Backslash vs.
Traditional SCA and SAST

The intersection of Static Application Security Testing (SAST) and Software Composition Analysis (SCA) plays a pivotal role. Let's explore and compare SCA and SAST tools with the distinctive features of Backslash.

SAST

Static Application Security Testing (SAST) is a software testing methodology that analyzes the code of an application to detect security vulnerabilities without executing the program.

SCA

Software Composition Analysis (SCA) is a security practice that involves inspecting the open-source components used in a software application for potential security vulnerabilities.

Combination of SCA
and SAST

There is an industry consensus today that both SCA and SAST are necessary for effectively securing applications. SAST is most useful in finding code vulnerabilities, while SCA is effective for analyzing the open-source software your organization leverages, along with its dependencies.

The challenge arises from the outdated nature of the main SAST and SCA tools, as they flag an overwhelming number of vulnerabilities, rendering it impractical to address. This results in developers spending minimal time reviewing them, leading to a widening security gap that continues to grow.

Backslash approach

While SAST is sometimes seen as a checkbox compliance feature with minimal ROI, at Backslash, we believe that combining SCA and SAST is a harmonious blend where 1 + 1 equals 3. This approach maximizes the impact of both techniques, offering a comprehensive and synergistic security solution that transcends individual capabilities.

Backslash was built with security in mind! We excel in both SAST and SCA, providing 100% reachability coverage by analyzing both direct and transitive packages. Unlike tools focusing only on direct packages (representing just 11% of packages), Backslash prioritizes reachable vulnerabilities in both direct and indirect packages, bolstered by VEX and SBOM features, positioning it as a top-tier SCA solution.

Moreover, Backslash identifies exploitable external reachability, enhancing precision by prioritizing SAST vulnerabilities reachable from the internet. Leveraging source-to-sink flow analysis and application architecture context, Backslash effectively prioritizes exploitable code vulnerabilities.

Benefits

Let’s see a detailed comparison of the differences between Backslash and Orchestration solutions:
SCA/SAST Vendors
Noise Reduction & Prioritization Reduce vulnerabilities by 100X.  Prioritize based on finding the actual attack paths to reachable code. Rather than drowning in 1000 issues, our tech slashes it down to the vital 80. The lack of contextual understanding and clear severity levels inundate developers with large amounts of unnecessary alerts.
Security Built with security in mind! By focusing on reachable vulnerabilities, coupled with advanced features like VEX and SBOM. Backslash enables security teams to minimize the risk of security breaches. With limited context and visibility, resulting  in overlooking critical vulnerabilities, impacting the team's ability to address potential security risks comprehensively.
Accuracy Accurately detect both reachable and externally reachable packages, providing a comprehensive assessment of potential vulnerabilities and ensuring a robust security posture. Displaying a large number of inaccurate vulnerabilities but missing the full context of the attack path.
Visibility Get a clear visibility on your environment risk posture and prioritize accordingly. By inundating with vulnerabilities, it lacks the visibility needed for effective threat assessment and prioritization.
Remediation Supporting shift left by pinpointing the vulnerable code to its developper with clear recommendations. Disrupt productivity with unnecessary
remediation requests.
Compliance Stay compliant and easily report with VEX and
SBOM capabilities.
Compliance frameworks are limited, making it challenging to align with regulatory standards effectively

Noise Reduction & Prioritization

Reduce vulnerabilities by 100X. Prioritize based on finding the actual attack paths to reachable code. Rather than drowning in 1000 issues, our tech slashes it down to the vital 80.

Security

Built with security in mind! By focusing on reachable vulnerabilities, coupled with advanced features like VEX and SBOM. Backslash enables security teams to minimize the risk of security breaches.

Accuracy

Accurately detect both reachable and externally reachable packages, providing a comprehensive assessment of potential vulnerabilities and ensuring a robust security posture.

Visibility

Get a clear visibility on your environment risk posture and prioritize accordingly.

Remediation

Supporting shift left by pinpointing the vulnerable code to its developper with clear recommendations.

Compliance

Stay compliant and easily report with VEX and SBOM capabilities.

SCA/SAST Vendors

Noise Reduction & Prioritization

The lack of contextual understanding and clear severity levels inundate developers with large amounts of unnecessary alerts.

Security

With limited context and visibility, resulting in overlooking critical vulnerabilities, impacting the team's ability to address potential security risks comprehensively.

Accuracy

Displaying a large number of inaccurate vulnerabilities but missing the full context of the attack path.

Visibility

By inundating with vulnerabilities, it lacks the visibility needed for effective threat assessment and prioritization.

Remediation

Disrupt productivity with unnecessary remediation requests.

Compliance

Compliance frameworks are limited, making it challenging to align with regulatory standards effectively

Tailored experience

SCA

Many SCA tools pose challenges for Appsec teams by offering limited visibility into the complete software supply chain. This may result in overlooking critical vulnerabilities in open-source components, impacting the team's ability to address potential security risks comprehensively.

SAST

The inundation of alerts from SAST, make it difficult for security teams to discern real threats from noise. The lack of precision in identifying exploitable vulnerabilities impacts the team's efficiency in addressing genuine security risks but also contributes to discord between development and security teams. 

Backslash

Backslash offers a superior security experience for application security teams. With robust capabilities in both SAST and SCA, Backslash focus on reachable vulnerabilities, coupled with advanced features like VEX and SBOM. This allows Appsec teams to gain control, leveraging their skills effectively to prioritize potential threats. Efficiently navigate security challenges, minimizing the risk of breaches.

SCA

SCA tools typically do not consider risks beyond known vulnerabilities. Without context, engineers spend countless hours each month triaging vulnerabilities based on CVSS scores. These tools lack the capability to thoroughly analyze both direct and transitive dependencies, resulting in losing dev teams trust.

SAST

SAST tools produce extensive reports, leading to confusion and frustration. Developers find it challenging to prioritize and address actual vulnerabilities amidst the noise, slowing down the development process. This often leads to dev teams overlooking results and potentially compromising security measures.

Backslash

By providing 100% reachability coverage and prioritizing vulnerabilities in both direct and indirect packages, Backslash minimizes critical alerts, enabling development teams to focus. Unlike typical vendors, Backslash doesn't add another dashboard for Dev Teams; instead, it promises developers 10X fewer security tickets, each accompanied by clear evidence.

SCA

Inadequate coverage and precision in identifying vulnerabilities within the software supply chain may compromise the accuracy of risk assessments. This lack of robust analysis could impact management's ability to make informed decisions about resource allocation, potentially jeopardizing the organization's security posture and regulatory compliance.

SAST

SAST tools often lack the capability to discern critical vulnerabilities from less impactful ones, resulting in a skewed assessment of security posture. This hampers visibility, and does not enable the management team to take informed decisions on resource allocation and risk mitigation.

Backslash

Backslash bridges the gap left by outdated tools, ensuring a more accurate and efficient security posture. Its focus on advanced features aligns with strategic security goals and provides the visibility management needs.

FOR APPSEC TEAMS
FOR DEV TEAMS
FOR MANAGEMENT TEAMS

Backslash offers organizations a robust and proactive security solution, addressing the specific challenges faced by application security, development, and management teams. With its advanced features and comprehensive approach, Backslash is a top-tier security solution for organizations aiming to fortify their applications against evolving threats. See it in action now!