Tag: penetration-testing

AutoPentestX Introduced as Automated Penetration Testing Toolkit for Linux Systems

Feb 2, 2026 11:13 AM

Tags: cyber, framework, hacking, linux, open-source, penetration-testing, vulnerability

AutoPentestX, an open-source automated penetration testing framework designed to streamline vulnerability assessment and security testing workflows on Linux systems. The toolkit consolidates multiple security testing capabilities into a unified platform for ethical hacking and security auditing operations. Developed by security researcher Gowtham-Darkseid, AutoPentestX automates the execution of common penetration testing procedures through modular architecture and…
Open-source AI pentesting tools are getting uncomfortably good

Feb 2, 2026 8:14 AM

Tags: ai, open-source, penetration-testing, tool

AI has come a long way in the pentesting world. We are now seeing open-source tools that can genuinely mimic how a human tester works, not just fire off scans. I dug into … First seen on helpnetsecurity.com Jump to article: www.helpnetsecurity.com/2026/02/02/open-source-ai-pentesting-tools-test/
IoT Penetration Testing: Definition, Process, Tools, and Benefits

Feb 1, 2026 8:13 AM

Tags: attack, breach, cloud, exploit, firmware, iot, mobile, penetration-testing, risk, service, tool

IoT penetration testing is a security assessment of the complete IoT ecosystem, from backend systems and cloud services to mobile devices and hardware. It involves a multi-stage simulated attack on IoT devices and their supporting system to identify security risks before attackers can exploit them. Unpatched firmware is responsible for 60% of IoT security breaches,……
Blockchain Penetration Testing: Definition, Process, and Tools

Feb 1, 2026 12:13 AM

Tags: blockchain, cyberattack, exploit, framework, network, penetration-testing, service, tool, vulnerability

Blockchain Penetration Testing simulates real-world cyberattacks on blockchain systems to identify vulnerabilities before attackers can exploit them. On September 14, 2021, the Solana blockchain network went offline for 17 hours during the Grape Protocol IDO (Initial DEX Offering) due to a Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack. In distributed blockchain applications, penetration testing frameworks have demonstrated throughput……
AI-powered penetration testing: Definition, Tools and Process

Feb 1, 2026 12:13 AM

Tags: ai, cyberattack, intelligence, penetration-testing, tool, vulnerability

AI-powered penetration testing is an advanced approach to security testing that uses artificial intelligence, machine learning, and autonomous agents to simulate real-world cyberattacks, identify vulnerabilities, and assess exploitability faster and more intelligently than traditional manual testing. According to Mariia Kozlovska et al. in their research “Artificial intelligence in penetration testing: leveraging AI for advanced vulnerability……
Ivanti patches two actively exploited critical vulnerabilities in EPMM

Jan 31, 2026 9:15 PM

Tags: access, apache, backup, data, detection, exploit, ivanti, malicious, mobile, network, password, penetration-testing, service, siem, software, update, vpn, vulnerability

install rpm url [patch_url] command.The RPM_12.x.0.x patch is applicable to EPMM software versions 12.5.0.x, 12.6.0.x, and 12.7.0.x. It is also compatible with the older 12.3.0.x and 12.4.0.x versions. Meanwhile the RPM_12.x.1.x patch is applicable to versions 12.5.1.0 and 12.6.1.0.”The RPM script does not survive a version upgrade,” the company warns. “If after applying the RPM…
A Head Start on Emerging Vulnerabilities with The Pentest Tool You Need!

