Breathing new life into stagnant AppSec

If you’re like most people, your inbox overflows every day with a mix of important messages, random announcements, and updates you didn’t ask for. It’s easy to miss what’s really important. This overload mirrors what’s happening in AppSec: security teams are overwhelmed with endless alerts and notifications, with only a handful identifying real threats. And while infrastructure and development environments have improved significantly over the past decade, AppSec tools have not kept up. The result? Outdated devices that can’t make the noise, leaving crews struggling to focus on real threats amid a flood of alerts.

As the CEO of Backslash Security, I often hear from AppSec professionals who feel like they’re stuck in reactive mode, clinging to old tools that weren’t designed for complex, cloud-native environments. today. These devices flood them with alerts, stretching their focus between routine notifications and the critical issues that could have a real impact on their applications.

A few years ago, the industry resorted to “shifting left” as a solution. The idea was to empower developers to identify security issues early in the development cycle. In reality, however, a radical shift to the left has not proven as effective as expected. Developers are often overwhelmed by inappropriate calls from devices that can’t cut through the noise. Instead, turn left, right (pun intended) appears to be a more balanced approach. This approach leaves risk assessment, policy creation and prioritization to the security experts, while allowing developers to focus on fixing the real code issues without an avalanche of issues wrong

Over the past year, companies like Backslash have brought real innovation back to AppSec, tackling complex challenges with advanced graph technology to model code like never before.

A few examples of these efforts include techniques such as access analysis, phantom packet detection, and AI-powered remediation, all of which help streamline workflows and empower AppSec teams to focus on what really matters.

Key innovations in today’s AppSec

1. Access Analysis: Instead of identifying all possible vulnerabilities, access analysis goes into those that could affect the system. The term “access analysis” is often overused, so it’s important to understand what a vendor means by it. An effective access analysis should go beyond just the evaluation of direct packages – which make up only 11% of total packages – and also cover transitive dependencies that are indirectly drawn a- into the code.
2. Phantom packet detection: Many applications unknowingly rely on hidden libraries or “ghost packages.” These indirect dependencies, introduced through other libraries, can introduce vulnerabilities that teams may miss. With increased visibility, security teams can eliminate these hidden threats before they become real issues.
3. Simulation update: Increasing dependency can be time consuming and uncertain. With simulation, teams can test multiple remediation paths, quickly identifying the safest and most stable solution for each dependency, ensuring that teams choose solutions that do not disrupt other parts of the application.
4. AI-Powered Solution Tips: AI can analyze code bases and recommend language-specific solutions, helping AppSec teams to address issues faster and more efficiently.

With modern solutions, the focus moves away from noise and towards real control for security experts. For AppSec to succeed in today’s evolving landscape, true innovation is essential. Gone are the days when teams paid just for basic vulnerability identification; that is now forwarded. Today, CISOs and more mature AppSec leaders are seeking innovative, effective solutions that provide deeper insights and actionable outcomes.

The journey forward requires a new perspective on AppSec – one that keeps up with the pace of technology. As development environments become more sophisticated, so must our security tools. Innovation is not just about adding new features; it’s about empowering teams, keeping them focused on real risks without distraction. In AppSec, it’s time to leave behind outdated practices and embrace tools that meet today’s demands, empowering application security professionals to protect applications in ways that matter.

About the Author: Shahar Man is the co-founder and CEO of Backslash Security. With over two decades of experience leading agile and innovative product and R&D teams, Shahar has specialized in developer-focused products and transitioning large development organizations to agile methodologies. His career began at SAP, where he honed his skills before moving on to become VP of Product Management and R&D at Aqua Security. Shahar’s leadership and vision are central to Backslash Security’s mission and growth.

Shahar Man – Co-Founder and CEO at Backslash Security
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