Penetration Testing as a Service (PTaaS): Why Traditional Pen Testing Falls Short

Security audits demand proof of resilience. Compliance frameworks expect validation of controls. Customers and regulators want assurance that vulnerabilities aren’t just discovered—but fixed.

So, you schedule a penetration test. Ethical hackers probe your systems, document their findings, and deliver a report. Your team patches the vulnerabilities. The auditors check a box.

And then? Nothing.

For months—sometimes a year—security operates in a vacuum. Meanwhile, your attack surface changes, new vulnerabilities emerge, and the last pentest report quickly becomes outdated. That’s the flaw with point-in-time testing—it provides a snapshot of risk but no ongoing assurance.

This is where Penetration Testing as a Service (PTaaS) changes the game.

TL;DR

Traditional penetration testing is a one-time assessment, leaving security gaps as new threat actors and vulnerabilities emerge.

Frequent testing and continuous security testing are critical for protecting mobile applications, cloud environments, and critical infrastructure.

PTaaS combines automation with human assessments, delivering real-time insights, faster remediation, and stronger ongoing security.

What is Penetration Testing as a Service 

Penetration Testing as a Service (PTaaS) is a modern approach to security testing that combines human-led penetration tests with cloud-based automation and real-time reporting. 

Unlike traditional “point-in-time” pen tests that happen once a year and deliver a static PDF report weeks later, PTaaS is delivered through an online platform for continuous, on-demand testing and immediate insight into vulnerabilities​

Why businesses need PTaaS 

In a PTaaS engagement, skilled ethical hackers use the same tools and techniques as attackers to probe your systems, but the findings are delivered via a SaaS portal in real-time. This approach enables both point-in-time assessments and continuous testing within a subscription model. 

Gartner research predicts that by 2026, companies leveraging PTaaS will execute up to 10 times more frequent pen-tests and achieve 2 times faster remediation compared to those using traditional manual testing​. 

All of this is to say businesses need PTaaS for the following reasons; 

Continuous coverage

Traditional pen tests give a one-time snapshot of security. In contrast, PTaaS provides an ongoing, real-time view of vulnerabilities as your environment changes​. 

Speed and agility

Because PTaaS platforms automate the setup, scanning, and reporting processes, tests can be launched faster and results delivered sooner. One study notes that PTaaS allows organizations to kick off tests on-demand and see findings in near real-time, dramatically shortening remediation cycles​.

Cost efficiency

PTaaS is typically delivered via a subscription (monthly or annually), flattening the cost over time and often reducing the total cost per test. It minimizes administrative overhead for scoping and contracting each test​.

Compliance support

Regular, documented testing helps meet compliance requirements for security testing (SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, HIPAA, etc.) on an ongoing basis. PTaaS platforms typically provide the reports and evidence needed for audits, and some even map findings to compliance controls for you​. 

Human-machine synergy

While automated scanners run continuously in the background to catch common issues, expert human testers focus on complex attack scenarios, business logic flaws, and validation of critical findings​.

Automated tools provide speed and scale. However, only expert testers can uncover nuanced security gaps, such as chaining multiple low-risk issues into a critical exploit or bypassing business logic controls.

How the PTaaS process works (step-by-step breakdown) 

Most Penetration Testing as a Service (PTaaS) engagements follow a structured lifecycle that includes scoping, testing, reporting, remediation, and retesting. While specific steps may vary by provider, the core process typically involves:

Initial engagement and scoping. 

Together with the PTaaS provider, you identify the systems, applications, networks, and APIs that will be in scope for testing. These can include external web apps, internal networks, cloud infrastructure, mobile apps, etc. 

Many providers kick off with an initial baseline scan of your environment​. This automated scan maps your attack surface and flags obvious vulnerabilities. It serves as a “warm-up” to give the testing team a general security overview and helps refine the test plan. For instance, a baseline scan might enumerate open ports, detect outdated software versions, and highlight known CVEs as a starting point.

One of the benefits of PTaaS at this stage is streamlined scoping and scheduling. Because the service is on-demand, you don’t need a fresh contract and lengthy negotiations for each test

Automated and manual execution 

With the scope defined, the actual penetration testing begins. PTaaS uses a two-pronged approach in this phase: 

Automated scanning

The PTaaS platform will run automated vulnerability scans against the in-scope targets. These can include network vulnerability scanners, web app scanners (checking for OWASP Top 10 issues like SQL injection or XSS), cloud configuration scanners, etc., depending on what’s being tested. Automation excels at finding “low-hanging fruit” and known CVEs, and it ensures no part of the scope is overlooked.  

