In 2022, proactive security measures will be more critical than ever to thwart cyberattacks and manage digital threats. Andrew Obadiaru, Chief Information Security Officer at Cobalt, helps us discover three benefits of Pentest as a Service (PtaaS) and why companies should embrace it to keep their digital assets safe.
If 2021 showed how dangerous and prolific cyber attacks could be, companies need to prepare for what lies ahead. In today’s cyberthreat landscape, it’s critical to conduct pentests early – and often – to block cybercriminals from exploiting vulnerabilities.Â
Enter Pentest as a Service (PtaaS), a modern way to pentest that enables organizations of all sizes to manage scalable, efficient pentests with on-demand access to expert security talent via a SaaS delivery platform.Â
Three Benefits of PtaaS
Here are three benefits of PtaaS and why companies should embrace it to keep their digital assets safe:
1. Speedy Testing On-demand
The recent Log4j vulnerabilities exposed sensitive data and left many Java-based developers scrambling to patch their applications in a last-ditch effort to protect the information that hadn’t been exploited yet. Even different versions of deployed patches were exposed, leaving developers working nights and weekends to remediate their vulnerabilities and rebuild trust with their customers. This attack is a perfect example of how hackers can take advantage of vulnerabilities at any moment — and why access to on-demand pentesting is an essential component of a comprehensive security plan.Â
While traditional pentesting can take weeks (or even months!) of lead time, PtaaS offers fast turnaround times and real-time insights to remediate risks. This means that security and developer teams can detect and prevent Log4j-level threats before attackers can strike, ensuring their data — and their customers’ data — is protected from prying eyes.Â
2. Access to Top TalentÂ
A report from Information Systems Security Association found that the global cybersecurity worker shortage has impacted 70% of organizations, and its associated impacts have only gotten worse in recent years. Sourcing pentesting talent is challenging because it is a highly specialized field where demand outstrips supply.Â
Using PtaaS, organizations unlock access to a broader range of expert talent than the traditional pentesting model. There is a need for highly vetted, certified pentesters to find the right skills to match each of our customer’s security requirements and business needs. When talent is scarce, and cyberattacks are plenty, this level of access to top pentesting talent – hand-selected for customers’ wants and needs – is truly invaluable.
3. Seamless Engineering and DevOps Integrations
Research at Cobalt shows that 36% of IT security professionals agree that more efficient communication and collaboration between pentesters, engineers, and developers would enable better testing coverage for their organization. However, only 3 in 10 believe their companies’ security and engineering teams are “intertwined,†indicating inefficiencies in their communication processes. This can lead to frustration and dips in teams’ productivity — and worst of all, it can lead to vulnerabilities going undetected before they resurface in a later test.Â
Unlike traditional pentesting, where findings must be manually entered, PtaaS enables organizations to integrate data directly to engineering and DevOps workflows quickly and easily. PtaaS offers seamless integrations with platforms like GitHub and Jira, allowing maximum workflow efficiency from start to finish.Â
See More: Cybersecurity Specialist: Key Skill Requirements and Salary Expectations
Parting Thought
PtaaS is the future of pentesting. It’s fast, offers access to top pentesting talent, and enables more effective collaboration among pentesters, engineers, and developers for quick vulnerability identification and remediation.
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