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How to write an RFP for application security testing

Requirements, questions, and evaluation criteria specific to application security testing procurement

6 min read

Application Security Testing (AST) procurement demands a nuanced RFP process. The evolving threat landscape and the shift towards AI-driven development necessitate a comprehensive evaluation beyond traditional scanning capabilities to ensure robust application security.

What makes application security testing RFPs different

AST RFPs are unique due to the rapid evolution of testing methodologies and the increasing complexity of modern applications. Buyers must address the integration of various testing types (SAST, DAST, SCA, IAST) and the need for a unified view of vulnerabilities across the application portfolio. Furthermore, the rise of AI-generated code and the adoption of cloud-native architectures introduce new security challenges that require specialized testing capabilities.

Regulatory compliance, such as HIPAA for healthcare or PCI DSS for financial services, also adds a layer of complexity, necessitating specific requirements for data protection and security controls.

  • Integration with existing development workflows and CI/CD pipelines
  • Coverage of various application types, including web, mobile, and APIs
  • Accuracy of vulnerability detection and prioritization to minimize false positives
  • Support for relevant compliance standards and reporting requirements

RFP vs RFI vs RFQ

Here's when to use each document type when procuring application security testing software.

RFI

Request for Information

Use early in your search to understand what vendors offer and narrow your list. Gather general capabilities, company background, and high-level pricing ranges.

RFP

Request for Proposal

Use when you know your requirements and want detailed vendor solutions and pricing. This is your main evaluation document for shortlisted vendors.

RFQ

Request for Quote

Use when requirements are fixed and you just need final pricing. Often used after RFP when you're ready to negotiate with finalists.

For Application Security Testing, an RFI is useful for initial market research to understand the range of available testing methodologies and vendor capabilities. An RFP is crucial for a detailed evaluation of specific technical requirements and integration needs, while an RFQ is less common due to the complexity and variability in AST solutions.

Technical requirements checklist

Use this checklist when defining your RFP scope.

SAST Requirements

  • Support for multiple programming languages and frameworks
  • Ability to identify common code vulnerabilities (e.g., SQL injection, XSS)
  • Integration with IDEs for real-time feedback
  • Incremental scanning capabilities for faster feedback cycles

DAST Requirements

  • Automated crawling and scanning of web applications
  • Ability to identify runtime vulnerabilities (e.g., authentication bypasses)
  • Support for authenticated testing
  • API testing capabilities

SCA Requirements

  • Comprehensive database of known open-source vulnerabilities
  • Automatic identification of vulnerable dependencies
  • License compliance reporting
  • Reachability analysis to filter out irrelevant vulnerabilities

IAST Requirements

  • Real-time vulnerability detection during application runtime
  • Integration with QA and testing environments
  • High-fidelity vulnerability detection with low false-positive rates
  • Support for various application architectures

Integration Requirements

  • Integration with CI/CD pipelines (e.g., Jenkins, GitLab CI)
  • Integration with issue tracking systems (e.g., Jira, ServiceNow)
  • API access for custom integrations
  • Support for SARIF format for standardized data exchange

Questions to include in your RFP

Analysis Scope

  • What types of applications and architectures does your solution support (e.g., web, mobile, APIs, microservices)?
    Ensures coverage of all relevant application types.
  • Describe your solution's ability to identify vulnerabilities in AI-generated code and LLM-based applications.
    Addresses emerging security challenges.
  • How does your solution handle vulnerabilities in inactive or unreachable code?
    Minimizes alert fatigue.
  • What is the process for discovering and testing shadow APIs and unmanaged microservices?
    Identifies potential blind spots.

Developer Experience

  • Does your solution provide real-time feedback and remediation guidance within the developer's IDE?
    Reduces friction and improves adoption.
  • What is the typical impact on build times when using your solution's incremental scanning capabilities?
    Minimizes disruption to development workflows.
  • How does your solution prioritize vulnerabilities based on exploitability and business impact?
    Focuses developers on the most critical issues.
  • Does your platform offer built-in training labs or resources to help developers understand and remediate vulnerabilities?
    Improves developer security awareness.

