How CodeRower Transformed Fintech Security and Stability with Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST)

## Client Overview Our client is a leading **fintech enterprise** providing end-to-end **digital payment and lending solutions** for businesses and individuals. Operating across multiple regions, the company manages a growing network of 500,000+ active users and handles millions of transactions each month through its web and mobile platforms.​ The client’s digital ecosystem included:​ * Customer-facing applications for online payments, peer-to-peer transfers, and lending services.​ * API integrations with banks, payment gateways, and third-party service providers.​ * Internal dashboards for compliance, fraud detection, and transaction monitoring.​ With the rapid adoption of digital finance, the company experienced accelerated growth in both users and transaction volume. To stay competitive, the engineering team pushed frequent feature releases and updates, introducing new functionalities such as instant credit, wallet integrations, and real-time transaction analytics.​ ## Key Challenges As the fintech platform scaled rapidly and rolled out new features, several critical challenges emerged that required immediate action: * **Rising Security Risks:** Frequent releases with limited runtime testing led to high-severity vulnerabilities such as SQL injection, XSS, and weak authentication, threatening customer trust and compliance. * **Slow Release Cycles:** Manual penetration tests delayed deployments by weeks, hindering responsiveness and slowing innovation. * **Lack of Real-Time Visibility:** Without continuous monitoring, vulnerabilities went undetected until audits or customer reports, increasing financial and reputational risk. * **System Instability After Patches:** Security fixes occasionally caused downtime and transaction failures, directly impacting user experience and revenue. * **High Security Costs:** Dependence on third-party audits and manual remediation became unsustainable as operations scaled. * **Compliance Pressure:** Meeting PCI-DSS, GDPR, and other standards was challenging, with delays risking fines and regulatory exposure. * **Developer Bottlenecks:** Developers spent excessive time addressing vulnerabilities instead of building new features, reducing productivity and morale. * **Eroding Customer Trust:** Downtime and performance issues during peak usage periods frustrated users, risking churn and reputation loss. ## ​Client Expectations from CodeRower When partnering with **CodeRower**, the client aimed to build a long-term security framework that would not only resolve immediate risks but also ensure sustained performance and compliance. They sought a proactive partner who could embed security seamlessly into their development lifecycle without hindering agility. **The client wanted CodeRower to:​** * **Identify and Remediate Vulnerabilities Early:** Implement continuous security testing to detect vulnerabilities before deployment and significantly reduce risks in production.​ * **Guarantee Application Stability and Minimize Downtime:** Ensure that security patches and fixes strengthen the application without disrupting user experiences or causing costly downtime.​ * **Accelerate Release Velocity Without Sacrificing Security:** Integrate automated, DAST-powered checks into CI/CD pipelines, enabling faster delivery of new features while maintaining robust security.​ * **Reduce Dependence on Manual Audits and Third-Party Testing:** Replace time-consuming, expensive manual penetration testing with scalable, automated testing to lower costs and improve efficiency.​ * **Strengthen Compliance and Regulatory Alignment:** Establish processes aligned with PCI-DSS, GDPR, and other regulatory frameworks, minimizing risks of non-compliance and penalties.​ * **Empower Development Teams with Actionable Insights:** Provide developers with clear, prioritized remediation guidance so they can resolve vulnerabilities quickly and focus on innovation instead of constant firefighting.​ ## Client Challenges and CodeRower’s Solutions | Challenges Faced by the Client | CodeRower’s Solutions | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Critical vulnerabilities in production due to a lack of runtime security validation expose the platform to risks like SQL injection, XSS, and authentication flaws. | Implemented Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) integrated into the CI/CD pipeline to detect and remediate vulnerabilities before deployment. | | Delayed release cycles caused by manual penetration testing, slowing down innovation and market responsiveness. | Automated security testing workflows, reducing dependency on manual audits and accelerating release cycles by up to 30–40%. | | Limited visibility into real-time vulnerabilities, leading to late discovery during audits or customer incidents. | Deployed continuous runtime monitoring and automated alerts, giving the client real-time visibility into application security posture. | | Performance instability after applying patches, leading to downtime and user dissatisfaction. | Combined security testing with performance validation, ensuring fixes improved security without degrading system stability or user experience. | | ​High operational costs from relying on third-party penetration testers and manual remediation. | Reduced costs with a scalable, automated testing model, cutting security testing expenses by up to 40% annually. | | Regulatory pressure to meet PCI-DSS, GDPR, and data privacy standards. | Aligned Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) processes with industry compliance frameworks, enabling faster audit readiness and reduced risk of fines. | | Developer bottlenecks due to unclear security reports, leading to delays in remediation and productivity loss. | Delivered developer-friendly reports with actionable remediation steps, empowering teams to fix issues quickly and focus on new feature delivery. | | Erosion of customer trust from downtime and unstable performance during patch cycles. | Improved uptime to 99.7% and delivered a more stable, secure platform that restored customer confidence and reduced churn. | ## CodeRower’s Approach: Implementing Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) To tackle the client’s growing security and performance concerns, **CodeRower** implemented a structured and automated DAST (Dynamic Application Security Testing) strategy. The goal was to detect vulnerabilities early, maintain performance stability, and ensure ongoing compliance — all while streamlining development workflows. **Key Steps in Our Approach​:** * **Seamless Integration into CI/CD:** DAST tools were embedded directly into staging and pre-production pipelines, allowing automated security checks with every build and deployment. This ensured vulnerabilities were caught before reaching production.