Cobalt Offensive Security Platform shaping the future of agile, continuous security testing

Cobalt, the pioneer of penetration testing as a service (PTaaS) and leader in offensive security services, today announced its recognition as a Sample Vendor in three 2025 Gartner® Hype Cycle reports: Hype Cycle for Application Security (July 2025), Hype Cycle for Security Operations (June 2025), and Hype Cycle for XaaS (July 2025). In each report, Cobalt is listed in the penetration testing as a service (PTaaS) category. According to Gartner, Penetration testing as a service (PTaaS) provides technology-led, point-in-time and continuous application and infrastructure testing aligned with penetration testing (pentesting) standards, which have traditionally relied heavily on human pentesters using commercial/proprietary tools. The service is delivered via a SaaS platform, leveraging a hybrid approach of automation and human pentesters (crowdsourced or vendors’ in-house team) to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the results.

This marks the third consecutive year that Cobalt has been recognized in these reports. We believe this recognition underscores its industry leadership in modernizing security validation by providing organizations with a scalable, platform-based approach to offensive security. The Cobalt Offensive Security Platform integrates seamlessly into DevSecOps workflows and continuous threat exposure management (CTEM) strategies. With speed, scale, and excellence at its core, the Cobalt Platform addresses the growing complexity of today’s attack surfaces, helping security and development teams identify and remediate vulnerabilities faster than ever before.

“Legacy pentesting simply can’t keep pace with the speed of digital transformation,” said Jason Lamar, SVP of Product at Cobalt. “We think our inclusion across three Gartner Hype Cycle reports validates what our customers already know: PTaaS is the path forward. By combining human expertise with the scalable Cobalt Platform, we’re helping organizations move from point-in-time testing to continuous, programmatic validation, without compromising quality or compliance.”

According to Gartner, “PTaaS complements exposure assessments and traditional application security testing. It also provides cost optimization and quality improvement of pentesting output along with validation of exposure status. PTaaS enables organizations to elevate their security posture with continuous assessments that integrate validation earlier in the software development life cycle as compared with traditional pentesting efforts. It gives access to real-time findings delivered through a platform, which accelerates remediation and improves collaboration efforts.”

The Cobalt Platform delivers:

• On-demand pentesting with scheduling in as little as 24 hours.
• Real-time access to findings and collaboration tools for developers and security teams.
• Seamless integration with development tools, ticketing systems, and pipelines.
• Leverages AI to enhance pentesters' capabilities and streamline reporting, all with human oversight.
• Continuous engagement with a global community of more than 450 vetted pentesters.
• Comprehensive visibility into performance metrics and remediation progress over time.

Cobalt continues to drive innovation across the application security and offensive security markets. We hold the view that with this recognition, the company reaffirms its commitment to delivering actionable, accessible, and scalable pentesting that strengthens security postures across modern digital enterprises.

To learn more about the Cobalt Platform, visit www.cobalt.io.

Gartner Hype Cycle for Application Security, By Dionisio Zumerle, July 22, 2025

Gartner Hype Cycle for Security Operations, 2025, By Jonathan Nunez, Darren Livingstone, June 23, 2025

Gartner Hype Cycle for XaaS, 2025, By Jason Donham, July 28, 2025

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About Cobalt

Cobalt is the pioneer in pentesting as a service (PTaaS) and a leader in offensive security services. We are focused on combining talent and technology with speed, scalability, and expertise. Thousands of customers and hundreds of partners rely on the Cobalt Offensive Security Platform, along with 450+ trusted security experts, to find and fix vulnerabilities across their environments. By enabling faster pentest launches, real-time collaboration with pentesters, and seamless integration with remediation workflows, we help organizations identify critical issues and accelerate risk mitigation so they can operate fearlessly and innovate securely.

Cobalt maintains an outstanding NPS of 9.12, reflecting its dedication to customer satisfaction. Read our reviews on G2 to see why customers love us. More at https://www.cobalt.io. Follow Cobalt on LinkedIn and X.

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