My company is hesitant to adopt No-Code / Low-Code Tools because of concerns over data residency and vulnerability management. Since we don't control the underlying source code, how can we be sure that these platforms aren't introducing SQL injection or XSS risks into our environment? Are there specific certifications or security audits we should look for before signing up?
3 answers
Security is the number one "gatekeeper" for No-Code / Low-Code Tools in the enterprise space. Most top-tier providers are now SOC2 Type II and GDPR compliant, but the "Shared Responsibility Model" still applies. The platform secures the infrastructure, but you are responsible for securing the logic you build. For example, if you create a public-facing form and don't set proper permissions, that’s on you, not the tool. Always look for platforms that allow for "Single Sign-On" (SSO) integration and have built-in data masking. Also, verify that they perform regular third-party penetration testing on their own core engine.
Do you think it’s possible to perform a standard "Static Analysis" (SAST) on applications built with No-Code / Low-Code Tools?
I always tell my team: the biggest security risk with No-Code / Low-Code Tools is "Shadow IT" where employees build apps without the IT department even knowing.
Joyce hit the nail on the head. Governance is the key to making No-Code / Low-Code Tools safe; you need a clear policy on what data can and cannot be used in these apps.
Gary, that’s the tricky part! Traditional SAST tools usually can't "read" the proprietary formats used by No-Code / Low-Code Tools. Instead, we’ve shifted toward "Dynamic Analysis" (DAST), where we test the running application for vulnerabilities rather than the code. It’s a different approach to security, but it’s often more effective for these types of platforms because it focuses on how the app behaves in a real-world browser environment, which is where most of the risks actually manifest for the end-user.