This CCSP practice question tests your understanding of cloud application security. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A development team is migrating a legacy application to the cloud. Which security testing approach should be adopted early in the CI/CD pipeline to catch vulnerabilities as code is written?
Dynamic application security testing (DAST)
Why wrong: DAST tests running applications, not early.
Penetration testing
Why wrong: Penetration testing is typically done later.
Runtime application self-protection (RASP)
Why wrong: RASP protects at runtime, not during development.
Static application security testing (SAST)
SAST scans source code early in the pipeline.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Static application security testing (SAST)
Static application security testing (SAST) analyzes source code, bytecode, or binary code without executing the application, making it ideal for integration early in the CI/CD pipeline to catch vulnerabilities like SQL injection, buffer overflows, and XSS as code is written. This 'white-box' approach provides immediate feedback to developers, aligning with the shift-left security principle for cloud-native development.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Dynamic application security testing (DAST)
Why it's wrong here
DAST tests running applications, not early.
Penetration testing
Why it's wrong here
Penetration testing is typically done later.
Runtime application self-protection (RASP)
Why it's wrong here
RASP protects at runtime, not during development.
Static application security testing (SAST)
Why this is correct
SAST scans source code early in the pipeline.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
ISC2 often tests the distinction between SAST (white-box, early pipeline) and DAST (black-box, post-deployment), and candidates mistakenly choose DAST because they think 'dynamic' implies early testing, but DAST requires a running application.
Detailed technical explanation
SAST tools parse the abstract syntax tree (AST) and control flow graph (CFG) of the code to identify patterns matching known vulnerability signatures, such as taint propagation for injection flaws. In a cloud CI/CD pipeline, SAST can be triggered on each commit via a webhook, scanning dependencies and custom code against OWASP Top 10 rules without requiring a compiled build, enabling early remediation before containerization or deployment.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A security analyst at a medium-sized enterprise encounters this scenario during an investigation or architecture review. The correct answer reflects best practice for the specific threat or control described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Security exam questions test whether you can match controls to threats in context — not just recall definitions.
What to study next
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FAQ
Cloud Application Security — This question tests Cloud Application Security — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Static application security testing (SAST) — Static application security testing (SAST) analyzes source code, bytecode, or binary code without executing the application, making it ideal for integration early in the CI/CD pipeline to catch vulnerabilities like SQL injection, buffer overflows, and XSS as code is written. This 'white-box' approach provides immediate feedback to developers, aligning with the shift-left security principle for cloud-native development.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 30, 2026
This CCSP practice question is part of Courseiva's free ISC2 certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the CCSP exam.
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