​ * **Custom Security Rules and Policies:** We configured tailored scan rules aligned with the client’s application workflows and regulatory requirements, ensuring more accurate results and fewer false positives.​ * **Developer-Friendly Reports and Guidance:** Actionable, prioritized remediation reports were shared with developers, enabling quick fixes and reducing dependency on manual security specialists.​ * **Parallel Performance and Security Testing:** Security validation was combined with stress and load testing, ensuring that patches strengthened application security without affecting speed, stability, or customer experience.​ * **Continuous Post-Release Monitoring:** DAST was extended into live environments with automated alerts and dashboards, providing real-time visibility into vulnerabilities and reducing the risk of undetected issues in production.​ ## Benefits of Partnership with CodeRower for Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) | **Area** | **Before CodeRower** | **After CodeRower (with DAST Implementation)** | | ---------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Application Security | Frequent vulnerabilities in production; exposure to OWASP Top 10 risks like SQL injection, XSS, and authentication flaws. | 90% reduction in critical vulnerabilities within 3 months; zero major incidents in the following year. | | Release Cycles | Manual penetration tests delayed releases by 2–3 weeks, slowing innovation. | Automated DAST integrated into CI/CD, accelerating release cycles by 30–40%. | | Visibility into Risks | Security issues discovered late through audits or customer complaints. | Patches validated with performance checks; uptime improved from 96.2% to 99.7%. | | Operational Costs | Heavy reliance on external testers drove up costs; model was unsustainable as the platform scaled. | Automated testing reduced dependency on third parties, saving \~$80,000 annually. | | Compliance | Struggled to meet PCI-DSS and GDPR requirements; audits were time-consuming and stressful. | Streamlined compliance through continuous testing aligned with industry frameworks. | | Developer Productivity | Developers spent hours decoding raw reports and firefighting vulnerabilities. | Actionable, prioritized remediation reports empowered developers to fix faster and focus on feature delivery. | | Customer Trust | Downtime and unstable performance eroded customer confidence. | Stable, secure platform restored user trust, reducing churn and strengthening brand reputation. | ## Outcomes & Measurable Results Through the implementation of Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) and CodeRower’s strategic support, the client experienced measurable improvements across security, stability, and business performance.​ **1. Security Improvements​** * Achieved a 90% reduction in critical vulnerabilities within the first three months.​ * Eliminated repeat exposure to previously identified threats, strengthening long-term security posture.​ * Established continuous monitoring and proactive threat detection, ensuring vulnerabilities are fixed before deployment.​ **2. Performance & Stability​** * Uptime increased from 96.2% to 99.7%, creating a more reliable customer experience.​ * Patch deployment time reduced by 40%, allowing faster issue resolution without downtime.​ * Optimized testing and remediation process led to seamless release cycles with minimal disruption.​ **3. ROI & Business Impact​** * Delivered annual savings of $80,000+ by reducing reliance on manual audits and external penetration testers.​ * 30% faster release cycles, enabling quicker innovation and faster time-to-market.​ * Restored customer confidence, resulting in zero security incidents and higher retention rates over 12 months.​ * Strengthened compliance with industry standards, reducing audit overhead and risk of penalties.​ ## Why Choose CodeRower for Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST)? Partnering with CodeRower means more than just implementing a security tool—it’s about building a robust, performance-driven, and cost-effective security ecosystem tailored to your business needs. Our expertise in DAST implementation ensures that applications are not only secure but also stable, scalable, and optimized for growth.​ **What Sets CodeRower Apart?​** * Proven Expertise in Application Security: Years of experience helping clients strengthen their security posture across industries, from fintech to SaaS and e-commerce.​ * End-to-End Integration with CI/CD Pipelines: Seamless integration of automated DAST checks into your DevOps workflows, ensuring faster releases without compromising on security.​ * Business-Oriented ROI: We go beyond identifying vulnerabilities—our focus is on delivering measurable business value through reduced downtime, cost savings, and improved customer trust.​ * Customized Security Roadmaps: Tailored strategies to meet specific compliance requirements (PCI-DSS, GDPR, HIPAA) while aligning with your business goals.​ * Developer-Friendly Approach: Actionable insights and remediation guidance empower your teams to fix issues faster and shift focus back to innovation.​ * Commitment to Stability & Performance: Our DAST solutions are designed to minimize disruptions, optimize system performance, and maintain high application uptime.​ With CodeRower, organizations don’t just detect threats—they gain a trusted partner to ensure their applications remain secure, reliable, and future-ready.​ **Secure Your Applications and Accelerate Releases Today** Partner with **CodeRower** to implement **Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST)** and ensure your fintech or enterprise applications remain **secure, stable, and compliant**. [**Contact us** **today**](https://coderower.com/get-in-touch) **and take the first step toward a safer, faster, and more reliable application ecosystem.**