The code is already running, but you don’t know what it’s doing deep inside. That’s where IAST onboarding begins. Interactive Application Security Testing plugs directly into your application as it executes, tracing every request, response, and internal call. The process is fast, precise, and built for teams who need instant feedback without tearing apart their pipeline.
IAST onboarding starts with installation of an agent. This agent integrates with your runtime environment — Java, .NET, Python, Node.js, or others — without altering the core logic. You deploy it alongside your app, often by adding a dependency or library, or by attaching a runtime hook within your container or server. No slow network scans. No static review bottlenecks. The agent watches the code in motion.
Next, configure your environment. Define which services, endpoints, and data flows the IAST tool should monitor. Bind it to your CI/CD pipeline so every new build is scanned during execution. Because IAST works in real time, it captures vulnerabilities during actual functional tests, API calls, and user sessions. You get contextual data: the exact line of code, the variable, the propagation path.