PTaaS Checklist
Don't just "check the box". Learn 7 factors that will ensure your next pentest is a strategic advantage for your business.
PTaaS Checklist
Don't just "check the box". Learn 7 factors that will ensure your next pentest is a strategic advantage for your business.

What is pentesting?

Penetration testing, commonly known as pentesting, is a manual security assessment, analysis and progression of simulated attacks on business assets including applications, networks, APIs, and more with the end goal to harden and improve security. The process is typically conducted with the same mindset, tools, and tactics that a malicious actor would take to exploit the asset.

Pentesting is required by many compliance frameworks including PCI, SOC 2, HIPAA, etc. and should also be a strategic part of any security program. 

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PENTESTING DEFINED

Why should companies pentest?

Pentesting helps evaluate the security of systems by safely trying to exploit vulnerabilities. By simulating real-world attacks, organizations can identify security weaknesses, understand the potential impact of breaches, and craft strategies to fortify their defenses and mitigate risks. By leveraging Pentesting as part of an offensive security approach, companies can evaluate existing security controls to ensure they are effective against potential threats.

MODERN PENTEST SERVICES

Pentest as a Service vs. Traditional Pentests

Pentesting as a Service (PtaaS) offers a transformative approach to security testing compared to traditional pentesting methods.

  • Start a test in days instead of weeks, significantly accelerating the testing process. 
  • PtaaS platforms foster direct engagement with pentesters, enabling real-time communication to clarify findings and understand their implications.
  • Flexible reporting tailored to meet specific compliance requirements.
  • Findings can be integrated into existing ticketing systems, streamlining the remediation process.
  • PtaaS offers on-demand retesting of vulnerabilities as fixes are made, ensuring that security improvements are validated. 
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BENEFITS

Pentest as a Service model is changing the way security and development teams conduct pentesting.

Trusted talent & integrations

Engage an expert pentester who best matches your needs and easily manage or aggregate all your pentest data with integrations to your tools such as Jira or GitHub.

Transparency & flexibility

Discover vulnerabilities faster with real-time communication with pentesters. Start a new test in days while enhancing your ability to stay compliant and accelerate secure build-to-release cycles.

A modern testing platform

With over a thousand customers trusting Cobalt to help improve their offensive security needs, you’ll be in good company when conducting a Cobalt Penetration Test. 

Exploring pentest types: Tailoring the right approach for your security

Comprehensive
Agile
Time-Based
Goal-Based
Comprehensive

A Comprehensive Pentest has a scope encompassing all vulnerability categories across an entire asset, and requires a report for external stakeholders.

See More PtaaS Benefits
 
3.1.1 Tab 3 Agile v Comprehensive
Agile

When significant new features such as a new role are added to an existing application that has already had a baseline comprehensive pentest, an agile test then ensures the security of the application overall with a limited scope assessment.

See agile pentest services
3.1.1 Tab 3 Agile v Comprehensive
Time-Based

Also known as “time-boxed” this type of test sets a time limit to the engagement to prioritize efficiency of getting results.

Explore Coverage Checklist
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Goal-Based

The goal-based penetration test is tailored to specific goals or scenarios, such as an identified attack vector, zero-day, or known system weakness, in order to maximize the relevance of the results.

See goal-based pentest services
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Pentest as a Service Lifecycle: Continuous testing made easy

The Cobalt Offensive Security Platform brings together data, technology, and talent to resolve security challenges in modern web applications, mobile applications, networks, APIs, and AI & LLMs. From penetration testing to red teaming, secure code review, and more, we identify security issues across your entire digital footprint to help you better understand and eliminate risk.

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Discover: Map your attack surface

Map your attack surface to identify critical internet-facing assets for testing. Leveraging customer input, and automated Attack Surface and DAST scanning, we create a map of your environment so we know where to look for vulnerabilities. 

Explore Attack Surface Management
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Plan: Build out your testing program

Prioritize and scope your pentests to meet the desired goals. Cobalt helps you proactively plan out your annual pentest schedule, resources, and budget to ensure continuous coverage across your applications, networks, and environment.

See DAST Solutions
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Test: Start expert analysis

Cobalt identifies domain experts with skills that match your technology stack. Your expert testers will analyze the targets for vulnerabilities and security flaws that could be exploited if not mitigated.

Meet Our Pentesters
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Remediate: Prioritize vulnerabilities intelligently

Take immediate action on high-severity findings while the test is ongoing. With real-time pentester collaboration and over 50 integrations, the Cobalt platform enables your team to start remediating vulnerabilities early, without waiting for the final report.

Explore platform integrations
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Retest: Free retesting with Cobalt

As vulnerabilities are reported and fixed, Cobalt Pentesters will verify the fix and update the final report. Every pentest includes free retesting of individual findings for either a 6 or 12-month period.

Explore remediation support
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Report & Analyze: Tailored reports for each stakeholder

Show pentesting results with full reports including findings details, an executive summary, and customer attestation to fit the needs of your key stakeholders. With insights and analysis in the Cobalt Platform, you can track and improve your security posture and show progress over time.

Explore report types
RELATED SOLUTIONS & SERVICES

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