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Invadel

Continuous

Penetration Testing
as a Service (PTaaS)

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Senior certified testers, manual-first185+ years combined experienceOnboarding within 24 hoursFree retest includedOur methodology

When you need it

When you need a testing program

The situations that bring teams to this engagement, and where it fits alongside the rest of your program.

  • You deploy weekly or daily, and an annual penetration test leaves eleven months of changes untested.
  • SOC 2, PCI DSS, or NYDFS obligations expect testing evidence and ongoing scanning all year, not one report that ages.
  • Enterprise customers ask for recent results in every security review, and a six-month-old report keeps stalling deals.
  • Your attack surface changes without you: new cloud accounts, new subdomains, and new integrations from other teams.
  • You want one team that already knows your environment at every test, instead of re-explaining it to a new tester each time.
  • You are buying pentests from a platform vendor and its credits and rotating testers are not producing findings you trust. See our platform alternative.

Definition

What is PTaaS?

Penetration testing as a service (PTaaS) is penetration testing bought as a program instead of a one-off project. Senior testers run manual test windows on a set calendar, analyst-validated scans cover the months between them, and every finding is tracked in a live platform until a retest confirms the fix.

The program price is fixed in writing before it starts and built from our published test prices: web application from $5,200, external network from $4,200, validated scans from $1,500. No credits, no seat licenses, and the platform and retests are included.

Why now

Why annual penetration tests stopped working

The annual penetration test was designed for software that changed a few times a year. Most teams now ship every week, cloud environments drift daily, and more than 48,000 CVEs were published in 2025, roughly 130 every day. A test in January says nothing about the code deployed in March, and the compliance report it produced expires in the eyes of your customers long before the next one arrives. Our penetration testing statistics roundup collects the numbers behind this.

A program replaces the snapshot with a calendar: manual test windows placed around your releases and audit dates, analyst-validated scanning between them, and retests as fixes ship rather than a year later. Our guide to continuous penetration testing explains the model in depth.

The calendar

What a program year looks like

A representative program for a SaaS company with a web application, an API, and a cloud environment. Yours is built around your own releases and audit windows.

Manual test window

Q1
Web application penetration test ahead of the SOC 2 audit window
Q3
API penetration test covering the new partner integrations
Q4
Internal penetration test or a second application window, depending on change

Between windows

Q1
Monthly validated scans; retest of prior findings as fixes ship
Q2
Monthly validated scans; scope review after the spring release
Q3
Monthly validated scans; consolidated mid-year report for customer reviews
Q4
Monthly validated scans; annual consolidated report and next-year calendar

What we look for

What continuous testing catches that an annual test cannot

An annual test is a photograph. A program is the film. The findings below are the ones that appear in the months between photographs, when nobody is looking.

Regressions after releases

The authorization check that was removed in a refactor, the rate limit that was disabled for a launch and never restored.

We test for

  • Manual retest of previously fixed findings after each release
  • Regression checks on authentication and authorization flows
  • Targeted testing of features changed since the last window
  • Comparison of current behavior against the last report
  • Verification that hardening survived the deploy

New assets & shadow exposure

Subdomains, cloud resources, and test environments that appear between tests and inherit none of the last test’s attention.

We test for

  • Recurring external discovery across domains and cloud accounts
  • New-asset alerts compared against the agreed scope
  • Staging and preview environments exposed to the internet
  • Certificates and DNS records that reveal new services
  • Third-party integrations added since the last window

Newly disclosed vulnerabilities

The library, framework, or appliance vulnerability published on a Tuesday, checked against your stack before an attacker does.

We test for

  • Validated scanning on a fixed cadence
  • Analyst review of critical disclosures against your inventory
  • Exploitability verification, not just version matching
  • Priority guidance for the patching team
  • Retest once the patch ships

Drift in cloud & identity

Permissions that widen, storage that becomes public, and conditional access that quietly stops applying.

We test for

  • Recurring review of IAM and cloud policy changes
  • Public exposure checks on storage and services
  • Identity and MFA coverage on new accounts and apps
  • Secrets and keys appearing in new places
  • Network policy changes between segments

Logic in new features

Every new workflow is a new chance to move money or data the wrong way, and only a person testing the feature can tell.

We test for

  • Manual testing scoped to what shipped in the window
  • Business logic and authorization on new workflows
  • New API endpoints tested with every role
  • AI and integration features tested for injection and abuse
  • Findings written for the team that built the feature

Findings that never got fixed

The medium from last year that is still open, now reachable from a new feature, and now a critical.

We test for

  • Open-finding tracking across windows in the platform
  • Re-rating of old findings as exposure changes
  • Escalation paths for findings past their fix window
  • Evidence trail for auditors on every finding’s lifecycle
  • Retest on demand as fixes land

Cadence options

Continuous penetration testing

Continuous penetration testing is a PTaaS program with the manual windows close together, quarterly or per release. The phrase is used for everything from a monthly scan to a crowd of testers on a platform, so this is what it means at Invadel.

Manual windows

Senior in-house testers, the same people each time, return on a schedule and test what changed. This is the part that finds logic and authorization flaws. It is not automated and it is not crowdsourced.

