AI Security Testing Investment Grows, Small Firms Build Custom Apps

Bright Security released a report showing that enterprises are shifting from periodic penetration tests to continuous dynamic application security testing (DAST) as software delivery cycles accelerate and AI‑assisted coding tools such as GitHub Copilot increase the volume of vulnerable code. The analysis notes that daily deployments make traditional six‑figure pentest contracts ineffective, prompting budgets to allocate more to platforms that scan applications on each build and identify weaknesses before code is released.

A separate study by the AI software platform Emergent, the Age of Custom Software Index 2026, found that one‑third of small business owners have created their own software solutions because off‑the‑shelf products are either too costly or nonexistent. Median agency quotes for a basic custom build were $20,000, with many projects exceeding $100,000 and taking over a year. Roughly eight million users across 28 industries now rely on these bespoke applications for payments, email, and custom domains, highlighting a growing demand for tailored software when existing SaaS options fall short.