Penetration Testing as a Service (PTaaS) is a modern approach to security testing that allows organisations to perform smaller, more frequent assessments without the overhead of traditional engagements.
Unlike conventional penetration testing, which often requires lengthy scoping exercises and commercial agreements for each test, PTaaS operates on a flexible model. Testing can be triggered as needed, whether for new features, infrastructure changes, or retesting previous findings. This removes the delays associated with penetration testing such as contract or scope negotiation, making it easier to integrate security into agile development workflows and CI/CD pipelines, allowing teams to:
- Push secure code without delay
- Validate fixes quickly
- Avoid the bottlenecks of legacy testing models
What to Look for in a PTaaS Provider
A good PTaaS provider integrates with and becomes part of your team. The following are some of the key qualities to look for when selecting a partner to support your security testing needs
Credentials
Choose a provider that holds recognised accreditations, such as CREST. Such accreditation demonstrates that the organisation meets high standards for technical capability, ethical conduct, and quality assurance. Accreditation also provides assurance to stakeholders that the testing is being carried out by qualified professionals following industry best practices.
Testing Platform
A good PTaaS provider should offer a platform that allows your team to view findings as they are discovered. Look for features that support direct communication between your developers and the testers. This enables faster clarification of issues, quicker validation of fixes, and a more collaborative approach to security. Evolve North’s platform, Reporter, is a strong example of this approach.
Reporter gives your team live visibility into ongoing assessments. You can communicate directly with testers, ask for clarification, and request retests. It also integrates with tools like Jira and GitHub, so findings can be tracked and resolved within your existing workflow. For those who prefer traditional formats, PDF reports are available on demand.
Toolchain Integration
Integration with your existing development tools is essential. Platforms that connect with systems like GitHub, GitLab, or Jira allow vulnerabilities to be tracked and managed within your normal workflows. This reduces friction and ensures that security issues are addressed alongside other development tasks.
Scheduling and Responsiveness
Security testing needs to keep pace with development. Your provider should be able to respond to testing requests at short notice, whether for a new feature, a critical fix, or a compliance deadline. Flexibility is key to ensuring that security doesn’t become a bottleneck.
Retesting and Continuous Improvement
Look for a provider that supports retesting without requiring a new contract or scoping exercise. This allows your team to fix issues and validate them quickly. Continuous access to testers also helps build a stronger security culture within your development team.
Final Thoughts
Security often feels like a separate process but PTaaS changes that. It brings testers into your development cycle and makes security part of the conversation. PTaaS gives you the tools to test early, fix quickly, and stay secure. It fits naturally into modern development workflows and removes the delays that often come with traditional testing.
This approach supports regulatory compliance goals and helps teams build a culture of security and continuous improvement. With regular feedback and support, developers learn from each test and improve over time.
If your team is looking for a way to build secure software without slowing down, PTaaS is worth exploring.
We’re here to help and offer our advice on what will work best for your business, reach out on info@evolvenorth.com or call 01748 905 002