Validated scanning

Between windows, scans run on the cadence you choose and an analyst validates every result. You receive real findings, not exports, and the inventory stays current as assets appear.

Retest on demand

When a fix ships, we verify it. Findings move from open to fixed to verified in the platform, and the attestation letter is updated so your evidence is never a year old.

Manual testing

Quarterly
Four manual windows a year, one full baseline and three change-focused
Per release
A manual window tied to each major release
Annual plus scanning
One full manual test a year

Scanning

Quarterly
Monthly validated scans
Per release
Monthly or bi-weekly validated scans
Annual plus scanning
Monthly validated scans and retest on demand

Fits

Quarterly
Products with a steady release rhythm and an annual audit
Per release
Teams shipping significant features every few weeks
Annual plus scanning
Smaller teams that need coverage between annual tests without a larger budget

Program prices are built from the published fixed prices of the tests inside them, adjusted for frequency, and agreed as one number before the program starts. There are no credits, seat licenses, or platform fees.

Comparison

Invadel PTaaS vs platform PTaaS

Most PTaaS is software with testing attached. Ours is senior testing with the platform included. The differences show up in the contract and in the findings.

Platform PTaaS vendors

Who tests
Crowdsourced or rotating testers assigned per engagement
How you pay
Credits, seat licenses, and platform subscriptions that expire
The platform
The product you are buying; testing is the add-on
Between windows
Automated scanning, often unvalidated
Retesting
Often consumes credits or is time-boxed

Invadel PTaaS

Who tests
The same senior in-house team at every window, who already know your environment
How you pay
One fixed program price built from published fixed-scope tests. No credits, no seats
The platform
Included with every program at no extra cost
Between windows
Analyst-validated scanning with false positives removed
Retesting
Included, rolling, as fixes ship

A fuller side-by-side, including what to ask a platform vendor before you sign, is in our pentest platform alternative guide, and our list of PTaaS companies compared describes each vendor from its own public pages.

Integrations

Integrations and evidence

  • New findings pushed to Slack, Microsoft Teams, Jira, or ServiceNow the moment they are confirmed.
  • Evidence formatted for upload into Vanta, Drata, or your GRC platform, with the consolidated annual report your auditor reads once.
  • One dashboard across every window and scan, so trends, open findings, and retest status are visible year-round.
  • A standing scope document that changes with your environment, reviewed together each cycle.

Methodology

How we test

Full methodology →

Every engagement follows the Penetration Testing Execution Standard and the relevant OWASP guides.

These are the phases your penetration testing as a service runs through.

  1. 01

    Program scoping

    Applications, infrastructure, and audit dates mapped into one annual plan.

  2. 02

    Test windows

    Manual tests run to PTES and OWASP standards on the agreed calendar.

  3. 03

    Validated scanning

    Analyst-validated scans cover the months between manual windows.

  4. 04

    Rolling retests

    Fixes verified as they ship, not at the next annual test.

  5. 05

    Review & adjust

    Scope and cadence revisited each cycle as your environment changes.

How it works

How your engagement runs

From scope through the final retest, your team stays in the loop at every step, with findings tracked live in our platform.

  1. 01

    Scope the program

    We map your applications, infrastructure, and compliance calendar into a fixed annual testing plan.

  2. 02

    Set the calendar

    Manual test windows and recurring scans are scheduled around your releases and audit dates.

  3. 03

    Test and track

    Findings from every window post to your live dashboard, with scanning coverage in between.

  4. 04

    Review and adjust

    We review results and scope with you each cycle, so the program follows your environment as it changes.

Compliance

Compliance frameworks this test satisfies

Findings are mapped to the requirement or control they evidence, so the same report serves your auditor, your customers, and your engineers.

SOC 2Annual testing evidence plus the ongoing vulnerability management CC7.1 expects, all inside the observation window.PCI DSSThe annual and after-change penetration tests of Requirement 11.4 and the quarterly internal scans of 11.3.1 on one calendar.ISO 27001Continuous Annex A 8.8 evidence, timed around certification and surveillance audits.HIPAAThe annual testing and periodic scanning the proposed Security Rule update would require, delivered as a program.NYDFS 23 NYCRR 500Annual §500.5(a)(1) testing plus the risk-based scanning cadence of §500.5(a)(2).
Common inSaaS & SoftwareMedia & AdTechPrivate Equity & Venture CapitalAll industries

Proof

Proof in the field

Every engagement is confidential, so the work below is anonymized to sector and engagement type.

All case studies →

Free

Retest on every penetration test

185+

Years combined experience

14

Senior in-house specialists

24h

Onboarding after signing

HR & Payroll SaaS

Web Application Penetration Test

High risk

Critical: a file-inclusion flaw that let an attacker read sensitive files from the server through the application itself. High: stored cross-site scripting capable of session theft, insecure direct object references, and an authorization bypass that let an administrator create or delete organization owners.

Outcome. Delivered a remediation plan sequenced by real business impact, critical and high findings first, with a complimentary retest to verify every fix.

