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Tag: penetration testing

32 articles

Cybersecurity team workspace with laptop and papers, overlooking cityscape through large window.

Autonomous Penetration Testing Gains Traction in Continuous Security Validation

Autonomous penetration testing is revolutionizing continuous security validation, with Breach360 by BreachLock leading the charge, leveraging intel from over 40,000 real-world engagements to simulate real-life attacks. Traditional severity scores have limitations, and it's time to look beyond them to get a true picture of your security risk.

Analyst 207
Security analysts work amidst multiple computer screens in a monitoring room with subtle signs of disarray.

CISA Red Team Tests Expose Organizational Vulnerabilities

CISA's red team tests revealed some eye-opening vulnerabilities, with the team slipping past security operations centers undetected, gaining access to workstations, escalating privileges, and moving freely between systems. This simulated cyber attack exposed weaknesses in critical infrastructure organizations, highlighting areas for improvement in detecting and responding to threats.

Analyst 207
Cybersecurity professional working in a lab with technology and security equipment.

OpenAI Unveils GPT-5.6-Cyber, Model With Reduced Safeguards

Meet GPT-5.6-Cyber, a game-changing AI model that supercharges cybersecurity tasks like vulnerability research and penetration testing with unprecedented success rates. This powerhouse model crushes 95% of advanced exploit-chain and privilege-escalation requests, leaving its predecessor in the dust.

Analyst 207
Security professional working in modern lab with laptop displaying abstract cybersecurity interface.

OpenAI Unveils ChatGPT 5.6 Cyber for Select Security Partners

OpenAI is supercharging cybersecurity with the launch of GPT 5.6 Cyber, a cutting-edge model designed to help defenders detect and fix vulnerabilities faster than ever before. This game-changing tool is being rolled out to select security partners, empowering them to identify and tackle serious threats with unprecedented speed and accuracy.

Analyst 207
Penetration tester working at desk with laptop and notes, surrounded by whiteboard and city view.

AI Applications Expose Widespread Security Vulnerabilities

A shocking 100% of AI applications tested harbored security vulnerabilities, with prompt injection flaws being the most common and damaging threat. This critical weakness, found in 28% of tested apps, highlights a glaring vulnerability that attackers are exploiting to manipulate model inputs.

Analyst 207
Modern security operations center with people working in background, focusing on futuristic cybersecurity workstation.

Pentera Injects Validation into AI-Driven Security Workflows

Pentera is revolutionizing AI-driven security by injecting validation into workflows, empowering teams to turn disconnected risk signals into decisive action against real attack paths. By safely emulating attacker techniques, Pentera provides the evidence needed to transform guesswork into effective security measures.

Analyst 207
Cluttered tech lab with scattered devices, laptops, and tools under indoor lighting.

QuimaRAT Exposes Cross-Platform Threat Capabilities

Meet QuimaRAT, a commercialized remote access trojan package that's being sold as a malware-as-a-service, threatening security across multiple platforms with its flexible subscription tiers. This Java-based tool is marketed for a surprisingly low price, ranging from $150 for a month to $1,200 for lifetime access.

Analyst 207
Secure tech development environment with workstation, blurred laptop screen, and abstract whiteboard notes.

NCSC Offers Guidance on Thwarting Penetration Testers

Want to make life harder for hackers? The National Cyber Security Centre teamed up with penetration testers to share practical tips on building secure systems from the ground up.

Analyst 207
Frustrated infosec professional sits at cluttered desk surrounded by papers and empty coffee cups.

Infosec Pros Ditch Automated Pentesting Tools Amid AI Vulnerability Failures

Infosec pros are ditching automated pentesting tools as they fail to detect AI-driven vulnerabilities, with 78% of practitioners experiencing critical false negatives. Humans are needed to outsmart AI-era flaws that automated scanners miss.

Analyst 207
Cybersecurity workstation with Linux computer, equipment, and reference materials on a neutral background.

Kali Linux Release Bolsters Cybersecurity Arsenal with 9 New Tools

Kali Linux just got a major boost with its latest release, packing 9 new tools to supercharge your cybersecurity arsenal. This update slashes boot time by nearly 3x and trims down the initrd to just 60 MB for VM users.

Analyst 207
Diverse high school students gather around a table with laptops and cybersecurity equipment in a brightly-lit classroom.

Cybersecurity Language Excludes Talent

The language used in cybersecurity can be a major turn-off, as one panelist discovered when a high school student sniggered at the term "penetration tester" - a reaction that sparked a thought-provoking question about who this language invites into the field, and who it inadvertently shuts out. This moment highlights a broader cultural issue in cybersecurity's approach to attracting new talent.

Analyst 207
Bank lobby with a subtle hint of vulnerability on a computer screen.

Banks' Annual Testing Model Leaves 345 Days of Unvalidated Exposure

Imagine having 345 days of potential vulnerability, with hackers free to exploit your defenses while you wait for your annual security test. That's the harsh reality of the traditional annual testing model, which leaves your business exposed for nearly 11 months of the year.

Analyst 207
Person in a corporate office speaking on phone with neutral expression.

