes features for security program management, threat modeling, and developer training, making it a comprehensive security solution.
However, while Veracode is powerful, it can be complex and may take time to fully understand and utilize effectively. It's ideally suited for larger organizations or teams with a dedicated security function.
Checkmarx
Checkmarx is a software security solution designed to help developers write more secure code. It offers integrated security testing that can identify vulnerabilities in the most prevalent coding languages. This makes Checkmarx an excellent choice for development teams looking to incorporate security into their development process from the start.
Checkmarx stands out for its focus on the developer experience. It provides detailed explanations of identified vulnerabilities, offers remediation advice, and integrates directly into the developer's IDE. This makes it easy for developers to understand and address identified issues without having to switch contexts.
Checkmarx also includes support for a wide range of programming languages and frameworks, making it a versatile tool for various development teams. However, it's important to note that while Checkmarx is a powerful tool, it requires a commitment to security and a willingness to incorporate its insights into the development process.
StackHawk Review: Pros & Cons
Like any product, StackHawk has its pros and cons. Here are a few points to consider:
Pros:
- Seamless integration with CI/CD workflows
- Comprehensive API security testing
- Real-time results and alerts
- Customizable scanning options
Cons:
- Pricing plans may not be suitable for all budgets
- Limited availability of certain features in specific regions
Conclusion
In conclusion, StackHawk is a powerful tool that can help teams ship secure software faster and eliminate disruptive fix processes. With its automated security testing, seamless integration into CI/CD workflows, and comprehensive API coverage, StackHawk is a valuable asset for developers, DevOps engineers, and application security professionals. If you're looking to supercharge your application security and ship secure code at scale, StackHawk is definitely worth considering.
I hope you found this in-depth review of StackHawk helpful! If you'd like to read more in-depth and interesting reviews of other saas blog. Happy reading!