Human-led penetration

Experienced security engineers (often certified ethical hackers) are assigned to probe your systems manually. This human element is critical to finding complex logic flaws or chained exploits that scanners might miss.

Combining automated and manual techniques means PTaaS can uncover everything from common vulnerabilities to subtle, high-impact security gaps. Automation provides breadth and continuous coverage, while human testers provide depth and creativity. 

Note – It’s worth noting that PTaaS providers maintain a pool of skilled pentesters and often use a collaborative approach. Providers also ensure testing is done safely – for instance, potentially destructive tests are discussed first, and all activities are logged. If your organization has a DevOps pipeline, advanced PTaaS solutions can integrate into it, allowing you to trigger tests at certain stages (such as after a new deployment or in a staging environment before release)​. 

Real-time collaboration 

One of the hallmark features of PTaaS is real-time visibility into the testing progress and findings. As vulnerabilities are uncovered during the test execution, they are immediately reported through the PTaaS platform, allowing your team to see and respond to issues immediately.

What does real-time reporting look like? 

Typically, you’ll have a dashboard or findings list that updates continuously. For each identified issue, you might see details like a title/description of the vulnerability, the affected asset (IP address, URL, etc.), severity level (critical/high/medium/low), and evidence (such as screenshots, code snippets, or logs demonstrating the issue). Many PTaaS platforms include step-by-step proof-of-concept (PoC) information with each finding so you can understand exactly how the tester exploited it. 

Collaboration features are built into this process. The PTaaS portal usually allows two-way communication: your team can comment on findings, ask for clarification, or provide feedback, and the pentesters or security analysts can respond on the same thread. 

Remediation and retesting  

Finding vulnerabilities is only half the battle – the ultimate goal is to fix them and strengthen security. PTaaS greatly streamlines the remediation and tracking process. 

1. Remediation cycle: Your developers or system engineers don’t have to wait until a formal report is delivered; they can apply patches, configuration changes, or code fixes for high-priority issues immediately. This dramatically shrinks the “window of exposure.” 
2. Tracking and status updates: The PTaaS platform is a living tracker for all identified vulnerabilities. Each finding typically has a status (Open, In Progress, Fixed, Ready for Retest, Closed, etc.) that your team or the testers can update. 
3. Retesting: Once you indicate that a vulnerability has been fixed, the PTaaS provider will perform a retest to confirm the fix. This is usually included as part of the service. The original tester (or another qualified tester) will attempt to replicate the original exploit steps on the updated system. If they can no longer reproduce the issue, they mark it as closed/verified in the platform. 
4. Remediation guidance:  PTaaS doesn’t leave you alone to figure out how to fix things. Beyond the raw findings, platforms frequently provide additional context and knowledge base articles or guidance for remediation​. 

Compliance reporting and documentation 

For many organizations, a primary driver for penetration testing is to satisfy compliance requirements or customer due diligence. Frameworks like SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, PCI DSS, and others often expect regular penetration testing as part of a robust security program. PTaaS is well-suited to help meet these requirements, and it typically offers robust reporting and documentation features to demonstrate compliance.

How PTaaS helps with regulatory compliance (SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS) 

A report might explicitly state that the testing covers requirements of PCI DSS 11.3 (which mandates penetration testing of cardholder environments) or include an appendix mapping findings to ISO 27001 Annex A controls. 

1. SOC 2: While SOC 2 doesn’t explicitly require a pentest, it requires a risk assessment and effective controls for vulnerability management. Using PTaaS throughout the year shows an auditor that you have a continuous testing process (which is often viewed favorably).
2. ISO 27001: This standard expects organizations to perform security testing as part of risk treatment (Annex A.12.6.1 and A.13.2.1 relate to vulnerability management and testing). The PTaaS report can be used in the Statement of Applicability or risk treatment plan to show how vulnerabilities are identified and mitigated.
3. HIPAA: The HIPAA Security Rule mandates regular technical evaluations of systems containing electronic protected health information. While not prescriptive on how, penetration testing is commonly used to fulfill that need.
4. PCI DSS: This is one of the more explicit requirements—PCI DSS requires at least annual penetration testing after any significant change (Requirement 11.3). A PTaaS subscription can be structured to perform an initial full pentest and then quarterly follow-up tests or continuous scanning. The final attestation from the PTaaS provider (who should ideally be experienced in PCI environments) will satisfy your PCI auditor. 

