Application security is no longer solely the responsibility of security teams. It has become a shared responsibility that must be embedded into every line of code written by developers. However, research from the  National Institute of Standards and Technology and the U.S. Department of Commerce found that the cost of fixing software vulnerabilities after an application reaches production can be up to 30 times higher than addressing them during the design and development phases. This finding highlights how delayed security practices not only increase cyberattack risks but also have a direct impact on operational costs and business performance.

At the same time, the use of open-source software and third-party libraries continues to grow in modern application development. Industry data indicates that most enterprise applications today rely heavily on open-source components, which can introduce hidden vulnerabilities if not continuously monitored.

This is where the DevSecOps paradigm plays a critical role in identifying risks early without slowing innovation. OpenText Fortify delivers an Application Security Testing platform that shifts security testing to the earliest stages of the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC), enabling organizations to dramatically reduce remediation costs while accelerating delivery cycles without compromising their security posture

Financial Losses Caused by Late Detection of Application Security Vulnerabilities

Before exploring the solution, it is important to understand just how costly the consequences of a reactive Application Security Testing approach can be. Application Security Testing is no longer merely a technical requirement. It is a business imperative. The longer a vulnerability goes undetected, the greater the cost required to fix it.

Research from the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) shows that the cost of fixing vulnerabilities discovered in the production phase can be up to 30 times more expensive than addressing them during the development stage. This is because organizations must absorb not only the technical remediation costs but also potential downtime, lost productivity, operational disruption, and the reputational damage that follows a security incident.

This risk is compounded by the fact that modern applications are heavily dependent on open-source libraries and third-party dependencies. When a vulnerability is found while code is still in the development stage, the technical context is still fresh, the complexity is already understood, and the necessary changes are isolated. When the same vulnerability is discovered in production, teams must relearn the entire context, map the impact across systems already in operation, coordinate across multiple teams, and execute a patching process that risks disrupting services actively being used by end users.

In ecosystems such as NPM, a single vulnerable library can propagate risk across thousands of applications that depend on it. When a vulnerability in one component is not promptly identified, the resulting domino effect can disrupt entire business services. For this reason, many organizations are beginning to shift their security approach from reactive to proactive through Application Security Testing that is integrated directly into the development process.

Understanding the Shift-Left Strategy with OpenText Fortify

The shift-left strategy is an approach that moves security activities to the earliest stages of the application development lifecycle. Instead of waiting until an application is completed before conducting security testing, security is integrated from the very beginning of the SDLC, starting when developers write their first lines of code.

While the concept may sound simple, successful implementation requires tooling that is deeply integrated into development workflows rather than standalone testing tools executed manually at the end of a sprint. OpenText Fortify is designed to support this approach by providing immediate feedback during the coding process.

Developers can identify potential vulnerabilities earlier, allowing issues to be addressed before they evolve into larger security risks. This approach provides several important advantages, including:

  • Significantly reducing remediation costs
  • Accelerating application development cycles
  • Minimizing the risk of vulnerabilities reaching production
  • Strengthening collaboration between development and security teams

With Fortify, developers do not need to leave their working environment to gain visibility into newly introduced vulnerabilities. Issues are identified while context is still available, fixed when remediation costs are lowest, and prevented from reaching production in the first place. By embedding security from the start, organizations can build a more mature DevSecOps culture without sacrificing application delivery speed.

OpenText Fortify’s Core Capabilities: Comprehensive Protection from SAST to MAST

OpenText Fortify delivers a comprehensive Application Security Testing approach through four complementary capability pillars: SAST, SCA, DAST, and MAST.

SAST

Static Application Security Testing (SAST) is a core capability of OpenText Fortify that analyzes source code without executing the application. This technology helps identify vulnerabilities during the coding stage, including application logic flaws, insecure coding practices, and authentication weaknesses.

Supporting more than 44 programming languages and over 350 frameworks, Fortify can accommodate diverse enterprise application development requirements and analyze virtually any modern codebase. What differentiates Fortify from previous-generation scanners is its ability to identify more than 1,524 vulnerability categories and over 200 types of exposed secrets.

SCA

Software Composition Analysis (SCA) focuses on examining open-source components and third-party dependencies used within applications. Fortify can identify vulnerable libraries, exposed secrets, and potential licensing risks hidden within dependency chains.

This capability is increasingly important as most modern applications are built using open-source components. In ecosystems where a single application may rely on hundreds of third-party libraries, SCA serves as a fundamental security layer that cannot be overlooked.

