Software Secured
VS. Cobalt
Your Pentest Is Only as Good as the Tester Running It
At a Glance
If your priority is tester continuity, manual testing depth, and ongoing remediation support, Software Secured may be the better fit. If your priority is platform-driven testing with access to a broad pentester network, Cobalt might be for you.
Growing SaaS companies, healthcare, fintech, and compliance-driven teams
Full-time North American pentesters
Scope-based - fixed pricing
Multiple rounds Included
Portal, Slack, retesting, evidence support
Organizations seeking a platform-centric experience
Vetted pentester community - depth depends on which testers are assigned
Multiple rounds Included
Multiple rounds Included
Platform workflow and retesting support
Software Secured vs Cobalt: Full Capability Matrix
Eight categories. Every criterion that matters for a security-conscious buyer at a growth-stage SaaS company.
Tester employment model
Full-time salaried employees (OSCP, OSWE, GWAPT certified)
Crowdsourced 'Core' of vetted freelancers + AI tooling; quality varies by assigned tester
SS
False positive rate
Zero false positives policy
Triage by Cobalt + tester; rate varies by engagement
SS
Tester continuity
Same Canadian full-time pentesters across engagements = institutional knowledge retained
Limited control over who is assigned - rotating the global talent pool
SS
Dev tool integrations
Jira, Azure DevOps, Linear, Slack, Teams, Drata, Vanta
Jira, GitHub, ServiceNow, Slack, Splunk + Cobalt API
SS
Direct tester access
Slack, video, and Portal access to assigned pentesters throughout the engagement
Slack channel with pod for the engagement window
SS
Component-level reporting
Report each project component's security status separately for auditors
Asset-level findings; component grouping is less granular by default
SS
Deal-support artifacts
Executive summaries, customer-facing letters, and remediation evidence for security questionnaires
Standard report + attestation
SS
Pricing model
Scope-based: priced to your actual attack surface (endpoints, roles, auth methods)
Credit system tied to findings
SS
Why the Testing Model Matters
The provider you choose impacts more than compliance. A penetration test should help you:
Support enterprise security reviews
Demonstrate compliance readiness
Validate remediation through retesting
Build security knowledge over time
Ready to Evaluate Your Options?
Whether you're comparing Software Secured, Cobalt, or another provider, the right choice depends on your attack surface, compliance requirements, and security maturity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Software Secured and Cobalt?
Software Secured delivers penetration testing through a team of full-time North American security consultants. Cobalt operates a PTaaS platform that connects customers with vetted members of its pentester community.
Both approaches can identify security vulnerabilities, but they differ in how testers are assigned, how engagements are managed, and how customers interact with the testing team.
Is Software Secured or Cobalt better for SOC 2 compliance?
Both providers can help organizations satisfy SOC 2 penetration testing requirements.
Software Secured may be a stronger fit for organizations that want ongoing access to the same testers, multiple retesting cycles, and additional support responding to auditor or customer security questions. Cobalt may be your best bet if you need a pentest completed within a week of beginning your vendor search.
Is Software Secured or Cobalt better for enterprise security reviews?
Enterprise buyers often request more than a pentest report. They may ask for executive summaries, remediation evidence, customer-facing security letters, and clarification on testing scope.
Organizations that frequently undergo customer security reviews often benefit from providers that offer additional deal-support documentation alongside the technical report.
Which provider is better for long-term security testing?
Software Secured delivers penetration testing through a team of full-time North American security consultants. Cobalt operates a PTaaS platform that connects customers with vetted members of its pentester community.
Both approaches can identify security vulnerabilities, but they differ in how testers are assigned, how engagements are managed, and how customers interact with the testing team.