28

Findings

1

Critical

5

High

Read the case study

Fintech · Payments

Post-Incident Web App Assessment

Medium risk

Excessive data exposure: API responses leaked transaction metadata, including precise geolocation, enabling real-world tracking of users.

Outcome. Surfaced the exposure and hardening gaps, prioritized by how readily an attacker could chain them, and delivered fixes plus a retest to confirm closure.

8

Findings

3

Medium

Post-incident

Engagement

Read the case study
LatentPerygeeCity National BankAubaDesteiaDTCC
Request a reference 

Resources

Field notes from the offensive side

All articles →

Penetration Testing as a Service (PTaaS): What It Is

What PTaaS actually means, how it differs from traditional penetration testing and automated scanning, what it costs, and when a subscription model is worth it.

PTaaS Companies Compared (2026): Platforms vs Fixed-Price Teams

PTaaS companies compared for 2026: who does the testing, credits vs fixed pricing, retesting and platform features, and how to pick the right model.

Continuous Penetration Testing: What It Is and When You Need It

What continuous penetration testing actually means, how it differs from annual tests and raw scanning, and an honest look at who needs it (and who doesn't).

Want to see a report first?

Read a sample report for a fictional client, or request a redacted one from a real engagement. Our guide explains what a penetration testing report should contain.

See the sample report

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What teams most often ask before scoping penetration testing as a service.

Still have questions? 
01What is penetration testing as a service (PTaaS)?

PTaaS, also called pentest as a service, is penetration testing delivered as an ongoing program instead of a one-off project: recurring manual tests on a set calendar, scanning between test windows, and findings tracked continuously in a platform. It exists because most teams ship changes far more often than once a year, and an annual snapshot leaves long blind spots.

02How is Invadel’s PTaaS different from platform vendors?

Most PTaaS platforms sell software with testing attached: credits, seat licenses, and crowdsourced or rotating testers. Ours is the reverse. Senior in-house testers do the work, the platform is included with every program at no extra cost, and pricing is a fixed program price rather than credits that expire.

03When does PTaaS make more sense than a one-off test?

If you ship frequently, hold SOC 2 or PCI obligations that expect testing evidence year-round, or sell to enterprise customers who ask for recent results, a program keeps your evidence current. If you need a single assessment for one audit or one launch, a standard fixed-scope test is the better fit, and you can move to a program later.

04Does PTaaS satisfy compliance requirements?

Yes. The manual test windows satisfy the annual penetration testing that PCI DSS requires and SOC 2 auditors expect, and the recurring validated scans cover the ongoing scanning obligations between tests. Evidence is formatted for your auditor and uploads cleanly into Vanta, Drata, or your GRC platform.

05How much does penetration testing as a service cost?

Programs are quoted as a fixed annual or quarterly price built from our standard fixed-scope tests (for example, web application from $5,200 and external network from $4,200) plus recurring validated scanning from $1,500 per scan, with program pricing adjusted for testing frequency. Tell us your cadence during scoping and we confirm one fixed number. Starting prices for every service are on our pricing page.

06How fast can a program start?

Onboarding starts within 24 hours of a signed proposal, and the first manual test window is usually scheduled within two weeks, sooner if an audit or launch date requires it. Validated scanning begins as soon as scope and credentials are confirmed, so coverage starts before the first manual window opens.

07Can we convert a one-off test into a program later?

Yes, and most programs start that way. The scoping, onboarding, and environment knowledge from your first fixed-scope test carry straight into the program, and the test you already ran becomes the first window on the calendar. There is no re-scoping penalty and no minimum term to convert.

08What is continuous penetration testing, and is it different from PTaaS?

It is the same program with the manual windows closer together: tests scheduled around your releases, analyst-validated vulnerability scanning between them, and retests whenever a fix ships. The aim is that the evidence you hold about your security is never more than a few weeks old. At Invadel it is one product, priced the same way. The cadence table above runs from quarterly and per-release windows down to one annual test with scanning.

09Is this just an automated scanner on a subscription?

No. A scanner is one component of the program, and its results are validated by an analyst before you see them. The other component is a person: senior testers return on schedule to test what changed, which is where authorization, business logic, and chained findings come from. No automated tool, and no autonomous “AI pentest”, produces those. Our comparison of autonomous penetration testing vendors shows where those platforms stop.

10Does a program replace the annual penetration test?

It contains it. Every program includes at least one full manual test a year, which is what PCI DSS, NYDFS 500.5, and most auditors and insurers ask for, and adds the scanning and change-focused windows that keep the picture current in between. Auditors receive the annual report plus evidence of the ongoing work.

11Who does the testing?

Senior in-house Invadel testers, manual-first, and the same team from window to window. Nothing is crowdsourced or subcontracted, which is what allows a tester to notice that a fix from the last window has regressed.

12How do we receive results?

In the Invadel platform as they are verified, and as a report after each manual window and each validated scan. Your engineers see findings with reproduction steps, your leadership sees the executive view, and your auditor sees the lifecycle of every finding from open to verified.

Ready to test your defenses?

Talk to our team about scoping penetration testing as a service.

Prefer the full scoping questionnaire? 
RelatedWeb App External Network Vulnerability Scanning Vulnerability Management API

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