Social Engineering Exposes Vulnerability in Corporate Networks

A clever phone call can be all it takes to breach a corporate network - just ask Brandon Dixon, a former penetration tester who convinced an IT security team to hand over root access by pretending to be their boss. With a simple social engineering trick, Dixon was able to reset his "password" and gain unrestricted access to the network.

Analyst 207
Security professional stands in front of rows of server racks and workstations in a modern data center.

AI Drives Shift to Continuous Penetration Testing in Cloud Environments

The AI revolution is transforming technology like never before, and Evinova is at the forefront, shifting from annual penetration testing to continuous security validation to safeguard its cloud-native healthcare software. This bold move replaces traditional point-in-time assessments with ongoing validation, ensuring rock-solid security for its customers.

Analyst 207
Large computer screen displays complex network diagram in modern lab setting.

Frontier AI Exposes Gaps in Traditional Security Programs

Imagine having the power to replicate a full year’s worth of manual penetration testing in just three weeks - that's the reality with frontier AI, which has exposed significant gaps in traditional security programs. Palo Alto Networks and Unit 42 have revealed that advanced models like Anthropic Mythos can autonomously identify software vulnerabilities and adapt to defensive controls in near-real-time.

Analyst 207
Automated Pentesting Tools Hit PoC Plateau

Automated Pentesting Tools Hit PoC Plateau

Automated pentesting tools can deliver impressive early results, quickly uncovering low-hanging fruit and generating proof-of-concept failures - but often hit a plateau, leaving significant attack surfaces untested and creating a validation gap that's hard to ignore. This phenomenon, known as the PoC cliff, can abruptly halt progress, causing detection and exploitation attempts to drop off and tools to stop producing actionable findings.

Analyst 207
Person in hoodie sits before laptop with cityscape, robotic arm emerges from shadows to automate tasks.

AI Boosts Pentesting Efficiency by 40% at Amazon

Amazon's security team has achieved a game-changing 40% boost in pentesting efficiency by harnessing the power of artificial intelligence, significantly speeding up the process of identifying vulnerabilities and keeping the internet more secure. This innovative approach is a major win for productivity and a strong indicator of AI's growing role in cybersecurity.

Analyst 207
penetration testing: Must-Have Tips to Avoid Risky Costs

penetration testing: Must-Have Tips to Avoid Risky Costs

Passing a pen test feels great — until the invoice arrives and the same vulnerability makes the headlines, exposing whether you paid for real security or just a shiny compliance report. Treat testing as continuous, threat-informed risk management: scope by business impact, budget for remediation and retesting, and combine automated checks with expert red teams to avoid costly surprises.

Analyst 207
delivery of pentest results: Must-Have Best Practices

delivery of pentest results: Must-Have Best Practices

Penetration testing uncovers real attack paths, but static PDFs and emails let critical fixes stall — automating delivery into ticketing, CI/CD, and dashboards turns findings into fast, measurable remediation. Adopt continuous workflows to shrink exposure windows, boost collaboration, and make pen-test insights actually stick.

Analyst 207
AI-native Villager: Risky Exclusive Tool Sparks Alarm

AI-native Villager: Risky Exclusive Tool Sparks Alarm

A China-origin tool called AI-native Villager has quietly topped 11,000 PyPI downloads, combining Kali Linux and DeepSeek into an easy-to-use pen-testing automation that’s as useful for defenders as it is tempting for attackers. That rapid uptake underscores a growing dilemma: powerful, AI-driven tooling can speed security work — and just as quickly widen the pool of potential abusers.

Analyst 207
continuous penetration testing: Must-Have Best Practices

continuous penetration testing: Must-Have Best Practices

Pentesting no longer needs to be a dusty PDF — automation turns slow, episodic reports into continuous, near‑real‑time testing pipelines that let expert humans focus on creative attack paths while machines handle discovery, validation, and ticketing. Done right, this speeds fixes and reduces exposure; done poorly, it creates noise and governance headaches, so balance and integration are essential.

Analyst 207
Hackers Exploit Leaked Shellter License to Spread Lumma and SectopRAT

Hackers Exploit Leaked Shellter License to Spread Lumma and SectopRAT

Hackers have exploited leaked Shellter licenses to weaponize this trusted red teaming tool, enabling the stealthy spread of Lumma and SectopRAT malware that evades detection by masquerading as legitimate penetration testing activity. This incident highlights a growing challenge in cybersecurity: safeguarding offensive security tools from misuse without hindering their essential role in strengthening defenses.

Analyst 207
Red Team Tool Creator Shellter Acknowledges ‘Misuse’ by Adversaries

Red Team Tool Creator Shellter Acknowledges ‘Misuse’ by Adversaries

Red Team Tool Shellter addresses concerns over its misuse by adversaries, emphasizing ethical use and responsible security practices in cybersecurity.

Analyst 207
Hackers Exploit Leaked Shellter Tool to Distribute Infostealers

Hackers Exploit Leaked Shellter Tool to Distribute Infostealers

Hackers are exploiting the leaked Shellter tool to deploy infostealers, compromising systems and stealing sensitive information rapidly.

Analyst 207