Interactive Application Security Testing
LOW MODERATE HIGHRequirements NIST SOURCE
Require the developer of the system, system component, or system service to employ interactive application security testing tools to identify flaws and document the results.
Discussion (NIST Supplemental Guidance)
Interactive (also known as instrumentation-based) application security testing is a method of detecting vulnerabilities by observing applications as they run during testing. The use of instrumentation relies on direct measurements of the actual running applications and uses access to the code, user interaction, libraries, frameworks, backend connections, and configurations to directly measure control effectiveness. When combined with analysis techniques, interactive application security testing can identify a broad range of potential vulnerabilities and confirm control effectiveness. Instrumentation-based testing works in real time and can be used continuously throughout the system development life cycle.
Implementation Guidance
Original engineering commentary written for this explorer — not NIST source text and not authoritative guidance.
No engineering interpretation has been authored for SA-11(9) yet. This section is architected to receive it — see the Requirements and Assessment sections above for the authoritative NIST source content in the meantime.
Assessment
Assessment Objectives
- the developer of the system, system component, or system service is required to employ interactive application security testing tools to identify flaws;
- the developer of the system, system component, or system service is required to document the results of flaw identification.
Examine
[SELECT FROM: System and services acquisition policy; procedures addressing system developer security testing; procedures addressing interactive application security testing; solicitation documentation; acquisition documentation; service level agreements; acquisition contracts for the system, system component, or system service; system developer security test and evaluation plans; security test and evaluation results; security flaw and remediation tracking reports; system security plan; other relevant documents or records].
Interview
[SELECT FROM: Organizational personnel with system and service acquisition responsibilities; organizational personnel with information security responsibilities; organizational personnel with developer security testing responsibilities; organizational personnel with configuration management responsibilities; system developers].
Test
[SELECT FROM: Organizational processes for interactive application security testing; mechanisms supporting and/or implementing interactive application security testing].
Overlays
STIGs & CCIs
No STIG checks or CCI mappings are currently loaded for SA-11(9). This section is architected to display, per product: STIG ID, Finding ID, Severity, Title, Description, Check, Fix, CCI, and NIST control mapping — but nothing is populated here until a real DISA STIG/CCI dataset is ingested.
Learn more about STIG/CCI integration →Evidence
Categorized from the SP 800-53A "Examine"/"Test" artifact list above by keyword — not an authoritative NIST evidence list.
Policy
- System and services acquisition policy
- system security plan
Testing
- Organizational processes for interactive application security testing
- mechanisms supporting and/or implementing interactive application security testing
Other Records
- procedures addressing system developer security testing
- procedures addressing interactive application security testing
- solicitation documentation
- acquisition documentation
- service level agreements
- acquisition contracts for the system, system component, or system service
- system developer security test and evaluation plans
- security test and evaluation results
- security flaw and remediation tracking reports
- other relevant documents or records