Shortcomings of Traditional Penetration Tests

This white paper discusses the limitations of traditional penetration testing methods and introduces autonomous pentesting as a solution. It outlines how traditional pentests are often conducted infrequently, typically once or twice a year, leading to inadequate coverage of the attack surface. The paper highlights the time-consuming nature of traditional tests, which can take four to six weeks to complete, leaving vulnerabilities exposed during that period. It also addresses the variability in quality depending on the pentester's experience and the tendency for traditional tests to be siloed by IT system categories. In contrast, autonomous pentesting allows companies to conduct tests more frequently and comprehensively, covering internal, external, cloud-based, and IoT systems. The paper emphasizes the benefits of automated testing, including the ability to test thousands of assets quickly and the holistic approach that mimics attacker behavior, ultimately enhancing the security posture of organizations.