Jan 30, 2026 5:22 PM

Tags: ai, cybersecurity, detection, malicious, penetration-testing, tactics, tool, vulnerability

The world of cybersecurity is undergoing a seismic shift. In 2026, AI-driven pentest tools are set to redefine how we approach vulnerability detection and exploitation. The conventional pentesting methods, which have served as the backbone of security assessments for decades, cannot be replaced, but given the hi-tech tactics of the malicious contemporaries, these tools simply……
CISO’s predictions for 2026

Jan 26, 2026 9:21 AM

Tags: access, ai, attack, authentication, automation, breach, business, ciso, cloud, control, credentials, cryptography, cyber, cyberattack, cybersecurity, data, data-breach, encryption, endpoint, extortion, finance, governance, government, healthcare, identity, infrastructure, malicious, mobile, mssp, network, password, penetration-testing, ransomware, risk, router, saas, soc, strategy, supply-chain, technology, threat, tool, vulnerability, warfare

AI agents to reshape the threat landscape: But those same AI technologies are also changing the threat landscape. Toal points to a recent Anthropic report that documented the first large-scale AI-enabled cyberattack as an early warning sign. “I guarantee attackers will be more focused on using AI agents for what they want than a lot…
DAST vs Penetration Testing: Key Differences in 2026

Jan 24, 2026 8:31 PM

Tags: ai, penetration-testing

Learn about the key differences between DAST and pentesting, the emerging role of AI pentesting, their roles in security testing, and which is right for your business. First seen on securityboulevard.com Jump to article: securityboulevard.com/2026/01/dast-vs-penetration-testing-key-differences-in-2026/
Halo Security Achieves SOC 2 Type II Compliance, Demonstrating Sustained Security Excellence Over Time

Jan 23, 2026 5:36 PM

Tags: attack, compliance, penetration-testing, service, soc

Halo Security, a leading provider of external attack surface management and penetration testing services, today announced it has… First seen on hackread.com Jump to article: hackread.com/halo-security-achieves-soc-2-type-ii-compliance/
10 Questions Enterprise Leaders Should Ask Before Running a Red Teaming Exercise

Jan 23, 2026 1:30 PM

Tags: breach, penetration-testing, RedTeam, tool, vulnerability

Red Teaming has become one of the most discussed and misunderstood practices in modern cybersecurity. Many organizations invest heavily in vulnerability scanners and penetration tests, yet breaches continue to happen through paths those tools never simulate. Enterprise leaders now ask a deeper question: “Does our security testing completely reflect how attackers will break in?” This……
News Alert: Halo Security earns SOC 2 Type II certification, shows sustained operational security

Jan 23, 2026 11:31 AM

Tags: attack, compliance, penetration-testing, service, soc

MIAMI, Jan. 22, 2026, CyberNewswire, Halo Security, a leading provider of external attack surface management and penetration testing services, today announced it has successfully achieved SOC 2 Type II compliance following an extensive multi-month audit by Insight Assurance.”¦ (more”¦) First seen on securityboulevard.com Jump to article: securityboulevard.com/2026/01/news-alert-halo-security-earns-soc-2-type-ii-certification-shows-sustained-operational-security/
Halo Security Achieves SOC 2 Type II Compliance, Demonstrating Sustained Security Excellence Over Time

Jan 23, 2026 5:30 AM

Tags: attack, compliance, control, cyber, penetration-testing, service, soc

Miami, Florida, January 22nd, 2026, CyberNewsWire Halo Security, a leading provider of external attack surface management and penetration testing services, today announced it has successfully achieved SOC 2 Type II compliance following an extensive multi-month audit by Insight Assurance. This certification validates that Halo Security’s security controls are not only properly designed but also operate…
Hackers exploit security testing apps to breach Fortune 500 firms

Jan 21, 2026 4:13 PM

Tags: breach, cloud, exploit, hacker, penetration-testing, threat, training

Threat actors are exploiting misconfigured web applications used for security training and internal penetration testing, such as DVWA, OWASP Juice Shop, Hackazon, and bWAPP, to gain access to cloud environments of Fortune 500 companies and security vendors. First seen on bleepingcomputer.com Jump to article: www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/hackers-exploit-security-testing-apps-to-breach-fortune-500-firms/
13 cyber questions to better vet IT vendors and reduce third-party risk

