OWASP ZAP
OWASP ZAP (Zed Attack Proxy) is an open-source web application security scanner used for finding vulnerabilities during development and testing. It functions as a man-in-the-middle proxy, intercepting and analyzing HTTP/HTTPS traffic between a browser and a web application to identify security flaws like SQL injection, cross-site scripting, and broken authentication. It provides automated scanners, a comprehensive API, and a user-friendly interface for both beginners and security professionals.
Developers should learn OWASP ZAP to integrate security testing into their CI/CD pipelines, ensuring applications are scanned for vulnerabilities early in the development lifecycle. It is particularly useful for web developers, QA engineers, and security teams to perform automated security audits, penetration testing, and compliance checks against OWASP Top 10 risks, helping prevent costly breaches and meet security standards.