Penetration Testing as a Service (PTaaS, or pentest as a service) represents an evolution of traditional security testing by delivering continuous penetration testing through a subscription-based model rather than one-time annual engagements.
PTaaS engagements typically combine scheduled testing with on-demand assessments to enable organisations to have ongoing visibility into their security posture as it changes over time. This approach includes access to a dedicated team of penetration testers, a technology platform for real-time vulnerability tracking and reporting, and the flexibility to test any new features, applications, or infrastructure as they’re deployed instead of waiting for the next annual assessment.
The primary advantage of PTaaS is that it aligns security testing with modern development practices and can become part of the software development lifecycle (SDLC). This is particularly beneficial for organisations that use agile methodologies or continuous deployment.
As new code can be released weekly, or even daily, it isn’t uncommon to see the results of annual penetration testing becoming quickly outdated. This is due to traditional penetration testing providing a snapshot of an organisation’s security at a single point in time, and focused on a limited scope rather than offering ongoing assurance of the wider organisation. PTaaS addresses this by offering regular testing cadences (monthly, quarterly, or triggered by deployments) combined with unlimited retesting to validate fixes.
This model also typically includes platform features like vulnerability dashboards, compliance reporting, historical trending, and integration with development tools to make it easier for organisations to track remediation progress and demonstrate security improvements over time.
For rapidly evolving businesses, PTaaS provides more relevant, actionable security insights than traditional point-in-time assessments.