<!-- Copyright (c) 2026 defconxt. All rights reserved. -->
<!-- Licensed under AGPL-3.0 — see LICENSE file for details. -->
---
name: implementing-continuous-security-testing
description: >-
  Design and implement automated recurring security validation pipelines integrating DAST, SAST, dependency scanning, and compliance checks into CI/CD workflows for continuous security assurance.
domain: cybersecurity
subdomain: security-testing
tags:
  - continuous-testing
  - devsecops
  - cicd
  - dast
  - sast
  - pipeline
version: "1.0"
author: defconxt
license: AGPL-3.0
metadata:
  mitre-attack: ["T1190", "T1059", "T1195"]
  tools: ["zap", "semgrep", "trivy", "nuclei", "github-actions", "gitlab-ci"]
---

# Implementing Continuous Security Testing

## Overview

Continuous security testing embeds automated security validation into development and deployment pipelines. This includes SAST on every commit, DAST against staging environments, dependency scanning, container image scanning, and infrastructure-as-code analysis.

## Prerequisites

| Tool / Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| `zap` | Security tooling |
| `semgrep` | Security tooling |
| `trivy` | Security tooling |
| `nuclei` | Security tooling |
| `github-actions` | Security tooling |
| `gitlab-ci` | Security tooling |
| Written authorization and rules of engagement | Environment requirement |
| Defined scope with in-scope targets and exclusions | Environment requirement |

## Workflow

### Step 1: Pipeline Design

```yaml
# GitHub Actions security pipeline
name: Security Testing Pipeline
on:
  push:
    branches: [main, develop]
  pull_request:
    branches: [main]
  schedule:
    - cron: '0 2 * * 1'  # Weekly Monday 2am

jobs:
  sast:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
      - name: Semgrep SAST
        uses: semgrep/semgrep-action@v1
        with:
          config: p/owasp-top-ten p/security-audit

  dependency-scan:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
      - name: Trivy dependency scan
        uses: aquasecurity/trivy-action@master
        with:
          scan-type: fs
          severity: CRITICAL,HIGH

  container-scan:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
      - name: Build image
        run: docker build -t app:test .
      - name: Trivy container scan
        uses: aquasecurity/trivy-action@master
        with:
          image-ref: app:test
          severity: CRITICAL,HIGH
```

### Step 2: DAST Integration

```yaml
# OWASP ZAP DAST in pipeline
  dast:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    needs: [deploy-staging]
    steps:
      - name: OWASP ZAP Full Scan
        uses: zaproxy/action-full-scan@v0.10.0
        with:
          target: https://staging.target.com
          rules_file_name: .zap-rules.tsv
          cmd_options: '-a -j -l WARN'

      - name: Upload ZAP Report
        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
        with:
          name: zap-report
          path: report_html.html
```

### Step 3: Scheduled Deep Scans

```bash
# Nuclei scheduled scan script
#!/bin/bash
set -euo pipefail

TARGETS="targets.txt"
OUTPUT_DIR="results/$(date +%Y%m%d)"
mkdir -p "$OUTPUT_DIR"

# Update templates
nuclei -update-templates

# Run comprehensive scan
nuclei -l "$TARGETS" \
  -t cves/ -t exposures/ -t vulnerabilities/ \
  -severity critical,high,medium \
  -rate-limit 100 \
  -o "$OUTPUT_DIR/nuclei_results.txt" \
  -json -o "$OUTPUT_DIR/nuclei_results.json"

# Send results to notification channel
if [ -s "$OUTPUT_DIR/nuclei_results.txt" ]; then
  curl -X POST "$SLACK_WEBHOOK" \
    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
    -d "{\"text\":\"Security scan found findings. See $OUTPUT_DIR\"}"
fi
```

### Step 4: Metrics Dashboard

```bash
# Security testing metrics collection
cat <<'EOF'
CONTINUOUS TESTING METRICS
===========================
Pipeline Metrics:
  - SAST findings per sprint (trend)
  - Mean time to remediate (by severity)
  - Dependency vulnerability aging
  - Container image CVE count (trend)
  - DAST findings per release

Quality Gates:
  - Block deploy: Critical or High SAST findings
  - Block deploy: Critical container CVEs
  - Warn: Medium SAST findings
  - Warn: Outdated dependencies > 90 days
EOF
```

## Detection

```yaml
title: Continuous Security Testing Detection
id: f3895124-2277-4480-8458-2a5265245ff5
status: experimental
description: Detects suspicious activity related to implementing continuous security testing techniques in security testing context
logsource:
  category: process_creation
  product: windows
detection:
  selection:
    CommandLine: "*implementing*continuous*"
  condition: selection
level: medium
tags:
  - attack.t1190
  - attack.t1059
  - attack.t1195
  - attack.discovery
falsepositives:
  - Authorized security testing tools during scheduled assessment windows
```


**Detection Opportunities**

| Indicator | Source | Detection Logic |
|---|---|---|
| Continuous Security Testing Detection | windows/process_creation | Sigma rule (medium) |
| ATT&CK Coverage | MITRE ATT&CK | T1190, T1059, T1195 |

## Verification

- [ ] Authorization documented and scope confirmed
- [ ] All planned test cases executed
- [ ] Evidence collected with timestamps and integrity hashes
- [ ] Findings documented with severity and remediation
- [ ] Report delivered to stakeholders

## References

- [MITRE ATT&CK Framework](https://attack.mitre.org/)
- [PTES — Penetration Testing Execution Standard](http://www.pentest-standard.org/)
- [NIST SP 800-115 — Technical Guide to Security Testing](https://csrc.nist.gov/publications/detail/sp/800-115/final)
