Software development is moving faster than ever. Not long ago, most organisations would release updates just a few times a year. Now, development teams deliver new features weekly—or even daily. Yet, when it comes to security, many organisations still stick to the old rhythm: one pentest a year. It’s a model that’s becoming increasingly unsustainable. So, how do you safeguard your security when everything is evolving more rapidly, flexibly, and with greater complexity than ever before?
Annual Pentest: A False Sense of Security
An annual pentest is a snapshot in time. Once a year, you receive a PDF report of findings, address the issues, and consider the matter resolved. But modern applications are in a state of constant development—never truly ‘finished’. New releases, features, and integrations are being added almost daily.
A report that’s weeks or even months out of date tells you very little about the current situation. Especially if findings are processed manually, security is often playing catch-up—hampering innovation rather than protecting it.
As software becomes ever more complex, with multiple teams, microservices, and external components, even the smallest changes can introduce new risks. An annual test simply can’t keep pace and offers little more than a false sense of security.
Speed is a Necessity, Not a Luxury
Digital innovation depends on speed and agility. Those who innovate fastest win the customer. Agile methods and DevOps make this speed possible, but traditional security processes are struggling to keep up because of manual testing and reporting.
The Impact of One-Off Pentesting
If security processes don’t evolve alongside the pace of development, bottlenecks can quickly appear across the organisation. The consequences are easy to predict:
- Delays waiting for test results
- Difficult handovers between teams
- Release hold-ups or last-minute fixes
- Uncertainty about current risks
To make real progress, development teams need immediate feedback—not findings from a PDF report that arrives weeks later. Only with real-time insights can you address vulnerabilities in the next sprint and keep security standards high.
From Annual Compliance Tick-Box to Ongoing Assurance
Regulation and oversight in digital security are advancing rapidly. New frameworks like NIS2, DORA, and the upcoming Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) demand far greater evidence of robust security—and make the responsibilities of organisations and leadership crystal clear. Where once an annual pentest and audit reports were sufficient, regulators now expect continuous visibility and active risk management.
Compliance is shifting away from ‘tick-box exercises’ and static snapshots, towards ongoing demonstration of control. Organisations must show—live and in real time—that vulnerabilities are promptly identified and addressed, and that security is embedded in everyday development and operations.
This is no longer just a paper exercise: with NIS2, directors are personally and jointly liable for inadequate security or failure to manage current risks. Customers, auditors, and regulators expect total transparency and the assurance that security is a permanent process—not a yearly formality.
The era of periodic reporting is behind us. Being in control means being able to prove, at any moment, that your digital risks are structurally managed and you meet the highest standards of law, market, and society.
The New Standard: Continuous Pentesting
Security is no longer a barrier to innovation. Continuous Pentesting transforms it into an accelerator. You avoid false confidence and work more efficiently:
- Security is embedded in every stage of development (‘shift left’, security by design)
- Findings are automatically added to development teams’ backlogs
- Real-time dashboards provide up-to-date insights for all stakeholders
- Machine learning and forecasting focus attention on the most critical risks
- Lower remediation costs and faster compliance
What’s unique? The combination of smart tooling and human expertise: security specialists and developers work together within a single workflow. You get reliable results and scalable security, without slowing down innovation.
Time to Say Goodbye to the PDF
The annual pentest used to be standard practice. Now, real-world demands call for continuous security—and you simply can’t do without real-time control over your risks. With Continuous Pentesting, you’re quicker, safer, more compliant, and ready for the future.
See Continuous Pentesting in Action
Download the whitepaper, "The Power of Continuous Pentesting: Why an Annual Pentest is No Longer Sufficient", or get in touch for a demo. See for yourself where your organisation stands today—and discover how to work smarter, faster, and more securely!