Skip to main content

Why choose PTaaS over Penetration Testing?



Penetration Testing as a Service (PTaaS) is a relatively new approach to cybersecurity that is rapidly gaining popularity. It involves using automated tools to scan networks, systems, and applications for vulnerabilities rather than relying on traditional pen testing on a schedule. As a result, PTaaS offers many advantages over conventional pen testing, including faster and more efficient testing, consistent testing, cost-effectiveness, more comprehensive testing, and scalability.


And while PTaaS may be a new approach to cybersecurity, our team at Xcape, Inc., has been developing our version for the last four years, testing it alongside ourselves on standard engagements. Our version is the most comprehensive for internal, external, and cloud infrastructure scanning because of the Xcape Blended Methodology Adversary Simulation engine, or XBMAS.


This article will explore these advantages in more detail and explain why PTaaS is becoming increasingly popular among organizations of all sizes and industries to improve their cybersecurity posture. And how our XBMAS engine makes our offering different from the competition. 


PTaaS Workflow by Xcape, Inc.

Faster and More Efficient Testing


One of the primary advantages of PTaaS is that it is much faster and more efficient than traditional testing. The automated tools used in PTaaS can scan networks, systems, and applications quickly and accurately, reducing the time it takes to identify vulnerabilities. Addressing vulnerabilities promptly reduces the window of opportunity for attackers to exploit them.


In addition, we can cover a much larger scope than manual testing using our NetNinja appliance. With it deployed in our customer's infrastructure, we can scan thousands of systems and applications across multiple sites quickly, which would be impossible for human testers to do in a reasonable amount of time. So that organizations can get a more comprehensive view of their security posture, including identifying previously unknown vulnerabilities.


Consistent Testing


Another advantage of PTaaS is that it can run consistently and continuously, which is impossible with traditional testing. Traditional pen testing is done on a schedule periodically, which means that vulnerabilities can be missed between tests. With PTaaS, scans can be run regularly as frequently as daily.


Then the data from those scans are fed to our XBMAS engine for the automated attack portion of the test. We use automation to assist our pentesters in getting their initial access to our customers' systems, allowing them to spend more time on exploit development. From there, our testers take over, attempting to validate and prove the viability and business impact of the results of our scans, ensuring that vulnerabilities are identified and addressed promptly.


Consistent testing also helps organizations meet compliance requirements, such as those mandated by PCI-DSS or HIPAA. For example, these regulations require regular vulnerability testing, and PTaaS can make it easier to meet these requirements.


Cost-Effective


PTaaS is also more cost effective than traditional testing. Traditional testing requires hiring external testers, which can be expensive, especially if testing needs to happen frequently. Our PTaaS solution uses software and hardware tools to scale our team's reach.


In addition, PTaaS can help organizations save money by identifying vulnerabilities early before they are exploited. Thus reducing the costs associated with data breaches, including the cost of investigations, remediation, and legal fees.


More Comprehensive Testing


PTaaS is also more comprehensive than traditional testing. With over 50 automated tools in PTaaS, it can scan for a wide range of vulnerabilities, including those that human testers may miss. PTaaS can also detect vulnerabilities specific to particular software versions or configurations, which can be difficult for human testers to identify.


In addition, PTaaS can help organizations identify vulnerabilities in internal and external infrastructure, third-party software, and cloud environments. This is important because many organizations rely on third-party vendors and cloud providers for critical services. Internal infrastructure vulnerabilities identified as possible pivot points in the event of a breach are also cataloged. PTaaS can help identify vulnerabilities in these environments that may not be identified through traditional testing. 


Scalability


Finally, PTaaS is highly scalable, which is impossible with traditional testing. Traditional testing requires human testers, which can limit the scope of testing and the number of systems and applications that can be tested. PTaaS can be scaled to cover thousands of systems and applications, making it ideal for organizations of all sizes.


In addition, PTaaS can be customized to meet the specific needs of each organization. For example, some organizations may require more frequent scans, while others may require scans of specific systems or applications. PTaaS scans are tailored to meet these needs, ensuring organizations get the most value from their investment.


Potential Drawbacks of PTaaS


While PTaaS offers many advantages over traditional testing, it has its potential drawbacks. One potential drawback is that automated tools may only identify some vulnerabilities, especially those that are complex or require manual testing. In addition, automated tools may generate false positives or negatives. So our team of seasoned pentesters evaluates findings and retests infrastructure when these issues get identified. 


In conclusion, PTaaS is a better approach than traditional pen testing on a schedule. It is faster, more efficient, consistent, cost-effective, and more comprehensive than traditional testing. As organizations continue to face an increasing number of cyber threats, adopting PTaaS can help them identify vulnerabilities and protect their networks, systems, and applications from attackers.


Want to Learn More about what PTaaS from Xcape, Inc., has to offer, Click Here


Interested in scheduling a consultation? Click Here
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Why you should pick Xcape, Inc., for backup internet.

In today's hyper-connected world, internet downtime can be catastrophic for businesses and individuals. That's why having a reliable backup internet service is crucial. This blog post will pit our cellular backup service and router ( NetMaxX ) against another provider to show why our backup internet service is superior. Our customer recently complained to their primary internet service provider about their internet downtimes on an install. They sent a technician to install a failover router and service from their primary provider. Unfortunately, not only was the technician they sent unable to install and configure the failover router properly. But they continued going down until we installed our NetMaxX , utilizing our network. First and foremost, our backup internet service offers automatic failover. If the primary internet connection fails, our service automatically switches over to the backup cellular connection, ensuring minimal disruption to your internet access. Not that
Post a Comment
Read more

Have you tested your backup recently?

We're in the business of helping people, so when a business owner reached out for assistance during a ransomware attack they had experienced, our first question was, "When was your most recent backup?" The owner said his CTO assured him they backed up their Amazon Web Services infrastructure.  Well, they had one snapshot from several years ago, which wouldn't do anything for them. Of course, we always feel bad for giving business owners awful news. But, sometimes, even as experts without the absolute minimum being done technically, we're only left with a few options in ways we can help. So we reversed-engineered and created a decryption application based on the ransomware sample we recovered during our investigation. Recovering over 3 TB of data in the process. While that's not always a possibility, in this case, many things went right for us during the investigation.  Is there a better way to handle ransomware attack recovery ? YES! But the issue wasn't t
Post a Comment
Read more

How secure is your SMB's domain name?

Studies show that small businesses are being targeted now more than ever in cyber attacks. ( Forbes: Small Businesses Are More Frequent Targets Of Cyberattacks Than Larger Companies ) When cybersecurity professionals discuss two-factor authentication, domain registrars or DNS hijacking is often not the topic. (Think 2FA for GoDaddy , NameCheap , and SquareSpace , to name a few. Take a moment and use these links to setup 2fa for your domain, or google "How to turn on 2fa for name of provider .") Surprisingly, even in 2023, some providers still don't support this essential security control.  However, your domain name controls an organization's corporate website and email exchange records. And suppose an attacker were to get control of it. In that case, they could recreate your email addresses, and password reset their way to control all the accounts owned by an organization.  A few of the recent incidents we've responded to involve attacks where the attacker obtains
Post a Comment
Read more