Research Overview

A Market in Transition

Application security is changing rapidly. The report explores how teams are adapting to AI-generated code, API-first architectures, expanding attack surfaces, and growing pressure to secure software without slowing development.

Understanding the Modern AppSec Stack

Latio provides a detailed breakdown of the major AppSec categories—including SAST, DAST, API security, supply chain security, runtime technologies, vulnerability management, and ASPM—explaining how each category has evolved, where it fits today, and where the market is heading next.

Inside the Minds of AppSec Buyers

Drawing on practitioner survey data, the report reveals how security teams evaluate tools, organize responsibilities, prioritize investments, and prepare for emerging challenges. Readers gain insight into the technologies, workflows, and capabilities shaping purchasing decisions across the industry.

Emerging Technologies and Market Trends

Beyond traditional testing approaches, the report examines the impact of AI on application security, the growing importance of APIs, the evolution of runtime security, and the shift from standalone scanners toward broader platform-based approaches.

Practical Guidance for Security Leaders

Part market analysis and part buyer's guide, the report helps security leaders understand which capabilities matter most, which trends are gaining momentum, and how to evaluate application security solutions in an increasingly crowded and rapidly changing market.

Key Findings

Application security has consolidated into platforms

Capability differences now come down more to user, integration, and developer experiences than scanning engines.

Developer experience matters most

Practitioners prioritize tools that create the least friction with development teams.

Low false positives are a competitive advantage

High false positive rates remain one of the biggest sources of friction in AppSec programs.

Time-to-fix beats finding volume

Organizations are increasingly evaluating platforms on backlog reduction and remediation outcomes.

Meaningful API testing is essential

API-driven DAST is a core requirement for securing modern application architectures.

Runtime context is becoming the source of truth

Teams want stronger runtime visibility to determine what is actually exploitable.

AI is reshaping application security

AI-assisted testing, AI-generated code, and AI pentesting are rapidly changing AppSec priorities.

ASPM is evolving beyond dashboards

Testing, discovery, prioritization, and ownership are converging into a single workflow.

Future-Proof AppSec for the AI Era

Latio's 2026 report highlights a shift toward platforms that reduce noise, improve developer experience, and focus teams on real risk. Invicti is built for exactly that.

One Platform Based on Proof

The future of AppSec isn't more scanners. It's understanding what's exploitable.

Reduce backlog with verified exploitability

Correlate findings across DAST, SAST, SCA, IaC, and API security

Centralize asset inventory, ownership, prioritization, and remediation workflows

Industry-Best API Testing

Modern applications run on APIs. Security platforms must discover, inventory, and test them without false positives.

Multi-layer API discovery across source code, gateways, network traffic, and runtime scans

Discover shadow, undocumented, and internal APIs automatically

Stateful API testing for BOLA, BFLA, business logic flaws, and weak authentication

Ready for AI-Powered Apps

As organizations adopt AI-powered applications, security teams need visibility into LLMs, AI integrations, and emerging AI-specific attack vectors.

Detect LLM-powered and AI-driven application interfaces automatically

Test for prompt injection, system prompt leakage, and LLM command injection

Use agentic pentesting to uncover business logic and attack-chain vulnerabilities

What Customers Say

"For more websites, we now don't need to go externally for security testing. We can fire up Invicti, run the tests as often as we like, view the scan results, and mitigate to our hearts' content. As a result, the budget we were spending every year on penetration testing decreased by approximately 60% almost immediately and went down even more the following year, to about 20% of our initial spending."

- Brian Brackenborough | Chief Information Security Office

"Invicti detected web vulnerabilities that other solutions did not. It is easy to use and set up..."

- Henk-Jan Angerman | Founder, SECWATCH

"I had the opportunity to compare expertise reports with Invicti ones. Invicti was better, finding more breaches."

- Andy Gambles | Senior Analyst, OECD

"Invicti is the best Web Application Security Scanner in terms of price-benefit balance. It is a very stable software, faster than the previous tool we were using and it is relatively free of false positives, which is exactly what we were looking for."

- Harald Nandke | Principal Consultant, Unify (now Mitel)