HCL AppScan Activity Recorder: Precise Insights to Boost Application Security Testing

Imagine this for a moment. You've just launched a critical update to your company's website. A new hyperlink has been added, directing users to a crucial new service. You're confident in your development. But in today’s threat ecosystem, "confidence" isn't enough. You need certainty that this new link – and the journey it enables–is impenetrable to attacks. 

But how do you assess its security without triggering a full-blown, time-consuming scan of your entire complex application?

This is where the magic of HCL AppScan Activity Recorder (AAR) steps in, transforming what could be a headache into a swift, precise, and highly secure security assessment.

The Targeted Strike: A Real-Life Use Case

Instead of initiating a comprehensive DAST (Dynamic Application Security Testing) scan that might take hours or even a day to cover your entire application, AAR offers a smarter, more agile approach. With AAR, you can record the specific user journey that incorporates your new hyperlink.

Here’s How It Works in Our Scenario:

1. Launch AAR: Open your browser (Chrome or Edge) and install the HCL AppScan Activity Recorder extension.
2. Record the journey: Simply navigate through your company's website, start recording, click on the newly added hyperlink, and perform the actions a typical user would do. AAR intelligently captures all the requests and responses, forming a precise "blueprint" of that interaction.
3. Focus the scan: Once recorded, AAR generates a .dast.config file. This file contains the exact sequence of actions and traffic specific to your new hyperlink and its associated functionality. You can upload the generated .dast.config file to the AppScan Dynamic analysis tool of your choice—such as HCL AppScan Enterprise, HCL AppScan Standard, HCL AppScan On Cloud, or HCL AppScan 360—to perform focused scans exclusively on the recorded activity.

The result? A rapid, focused security assessment of that specific new link and its underlying processes, providing immediate insights into any vulnerabilities without the overhead of a full application scan. This means faster remediation, quicker deployment, and unwavering confidence in your latest updates.

Learn how to record using AAR with the step-by-step guide.

Beyond Efficiency: Security and Control at Your Fingertips

AAR isn't just about speed and precision; it's also built with robust security and enterprise control in mind.

• Encrypted recordings for uncompromised data: At AppScan, we recognize that recorded activity may contain sensitive information, particularly in banking or e-commerce environments. That's why HCL AppScan Activity Recorder allows you to encrypt the recorded .dast.config file. This ensures that the data captured during your security testing remains confidential and protected, preventing unauthorized access to potentially sensitive traffic patterns or session data. This encrypted file can then be securely uploaded to  HCL AppScan Enterprise,  HCL AppScan Standard, or HCL AppScan On Cloud, maintaining data integrity throughout the security pipeline
• GPO policy: AAR provides granular control through Group Policy Object (GPO) policies, which are vital for organizations with strict security and compliance requirements. These policies allow administrators to restrict recording to specific sites precisely. By defining whitelists or blacklists of URLs, GPO ensures that AAR is only used on permitted sites, preventing inadvertent recording on sensitive internal applications or unauthorized external sites.

Some AppScan Benefits You Just Can’t Ignore

AI-Enabled time savings: We can quickly pinpoint and fix critical vulnerabilities with agentic AI-powered application security, which reduces false positives, prioritizes risks, and suggests or generates fixes. 

Actionable insights: HCL AppScan provides comprehensive and detailed security test reports that contain scan issues, along with remediation guidance for the reported issues. View the sample security reports and generate different report formats, including HTML, PDF, XML, and CSV.

In a world where one breach can change everything, AAR is your secret weapon for maintaining a secure and resilient application landscape. It's time to test smarter, not harder, and ensure every new feature and every new link is a fortress against evolving threats. Still thinking about using AAR? Why the delay in fortifying your defences against potential vulnerabilities?

Get more information on all HCL AppScan application security testing solutions.

Watch our video on comprehensive security testing to see it in action.

Benefit from seamless integrations with popular developer tools like Visual Studio, Jenkins, GitHub, GitLab, and more — view the full list of integrations.

Interested in getting started? Contact our team to learn more.