Source code analysis tools: Evaluation criteria

Support for the programming languages you use. Some companies support mobile devices, while others concentrate on enterprise languages like Java, .Net, C, C++ and even Cobol.

Good bug-finding performance, using a proof of concept assessment. Hint: Use an older build of code you had issues with and see how well the product catches bugs you had to find manually. Look for both thoroughness and accuracy. Fewer false positives means less manual work.

Internal knowledge bases that provide descriptions of vulnerabilities and remediation information. Test for easy access and cross-referencing to discovered findings.

Tight integration with your development platforms. Long-term, you’ll likely want developers to incorporate security analysis into their daily routines.

A robust finding-suppression mechanism to prevent false positives from reoccurring once you’ve verified them as a non-issue.

Ability to easily define additional rules so the tool can enforce internal coding policies.

A centralized reporting component if you have a large team of developers and managers who want access to findings, trending and overview reporting

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