What are the best cloud-native application security solutions?

Key takeaways

• Cloud-native applications require security solutions built for elastic infrastructure, APIs, and continuous deployment.
• Runtime validation and proof-based testing help teams focus on real, exploitable vulnerabilities instead of theoretical findings.
• API and microservices coverage are essential in modern cloud-native environments.
• Automation and CI/CD integration are critical to maintaining security without slowing development.
• Unified AppSec platforms improve visibility, governance, and prioritization across growing application portfolios.
• Invicti leads for enterprise-grade cloud-native AppSec, while Acunetix is a strong option for smaller or growing teams.

What does “cloud-native application security” actually mean?

Cloud-native application security refers to security solutions designed to operate natively in cloud environments – scalable, API-driven, automated, and continuously updated to support modern architectures.

A cloud-native AppSec platform differs from a simply cloud-hosted tool. Cloud-hosted tools may run in SaaS form but still rely on legacy architecture, limited automation, or static scanning models that struggle in dynamic environments. Truly cloud-native platforms are built for elastic workloads, distributed systems, and continuous deployment from the ground up.

Legacy AppSec tools often assume static infrastructure, monolithic applications, infrequent releases, and manual triage workflows. Cloud-native applications, by contrast, are dynamic, API-driven, and constantly evolving. Security must be equally continuous and adaptable.

For organizations evaluating broader cloud security categories, it is also important to distinguish cloud-native AppSec from infrastructure-focused CNAPP tools. While CNAPP platforms concentrate on workload protection and cloud configuration, cloud-native AppSec focuses on the application layer – where injection flaws, authentication weaknesses, and API exposures create direct business risk.

Why do modern cloud-native apps require different security solutions?

Modern cloud-native applications introduce architectural and operational complexity that legacy security tools were not designed to handle.

Microservices and APIs dramatically expand the attack surface. Containers and serverless functions are ephemeral. CI/CD pipelines push updates daily or hourly. Shadow APIs and undocumented endpoints appear without centralized oversight.

All this creates three core challenges:

• Dynamic attack surfaces that constantly change
• High release velocity that leaves little room for manual testing
• Expanding API exposure across internal and external integrations

In this environment, security must be continuous, automated, and validation-driven. Static analysis alone cannot determine which issues are truly exploitable in a running application. Without runtime validation, teams risk drowning in noise while critical vulnerabilities remain unaddressed.

What features should the best cloud-native AppSec solutions include?

Selecting the right platform requires a structured evaluation framework. The following capabilities separate modern cloud-native AppSec platforms from legacy tools.

Can the platform scale automatically with cloud workloads?

Cloud-native environments require elastic scanning capacity. The best platforms:

• Require no infrastructure management
• Automatically scale scanning across growing application portfolios
• Support large enterprises with hundreds or thousands of applications

Rigid licensing models or scan engines that cannot keep pace with CI/CD pipelines create bottlenecks that undermine DevSecOps goals.

Does it provide runtime, proof-based vulnerability validation?

Accuracy is critical. Cloud-native AppSec must reduce false positives while confirming exploitability in live applications. Platforms that provide runtime validation and proof-based scanning help teams:

• Eliminate unnecessary manual verification
• Confirm real-world exploitability
• Prioritize true risk over theoretical findings

Without validation, teams waste time reproducing issues that may not be exploitable in practice.

Does it secure APIs and microservices by default?

Cloud-native architectures are API-first. Effective AppSec platforms must include:

• Native support for REST, GraphQL, and SOAP APIs
• Stateful testing and authentication handling
• Discovery of shadow and undocumented APIs

API security cannot be treated as an add-on. It must be integral to the scanning engine.

How well does it integrate into cloud DevSecOps workflows?

Security tools must integrate seamlessly into CI/CD pipelines, ticketing systems, and developer workflows. Key capabilities include:

• API-first architecture
• Pre-production and production testing support
• Automated retesting and verification
• Integration with issue trackers and DevOps platforms

Security that disrupts release velocity will be bypassed. Security embedded in pipelines becomes sustainable.

Does it support enterprise governance and compliance?

Large organizations require centralized visibility and control. Enterprise-grade features should include:

• Role-based access control and multi-tenancy
• Audit-ready reporting
• Support for regulatory frameworks such as PCI DSS, SOC 2, ISO 27001, and DORA

Cloud-native AppSec must align with governance requirements without creating operational friction.

How we evaluated cloud-native application security solutions

To determine the best cloud-native application security solutions, we assessed platforms across six criteria:

• Cloud-native architecture versus simple SaaS hosting
• Accuracy and false-positive reduction
• API and modern application coverage
• CI/CD automation and DevSecOps integration
• Enterprise governance and scalability
• Cost predictability and operational efficiency

This framework ensures that tools are evaluated on practical capability rather than marketing claims.

What are the best cloud-native application security solutions today?

The following platforms represent some of the most credible cloud-native application security solutions available today. Each supports modern architectures, API-driven development, and DevSecOps workflows to varying degrees. While capabilities and depth differ, all are positioned for organizations securing applications in cloud-first environments.

1. Invicti – Best overall cloud-native application security solution

Best for: Large enterprises, regulated organizations, and high-growth teams securing complex cloud-native applications and APIs.

Invicti ranks first in this list because it combines cloud-native scalability with a DAST-first approach that prioritizes real, exploitable risk. Rather than generating large volumes of unverified findings, Invicti uses proof-based scanning to validate many vulnerabilities automatically, reducing false positives and accelerating remediation.

