Software development is accelerating. Not long ago, development teams released new features just a few times a year. Now, many deliver updates weekly, sometimes even daily. Yet security often seems stuck in an old “waterfall” mindset. Rapid innovation with nothing more than a single annual pen test is no longer sustainable. So how do you ensure security when everything is moving faster, becoming more flexible, and growing in complexity?
Annual Pentest: A False Sense of Security
n annual penetration test is just a snapshot in time. Once a year, you receive a PDF report detailing the findings, you work through them, and that’s it. But modern applications are constantly evolving and never truly ‘finished’. New releases, features, and integrations change the application almost daily.
Freshly discovered vulnerabilities or new attack tools can leave an application that was secure last week suddenly exposed. Hackers certainly don’t stand still. A report that’s months out of date says little about your current security posture and can leave you with a dangerous illusion of safety.
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:
- Vulnerabilities are spotted too late.
- Innovation slows, while risk increases.
- Outdated reports leave teams without current insight.
- No demonstrable, proactive security policy.
- Lost opportunities to strengthen security knowledge within teams.
To keep up momentum, development teams need immediate feedback, not findings buried in a PDF that arrives weeks later. Only with real-time visibility can you address vulnerabilities in the next sprint and keep security at the right level.
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 the annual pentest is no longer sufficient". See for yourself where your organisation stands today and discover how to work smarter, faster, and more securely!