About
Cobalt pioneered Penetration Testing as a Service (PTaaS), transforming traditional, slow, and costly security assessments into a fast, scalable, and continuous SaaS-based offering. The platform leverages over a decade of proprietary exploit intelligence and AI to automate reconnaissance, isolate high-risk vulnerabilities, and accelerate remediation cycles. Organizations can start a pentest in as little as 24 hours by tapping into Cobalt Core — a curated, highly vetted community of global penetration testing experts. Cobalt supports a wide range of pentest services including Web Application, API, AI & LLM, Internal and External Network, Cloud, and Red Teaming assessments. Beyond one-off tests, Cobalt enables teams to build a continuous Offensive Security Program with ongoing testing, fix validation, and strategic security guidance. Deep integrations with developer and DevSecOps workflows help teams identify and remediate vulnerabilities faster without disrupting delivery pipelines. Cobalt serves security teams across startups, SMBs, and enterprises, offering flexible credit-based pricing to match varied testing needs. Whether for developer compliance, application security, or SOC-level red teaming, Cobalt provides the speed, transparency, and expert quality needed to stay ahead of evolving threats.
Key Features
- On-Demand PTaaS Platform: Launch penetration tests in as little as 24 hours through a streamlined SaaS interface, eliminating the slow procurement cycles of traditional pentesting.
- AI-Powered Vulnerability Detection: Leverages over a decade of proprietary exploit intelligence to automate reconnaissance and surface high-risk vulnerabilities faster than manual methods alone.
- Cobalt Core Expert Network: Access a global community of rigorously vetted penetration testers who bring specialized expertise across web, API, cloud, network, and AI/LLM security domains.
- Continuous Offensive Security Program: Go beyond point-in-time tests with an ongoing program that includes continuous testing, fix validation, and strategic security guidance aligned to business goals.
- DevSecOps Integrations: Automate vulnerability workflows by integrating Cobalt with existing developer tools and pipelines, accelerating identification and remediation without slowing delivery.
Use Cases
- A SaaS company needs a rapid web application pentest before a major product launch and uses Cobalt to engage expert testers within 24 hours.
- An enterprise security team builds a continuous offensive security program with Cobalt to regularly validate fixes and test new attack surfaces as their product evolves.
- A fintech startup uses Cobalt's API Pentest and Compliance services to meet SOC 2 and PCI-DSS requirements with documented, third-party validated security assessments.
- A DevSecOps team integrates Cobalt into their CI/CD pipeline to automatically trigger pentests and route findings to their issue tracker for faster remediation.
- An organization deploying AI and LLM-based features engages Cobalt's AI & LLM Pentest service to identify prompt injection, model abuse, and data leakage vulnerabilities.
Pros
- Rapid Time-to-Test: Organizations can initiate a pentest in under 24 hours, making security testing far more agile compared to traditional vendors with weeks-long lead times.
- Comprehensive Service Coverage: Covers a broad attack surface including web apps, APIs, AI/LLM models, cloud environments, internal/external networks, and red teaming in a single platform.
- AI-Enhanced Efficiency: AI automation accelerates recon and vulnerability triage, allowing human experts to focus on deeper, higher-value findings.
- Flexible Credit-Based Pricing: A credit model allows organizations to allocate security testing resources dynamically across different services and business units.
Cons
- Enterprise Pricing: Cobalt is a premium paid service without a free tier, which may be cost-prohibitive for very small teams or individual developers.
- Requires Scoping Effort: Effective pentests still require customers to invest time in scoping, asset documentation, and coordination with testers to get maximum value.
- Limited Self-Service Automation: While AI accelerates parts of the process, the platform still relies heavily on human expert involvement, meaning fully automated continuous scanning is not the core offering.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Penetration Testing as a Service (PTaaS)?
PTaaS is a cloud-based model for delivering penetration testing on demand through a SaaS platform. Unlike traditional pentests that require lengthy procurement and scheduling, PTaaS allows organizations to initiate tests quickly, track progress in real time, and receive findings directly in an integrated dashboard.
How quickly can I start a pentest with Cobalt?
Cobalt allows you to kick off a penetration test in as little as 24 hours, depending on the scope and service type selected.
What types of pentests does Cobalt offer?
Cobalt offers Web Application, API, AI & LLM, Internal Network, External Network, Cloud, Secure Code Review, DAST, Red Teaming, and Attack Surface Management pentests, among others.
Does Cobalt use AI in its pentesting process?
Yes. Cobalt leverages over a decade of proprietary exploit intelligence and AI to automate reconnaissance and isolate high-risk vulnerabilities faster, augmenting the work of its human pentesters.
Who are the Cobalt Core pentesters?
Cobalt Core is a global community of highly skilled and thoroughly vetted penetration testing professionals. They are screened for technical expertise and professional conduct before being approved to conduct tests on behalf of Cobalt customers.
