What is the Difference Between On-Demand Testing and PTaaS?
In this article, we’ll explore the differences between the credit-based, on-demand penetration testing models often marketed as PTaaS, and the continuous security offered by true PTaaS solutions.
What is Credit-Based, On-Demand Penetration Testing?
Many providers label their services as PTaaS, but in reality, they follow a credit-based, on-demand testing model. In this approach, companies purchase credits that can be redeemed for penetration tests when needed. This might sound flexible, but it effectively mirrors traditional on-demand testing in that security assessments are still conducted at specific times, whether for compliance reasons, system updates, or on-demand checks requested by the organization. Here’s how it works:
- Credit Purchase: Organizations buy a certain number of testing credits in advance. These credits represent different types of tests (e.g., network, application, or cloud testing) and can be redeemed based on the business’s testing needs.
- Scheduled Testing: The company uses its credits to schedule tests at pre-determined times. The frequency and scope of these tests are often dictated by available credits or testing budgets, meaning some systems or applications may go untested for extended periods.
- Assessment and Reporting: Much like traditional on-demand penetration testing, these assessments provide a snapshot of the organization’s security posture at a given moment. A report is generated after the testing is complete, detailing vulnerabilities and suggested remediation efforts.
- Follow-up and Retesting: Some providers offer credits for retesting after vulnerabilities have been addressed, but this is typically an additional cost.
Ultimately, while credit-based models offer convenience, they encourage a reactive mindset, testing only when prompted, rather than staying ahead of evolving threats.
Limitations of On-Demand Penetration Testing
Because of the reactive nature of credit-based on-demand testing, it still shares several significant limitations with traditional testing, even though it seems more flexible:
- Episodic Testing: Much like traditional penetration testing, security assessments are conducted at specific times, providing a single snapshot of the environment. Vulnerabilities that emerge between tests can go undetected for months, leaving organizations exposed.
- Limited Real-Time Insight: This model does not offer continuous visibility into the organization’s security posture. Without real-time monitoring, businesses may not be aware of critical vulnerabilities until the next scheduled test.
- Reactive Approach: On-demand testing is inherently reactive. Security teams only address vulnerabilities once they’ve been identified during a test, rather than continuously monitoring and remediating issues as they arise.
True security maturity requires shifting from sporadic assessments to a continuous, threat-driven approach that prioritizes resilience over routine, and that is where Penetration Testing as a Service (PTaaS) comes in.
What is Penetration Testing as a Service (PTaaS)?
Penetration Testing as a Service (PTaaS) is a continuous approach to security assessment that combines automated tools, manual testing, and a centralized cloud platform to deliver real-time visibility into an organization’s risk posture. Through scheduled testing cycles, PTaaS enables organizations to identify, validate, and remediate vulnerabilities as they emerge, not months later.
Automated scans surface common exposures quickly, while expert testers perform in-depth manual testing to uncover complex attack paths that automation alone would miss. Delivered through a secure platform, PTaaS centralizes the entire process: tracking assets, managing findings, assigning remediation tasks, and providing real-time updates as new issues are discovered.
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Benefits of Penetration Testing as a Service (PTaaS)
How Our PTaaS Solution Outperforms the Rest
Our PTaaS offering goes beyond other services by providing continuous, up to weekly, scheduled testing by expert ethical hackers, not just on-demand testing. Every vulnerability is manually validated, threat-modeled, and prioritized based on your environment. Findings are delivered in real time through our platform, where they’re automatically assigned by role and managed through a Kanban interface to streamline remediation.
What truly sets us apart is how we go beyond testing with a true security partnership, meeting with your security team once a month to help improve your processes and improve your overall security posture. Furthermore, by including attack surface management, dark web analysis, and phishing assessments, we help you uncover both technical and human risks, closing the loop before attackers can exploit them.
The result? High and critical vulnerabilities drop to near zero within months, and your security program becomes more resilient with every cycle.