DAST

Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) identifies vulnerabilities while web applications are running by simulating attacks from an external perspective. Unlike SAST, DAST uncovers security weaknesses that only appear during runtime.

The combination of SAST and DAST provides broader testing coverage. SAST identifies vulnerabilities at the code level before deployment, while DAST validates the application’s security posture in real-world operational environments.

MAST

Mobile Application Security Testing (MAST) has become increasingly critical as mobile applications evolve into primary business channels across industries. While DAST focuses on web applications, MAST is specifically designed for mobile applications.

These approaches allow organizations to dynamically test application behavior and identify vulnerabilities that static analysis may miss. Fortify MAST performs dynamic security testing on running iOS and Android applications, identifying mobile-specific vulnerabilities such as insecure storage of sensitive data, unencrypted network communications, and weak authentication implementations.

By combining SAST, SCA, DAST, and MAST, OpenText Fortify delivers comprehensive protection across the entire application development lifecycle.

AI-Powered Automation and Platform Flexibility to Reduce Developer Workloads

One of the biggest challenges in Application Security Testing is the overwhelming number of alerts and false positives that developers must review. Organizations need mechanisms that simplify remediation efforts, prevent security scanners from creating large backlogs, and ensure development teams remain productive.

OpenText Fortify addresses these challenges through Fortify Remediation Aviator, an AI-powered technology that automatically provides code remediation recommendations. Developers no longer need to spend significant time manually interpreting scan results because the system helps prioritize vulnerabilities that pose genuine risk.

Another key advantage is its True Unified App + IaC Scanning capability. Within a single platform, Fortify can scan application source code, Docker containers, Kubernetes configurations, Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC), and serverless environments.

This unified approach enables organizations to maintain consistent security across both applications and cloud infrastructure. To support varying regulatory and compliance requirements, OpenText Fortify offers multiple deployment options:

  • SaaS melalui Fortify on Demand.
  • Private Hosted Cloud.
  • On-Premises atau Off-Cloud Environment.

This flexibility allows organizations to select the deployment model that best aligns with their security requirements and data residency policies.

Seamless Integration with Your Modern Enterprise CI/CD Ecosystem

One of the greatest concerns when introducing a new security tool into a development pipeline is the potential disruption to team productivity. Established workflows can be disrupted, developers may feel slowed down, and organizational resistance can emerge as an adoption barrier that ultimately weakens the security program as a whole.

OpenText Fortify is built on the philosophy that security should never come at the expense of productivity. Security implementation is often perceived as a hindrance to developer productivity; however, Fortify is designed to integrate directly with the tools development teams already use every day.

Fortify provides official plugins and integrations for the full range of CI/CD ecosystems used by enterprises today, including GitHub and GitHub Actions for teams running pull request-based workflows, GitLab CI/CD for integrated DevOps pipelines, Jenkins for established pipeline automation, Azure DevOps for organizations operating within the Microsoft ecosystem, VS Code and Eclipse for security feedback delivered directly at the IDE level before code is even committed, and Jira for ensuring that security findings are routed into the appropriate backlog and handled by the right team members.

With these integrations in place, Application Security Testing runs automatically within the CI/CD pipeline without requiring changes to existing workflows.

Developers can continue working with their preferred tools while security teams gain improved visibility into application risk. The result is a DevSecOps implementation that is more efficient, consistent, and scalable to meet enterprise-level demands.

Build Secure and Efficient Applications with Virtus Technology Indonesia

Application security can no longer be treated as a final-stage activity. Modern organizations require a DevSecOps approach that embeds security into every phase of development while maintaining operational efficiency.

OpenText Fortify helps organizations achieve this through a powerful combination of SAST, SCA, DAST, MAST, AI-powered remediation, and seamless integration with modern CI/CD ecosystems. With support for more than 44 programming languages, over 350 frameworks, and unified scanning for both applications and Infrastructure-as-Code, Fortify is an ideal choice for enterprises seeking to accelerate innovation without compromising security.

As part of CTI Group, Virtus Technology Indonesia is ready to help your organization develop a more effective DevSecOps strategy through OpenText Fortify solutions tailored to your business and regulatory requirements. Schedule a consultation with the  the Virtus team to begin implementing a DevSecOps approach from the earliest stages of development.

Author: Ervina Anggraini – Content Writer CTI Group