Invicti’s unified platform brings together:

• Dynamic application security testing with runtime validation
• Native API security testing for REST, GraphQL, and SOAP
• Software composition analysis for open-source risk visibility
• Application security posture management (ASPM) for centralized visibility and prioritization across all connected security scanners

This unified model allows DAST to serve as a verification layer for SAST, SCA, and other scanners to help teams focus on confirmed risk rather than theoretical exposure.

Architecturally, Invicti supports SaaS deployment and enterprise deployments across AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud, enabling organizations to meet regulatory or data residency requirements. Its API-first design integrates directly into CI/CD pipelines, enabling continuous testing across distributed, microservices-based environments.

For enterprises managing large and dynamic application portfolios, Invicti’s combination of validated findings, automation, and governance capabilities makes it a strong choice for cloud-native AppSec.

2. Acunetix – Strong cloud-native DAST for growing teams

Best for: SMBs and mid-market organizations seeking accurate dynamic testing with simpler deployment and management.

Acunetix provides cloud-based DAST with proof-based vulnerability detection and solid REST API testing coverage. It offers straightforward onboarding and automation suitable for growing teams that want reliable runtime testing without the operational complexity of large enterprise platforms.

While it offers fewer advanced governance and multi-team management features than Invicti, Acunetix remains a credible and efficient option for cloud-native web and API security.

3. Checkmarx One

Checkmarx One is a cloud-delivered application security platform that combines SAST, DAST, SCA, and API security capabilities within a unified interface. It emphasizes code-to-cloud visibility and risk correlation across development workflows.

Its strength lies in broad testing coverage and integration with CI/CD pipelines. Organizations with a strong static analysis focus may find it appealing, particularly where consolidated reporting across multiple testing types is required.

4. Rapid7 InsightAppSec

Rapid7 InsightAppSec is a SaaS-based DAST solution designed for web applications and APIs. It includes automated crawling, attack simulation, and integration with Rapid7’s broader vulnerability management ecosystem.

It is well suited for organizations seeking cloud-delivered dynamic testing aligned with enterprise vulnerability management programs, though it is less focused on unified AppSec posture management.

5. Burp Suite Enterprise

Burp Suite Enterprise provides automated web application security testing built on the widely used Burp testing engine. It supports CI/CD integration and API scanning, making it compatible with modern cloud-native development pipelines.

Security teams with hands-on testing expertise often value Burp’s extensibility and flexibility. However, it may require more manual configuration and tuning than fully unified AppSec platforms.

6. Aikido Security

Aikido Security positions itself as a modern, developer-friendly application security platform with extensive scanning capabilities integrated into cloud and CI/CD workflows. It focuses on automation, ease of deployment, and streamlined dashboards.

It can be attractive to teams seeking simplified security testing across modern applications, though enterprise-scale governance features vary by implementation.

7. StackHawk

StackHawk is an API-first dynamic security testing platform built for microservices and DevSecOps teams. It integrates directly into CI/CD pipelines and supports automated testing of cloud-native APIs.

Its focus on developer workflows makes it particularly relevant for engineering-driven organizations building API-centric services.

8. Veracode Dynamic Analysis

Veracode Dynamic Analysis is part of Veracode’s broader application security platform. Delivered via cloud, it supports web application scanning with enterprise reporting and compliance features.

Organizations already using Veracode’s static and software composition tools may benefit from integrated dynamic testing within a single vendor ecosystem.

9. Tenable Web App Scanning

Tenable Web App Scanning provides cloud-delivered dynamic testing for web applications and APIs as part of Tenable’s broader vulnerability management suite.

It emphasizes centralized asset visibility and integration with enterprise vulnerability management workflows, making it suitable for organizations aligning application testing with broader risk management programs.

10. Qualys Web Application Scanning (WAS)

Qualys Web Application Scanning (WAS) is a cloud-delivered DAST solution focused on identifying vulnerabilities across web applications and APIs, with discovery and scanning managed through the broader Qualys Cloud Platform. 

It’s typically used by organizations that want web application testing closely aligned with enterprise asset inventory, vulnerability management, and compliance reporting workflows. 

How should enterprises choose the right cloud-native AppSec platform?

Enterprises should align platform maturity with application complexity. Key considerations include:

• Validate accuracy using real applications, not synthetic demos
• Prioritize runtime testing and API coverage
• Ensure automation supports CI/CD velocity
• Avoid pricing models that penalize growth

By evaluating platforms against criteria such as runtime validation, API coverage, automation, and governance, organizations can identify the cloud-native application security solution that best aligns with their architecture, scale, and risk priorities.

Why Invicti stands out for cloud-native application security

Invicti’s DAST-first model ensures that real, exploitable vulnerabilities are prioritized over theoretical findings. Proof-based validation reduces noise and improves remediation efficiency.

By combining DAST, API testing, SCA, and ASPM in a unified platform, Invicti delivers centralized visibility without sacrificing depth. For enterprises managing complex cloud-native portfolios, this balance of scalability, accuracy, and governance is difficult to match.

Final thoughts: Choose cloud-native security that validates real risk

Not all cloud-based security tools are truly cloud-native – and not all cloud-native tools validate real risk. In high-velocity environments, accuracy and automation matter as much as coverage. Organizations that prioritize validated, runtime-tested vulnerabilities will gain clearer visibility into their true risk posture.

See why Invicti is the leading cloud-native application security solution for modern, high-velocity development teams. Schedule a demo to explore how proof-based validation and unified AppSec can strengthen your cloud-native security strategy.

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