Security teams are expected to move fast, but application security alerts often slow them down. Most tools generate signals based on traffic or signatures, leaving analysts unsure whether an application was actually exploited. The new integration between
Contrast Security and Datadog is designed to simplify that problem by bringing verified application runtime alerts directly into Datadog Cloud SIEM.
By connecting Contrast Application Detection and Response (ADR) with Datadog, SOCs and MSSPs can see confirmed application attacks alongside their existing security data. Instead of guessing which alerts matter, teams get clear signals that show when an attack has truly reached vulnerable code.
Seeing real attacks, not just attempts
Many security alerts report on what was attempted, not what succeeded. That gap creates noise and forces manual investigation. Contrast takes a different approach by observing application behavior as the code runs.
Faya Peng, General Manager of ADR and Head of Product at Contrast Security, told MSSP Alert, “Contrast focuses on behavioral abnormalities within the application itself, rather than simple traffic matching. Unlike perimeter tools that report on every attempt, we only trigger an alert if a payload actually hits a vulnerability and triggers abnormal behavior. This allows us to detect threats accurately without relying on a signature database, ensuring MSSPs receive only verified, actionable intelligence.”
Because these alerts are generated inside the application, they carry much higher confidence. When they flow into Datadog Cloud SIEM, SOC teams can treat them as trusted signals. This makes it easier to automate response steps and prioritize incidents without stopping to validate every alert.
Cutting noise and speeding up investigations
Application security alert volume is a major source of analyst fatigue, especially for MSSPs managing many customers. WAFs and similar tools often generate large numbers of alerts that never turn into real incidents.
“Data from our own researchers shows that perimeter signals from WAFs have less than a 0.25% correlation to real exploits, which leads to an incredible number of false positives,” Peng said. “This is because WAFs rely on signatures. Contrast eliminates the noise by focusing on behavioral abnormalities, alerting only when the application code executes an abnormal action. This allows MSSPs to trust that the data is real and cut investigation time from days to minutes.”
With fewer false positives reaching the SIEM, analysts can focus on response instead of validation. That shift helps reduce mean time to respond and lowers the effort required to manage application-layer threats.
Supporting MSSPs without adding more specialists
Many MSSPs do not have dedicated application security teams, yet customers still expect protection at the application layer. The integration is designed to help providers meet that demand without expanding headcount.
“Directly from the alert within the Datadog SIEM, the MSSP team member gets access to our expert runbooks with step-by-step guidance on how to triage and respond,” Peng said. “An analyst does not need to be an application security expert to take action. Between this guided response and the precise attack context, MSSPs can deliver advanced application defense without adding specialized headcount.”
By pairing verified alerts with clear guidance, the integration turns application security into something SOC analysts can handle using existing workflows. This makes it easier for MSSPs to offer application-layer detection and faster remediation as part of their standard services.
Contrast ADR is available through the Datadog platform, allowing joint customers to bring verified application runtime intelligence into Datadog Cloud SIEM. For teams focused on reducing noise and responding faster, the integration ties application security more closely to everyday SOC operations.