PTaaS also aligns with emerging standards. For instance, the EU’s DORA (Digital Operational Resilience Act) and the US CMMC (Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification) emphasize continuous testing and monitoring – exactly what PTaaS provides​. 

How Neural Payments benefitted from PtaaS 

Neural Payments, a fintech SaaS startup, needed rigorous security testing to pursue SOC 2 and PCI compliance. The company partnered with a PTaaS provider (Cobalt) and a compliance automation platform (Secureframe) to integrate penetration testing into its development cycle. 

The result was a faster path to compliance and an improved security posture that gave customers confidence. Using PTaaS, Neural Payments could engage pentesting with specific PCI/SOC expertise quickly and continuously, maintaining compliance and customer trust for their fast-growing platform​s. 

Industries that benefit most from PTaaS 

While penetration testing is essential for all industries, specific sectors gain the most value from PTaaS due to their compliance obligations, security challenges, and need for continuous testing. These industries typically have high regulatory requirements, a broad attack surface, and a need for rapid remediation.

1. FinTech: Financial institutions face constant cyber threats due to the sensitive nature of financial data and regulatory scrutiny. Compliance mandates like PCI DSS, FFIEC, GLBA, and SOX require rigorous security testing. 
2. Healthcare and life sciences: Healthcare providers, insurers, and biotech firms store vast amounts of protected health information (PHI), making them prime targets for ransomware and compliance-heavy sectors (HIPAA, HITECH, GDPR).
3. Retail and Ecom: Online retailers process massive amounts of credit card data, personally identifiable information (PII), and loyalty program details, making them a prime target for fraud and card skimming attacks. PCI DSS compliance is mandatory for most.
4. Government and DoD: Defense contractors handling sensitive government data must comply with CMMC, NIST 800-171, and ITAR regulations.
5. SaaS and cloud computing: SaaS companies must prove their security posture to enterprise customers, auditors, and regulators. To close deals, many also need SOC 2, ISO 27001, and GDPR compliance.

Sprinto, pen testing, and compliance 

While we don’t provide penetration testing services ourselves, we partner with industry leaders like Prescient and Astra Security to deliver Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing (VAPT) as part of a broader compliance strategy.

Pen tests are valuable, but they’re only as good as the moment they’re conducted. A vulnerability discovered today might not exist tomorrow, and vice versa. What truly matters is how quickly you detect, respond to, and remediate security risks—before they turn into compliance failures.

That’s where Sprinto steps in. We enable organizations to:

• Automate compliance monitoring—ensuring that security controls remain effective 24/7.
• Track real-time vulnerabilities by integrating with tools like VAPT solutions, SIEMs, and cloud security platforms.
• Close compliance gaps faster—by flagging deviations and helping teams stay audit-ready all year round (not just when a pen test report is due).

Book a demo today!  

FAQs

What are the key features of PTaaS solutions?

PTaaS offers continuous security testing, combining automated scanning and human assessments to detect vulnerabilities in real-time. Unlike traditional pentesting, PTaaS provides an on-demand platform, enabling security teams to track issues, collaborate with testers, and integrate findings into DevSecOps workflows.

How does PTaaS support mobile applications and cloud environments?

PTaaS is designed for modern attack surfaces, including mobile applications, APIs, and cloud platforms. It ensures frequent testing by continuously assessing configurations, application logic, and external exposures—helping security teams stay ahead of evolving threat actors.

PTaaS vs. vulnerability scanning: What’s the difference?

Vulnerability scanning is fully automated and identifies known security flaws but lacks human assessments to validate exploitability. PTaaS, on the other hand, combines automation with manual testing, uncovering business logic flaws and chaining vulnerabilities into real-world attack scenarios—making it far more effective than scanning alone.

Why is PTaaS better than traditional pentesting for security teams?

Traditional pentesting is a one-time, manual process that provides a static report, often taking weeks. PTaaS enables continuous security testing, offering real-time insights and faster remediation. It ensures that security teams can track vulnerabilities as they emerge and fix them before threat actors exploit them.