Remediation and Response

  • Does your platform support autonomous remediation, such as automatically opening pull requests with suggested fixes?
    Automates the remediation process.
  • Can your solution automatically generate Proof-of-Concept exploits to validate the severity of a finding?
    Confirms exploitability and reduces false positives.
  • What is your solution's mean time to remediate (MTTR) for critical vulnerabilities?
    Measures the speed of vulnerability resolution.
  • How does your solution integrate with incident response workflows and security information and event management (SIEM) systems?
    Ensures coordinated incident response.

Integration and Interoperability

  • Does your solution support the Static Analysis Results Interchange Format (SARIF) for data exchange?
    Prevents vendor lock-in and enables integration with other tools.
  • What are the specific SLAs for your API documentation and uptime for cloud-based scanning?
    Ensures reliable integration and access.
  • Describe your solution's integration with version control systems (e.g., GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket).
    Enables PR-based guardrails and automated security checks.
  • How does your solution integrate with cloud security posture management (CSPM) tools?
    Provides a holistic view of security risks.

Reporting and Compliance

  • Does your solution provide pre-built reports for common compliance standards (e.g., PCI DSS, HIPAA, SOC 2)?
    Simplifies compliance reporting.
  • Can your solution generate custom reports based on specific requirements?
    Offers flexibility for unique reporting needs.
  • How does your solution track and report on vulnerability remediation progress?
    Monitors compliance and security posture.
  • Describe your solution's data retention policies and security measures.
    Ensures data privacy and security.

Vendor Stability and Roadmap

  • What is your company's long-term vision for Application Security Testing?
    Assesses the vendor's commitment to innovation.
  • Describe your roadmap for supporting emerging technologies and security threats.
    Ensures the solution remains relevant in the future.
  • What is your company's financial stability and track record of success?
    Evaluates the vendor's long-term viability.
  • Can you provide customer references from organizations similar to ours?
    Validates the vendor's experience and capabilities.

Compliance and security requirements

Depending on your industry, you may need to require proof of these certifications and standards.

PCI-DSS

Required if handling payment card data. If applicable, request current PCI-DSS compliance certificate and Attestation of Compliance (AOC)

HIPAA

Required for healthcare data. If applicable, request Business Associate Agreement (BAA) template and HIPAA compliance documentation

SOC 2 Type II

Required for saas providers and organizations handling sensitive customer data. If applicable, request SOC 2 Type II report

GDPR

Required if processing personal data of eu citizens. If applicable, request documentation on GDPR compliance measures and data protection policies

FedRAMP

Required for government contractors. If applicable, request FedRAMP authorization status and documentation

Evaluation criteria

Here is the suggested weighting for application security testing RFPs.

Functionality Fit How well the solution meets stated requirements
25%
Accuracy and Fidelity Low false positive rate and high accuracy in vulnerability detection
20%
Integration Capabilities Seamless integration with existing development workflows and tools
15%
Total Cost of Ownership Implementation, licensing, and ongoing costs
15%
Vendor Stability and Roadmap Financial stability and commitment to innovation
10%
Reporting and Compliance Ability to generate reports for compliance standards
10%
Developer Experience Ease of use and integration with developer workflows
5%

Some weights were adjusted based on your priorities.

  • Increase if replacing a highly customized legacy system
  • Increase if developer resources are limited
  • Increase if complex integration landscape exists

Red flags to watch

  • Vague pricing responses

    Vendors who can't provide clear pricing often have hidden costs or complex fee structures that inflate TCO

  • No customer references in your industry

    Lack of relevant references suggests limited experience with your specific requirements and use cases

  • Inability to provide a verified false-positive rate

    High false-positive rates lead to alert fatigue and wasted developer time

  • Lack of support for SARIF standard

    Proprietary data formats create vendor lock-in and hinder integration with other tools

  • Evasive answers about AI code security

    Indicates a lack of preparedness for emerging threats related to AI-generated code

Key metrics to request

Ask vendors to provide benchmarks from similar customers.

Implementation timeline for similar customers

Helps set realistic expectations and identify potential delays

Average time to first value

Indicates how quickly you'll see ROI from the investment

Vulnerability Escape Rate (VER)

Measures the effectiveness of testing in preventing vulnerabilities from reaching production

Fix Rate

Indicates the percentage of critical vulnerabilities remediated within the organization's defined SLA

Tool Coverage

Measures the percentage of codebases and APIs covered by security scanners