5 Ways SAST and SCA help fintech companies innovate securely
Fintech companies are at the forefront of a fast paced sector that requires constant innovation. As the custodians of high-value customer and business data, fintechs constantly face unique challenges as they safeguard sensitive information, navigate complex regulatory landscapes, and maintain trust with their users. For AppSec leaders, adopting the right application security tools isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s a necessity. That’s where SAST (Static Application Security Testing) and SCA (Software Composition Analysis) come in, providing the secure guardrails fintech’s need to innovate without compromise.
Here are five key ways SAST and SCA tools from Semgrep help fintech companies build secure, scalable, and compliant software:
1. Secure code is compliant code
For fintech companies, compliance is more than a box to check, it’s the foundation of customer trust. Regulatory frameworks like Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) – recently implemented in the European Union– demand that fintech organizations demonstrate a robust security posture by ensuring their systems can withstand and recover from operational disruptions. DORA emphasizes proactive measures, requiring organizations to integrate security deeply into their development practices and maintain robust documentation to showcase their preparedness.
Similar to DORA, obtaining and remaining compliant within the frameworks of SOC2 or FedRAMP requires stringent attention to security processes. Semgrep supports organizations in their compliance efforts by embedding secure guardrails into developer workflows, providing high-signal findings, and automating remediation guidance. This not only ensures that organizations maintain the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data but also smooths compliance audits by demonstrating a structured, repeatable process for securing applications.
Semgrep’s Code (SAST) and Supply Chain (SCA) products provide actionable insights into vulnerabilities, ensuring that fintech teams catch and fix issues before they become problems. With high-signal findings and streamlined remediation powered by Semgrep Assistant, teams actively secure their applications, aligning with compliance requirements without creating additional overhead. Secure code doesn’t just meet standards—it exceeds them.
2. Protect users by protecting fintech
For fintech companies, security isn’t just about protecting the business—it’s about protecting the users who trust you with their most sensitive data. Whether it’s personally identifiable information (PII), financial credentials or transaction histories, the stakes are high. Attackers target fintech companies, because of the perception of more high value data these businesses manage; entrusted to them by their users.
Semgrep’s advanced static analysis and reachability insights help identify vulnerabilities that could compromise customer data. By embedding secure guardrails directly into developer workflows, Semgrep ensures vulnerabilities are addressed before they reach production. This duality of protecting both the fintech organization, and their users, reinforces trust and safeguards the integrity of your platform.
3. Drive efficiency in Application Security
Fintech companies operate in a fast-paced, high-stakes environment where efficiency is also maintenance of their competitive edge. AppSec teams need tools that not only identify vulnerabilities but also streamline remediation efforts, which frees up time for them to focus on strategic security priorities and removes unnecessary bottlenecks.
Semgrep’s SAST and SCA tools are not only easy to deploy, but are designed with developers in mind. With seamless integration into existing workflows– and reduction of false positives by up to 98% – Semgrep ensures that AppSec teams spend their time addressing genuine vulnerabilities rather than sifting through noisy alerts. The increased focus of the AppSec team translates to faster resolution times and a stronger security posture, which helps fintech organizations stay ahead in an industry where the stakes are always high. Semgrep also provides reporting capabilities that demonstrate where and when developer teams have been more efficient.
"I run a small but mighty AppSec department for a company with hundreds of web apps. The ability to have Assistant remember what I told it and automatically triage for me in the future is game changing. I have to spend a lot of time verifying the validity of vulnerabilities and being able to essentially hit the "save" button on the work I've done and just pass it on to Assistant has really helped streamline my triage process."- Kevin Twingstrom, Lead Appsec Engineer, Acrisure
With the newly launched Semgrep Assistant, teams benefit from AI-powered remediation guidance that accelerates the process of fixing security issues. By combining deterministic static analysis with the advanced capabilities of large language models (LLMs), Semgrep delivers precise, actionable recommendations directly into developer workflows. This empowers fintech organizations to innovate quickly and securely while maintaining their commitment to protecting customer trust and ensuring compliance.
4. Ensure Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability (CIA)
The CIA triad is the cornerstone of fintech security, particularly when it comes to protecting customer data. Confidentiality ensures data privacy, integrity prevents unauthorized modifications, and availability guarantees users can access their financial information when they need it.
Semgrep makes compliance an integral part of the security process, enabling us to generate audit artifacts proactively. This approach ensures we can easily meet ad-hoc customer requests, even without a regular audit schedule. - Garret Patten, Sr Security Engineer at nCino
Semgrep empowers fintech teams to uphold the CIA triad with precise, context-aware scanning and actionable remediation guidance. By identifying vulnerabilities that could compromise confidentiality or integrity—and doing so with minimal disruption to workflows—Semgrep helps organizations maintain trust and reliability. And when audits come around, teams can confidently demonstrate their processes, further reinforcing customer and stakeholder confidence.
5. Get out of developers' way
Fintech moves fast, and developers need tools that enhance their workflows rather than disrupt them. Semgrep’s seamless integrations with CI/CD pipelines, IDEs, and PR workflows ensure that security is embedded naturally into the development process. Developers can focus on building innovative solutions without being bogged down by inefficient tools or constant context switching.
With Semgrep Assistant, developers receive AI-driven remediation guidance directly in their workflows, reducing time spent on triage and enabling faster fixes. By combining deterministic static analysis with the power of LLMs, Semgrep ensures that developers only see real security issues, accelerating development velocity while maintaining robust security practices.
Why Semgrep? A purpose-built solution for fintech
Semgrep is uniquely designed to meet the needs of fintech organizations. Similarly to many fintechs, Semgrep operates in an environment where legacy security practices puts pressure on the desire to innovate and move quickly. Traditional and incumbent tools were designed for releases that happened every few months, not the rapid development processes that are standard today. Through the combination of Enterprise -class static analysis, LLM-powered remediation guidance, and high-signal findings, Semgrep tackles AppSec’s toughest challenges. This enables Semgrep to move as quickly as our partners; and fit into developer workflows with a focus on noise reduction. Semgrep enables fintech teams to secure their applications without compromising speed or innovation.
Whether you’re building to meet compliance requirements, protecting sensitive customer data, or striving for faster, more efficient development cycles, Semgrep provides the secure guardrails you need to innovate with confidence.
Ready to learn more? Discover how Semgrep can help your fintech team stay ahead of the curve while keeping customer trust and compliance top of mind.