Jan 21, 2026 9:13 AM

Tags: access, api, attack, authentication, automation, best-practice, breach, business, ceo, ciso, cloud, compliance, control, credentials, credit-card, cyber, cyberattack, cybercrime, cybersecurity, data, detection, endpoint, exploit, extortion, firewall, healthcare, identity, incident response, infrastructure, insurance, international, ISO-27001, jobs, least-privilege, mfa, monitoring, network, nist, password, PCI, penetration-testing, radius, ransomware, risk, saas, sans, security-incident, service, supply-chain, threat, update, vpn, vulnerability

Vital vendor questions CISOs should ask: To gain that critical information, security leaders and experts recommend CSOs ask IT partners the following cyber-specific questions. 1. What attestation will you provide to prove proper security controls are in place? These are essential, says Juan Pablo Perez-Etchegoyen, CTO for cybersecurity and compliance platform Onapsis. Some of the…
13 cyber questions to better vet IT vendors and reduce third-party risk

Jan 21, 2026 9:13 AM

Tags: access, api, attack, authentication, automation, best-practice, breach, business, ceo, ciso, cloud, compliance, control, credentials, credit-card, cyber, cyberattack, cybercrime, cybersecurity, data, detection, endpoint, exploit, extortion, firewall, healthcare, identity, incident response, infrastructure, insurance, international, ISO-27001, jobs, least-privilege, mfa, monitoring, network, nist, password, PCI, penetration-testing, radius, ransomware, risk, saas, sans, security-incident, service, supply-chain, threat, update, vpn, vulnerability

Vital vendor questions CISOs should ask: To gain that critical information, security leaders and experts recommend CSOs ask IT partners the following cyber-specific questions. 1. What attestation will you provide to prove proper security controls are in place? These are essential, says Juan Pablo Perez-Etchegoyen, CTO for cybersecurity and compliance platform Onapsis. Some of the…
The 2026 State of Pentesting: Why delivery and follow-through matter more than ever

Jan 21, 2026 7:18 AM

Tags: penetration-testing, vulnerability

Penetration testing has evolved significantly over the past several years. While uncovering exploitable vulnerabilities remains the core goal, the real differentiator today is … First seen on helpnetsecurity.com Jump to article: www.helpnetsecurity.com/2026/01/21/plextrac-pentest-programs-reporting/
The 2026 State of Pentesting: Why delivery and follow-through matter more than ever

Jan 21, 2026 7:18 AM

Tags: penetration-testing, vulnerability

Penetration testing has evolved significantly over the past several years. While uncovering exploitable vulnerabilities remains the core goal, the real differentiator today is … First seen on helpnetsecurity.com Jump to article: www.helpnetsecurity.com/2026/01/21/plextrac-pentest-programs-reporting/
From arts degree to cybersecurity: Rona Michele Spiegel brings fresh perspective to cyber leadership

Jan 19, 2026 10:13 AM

Tags: ai, awareness, business, cisco, ciso, cloud, compliance, computer, cyber, cybersecurity, data, governance, group, hacking, Hardware, intelligence, jobs, network, office, penetration-testing, privacy, psychology, risk, risk-management, skills, software, startup, strategy, supply-chain, technology, tool, vulnerability

Rona Michele Spiegel’s journey to cybersecurity might seem unconventional to some: She studied the arts. But as someone who grew up when computers first appeared and everyone wanted to experiment with them, she did a lot of multimedia work. She was always interested in technology and discussed with art colleagues about where the world was…
Product showcase: Penetration test reporting with PentestPad

Jan 16, 2026 8:52 AM

Tags: organized, penetration-testing

If you’ve done a pentest before, you know things can get messy fast. You start organized, but a few hours in, notes are scattered, screenshots have odd filenames, and small … First seen on helpnetsecurity.com Jump to article: www.helpnetsecurity.com/2026/01/16/product-showcase-pentestpad-penetration-test-reporting/
Sophisticated VoidLink malware framework targets Linux cloud servers

Jan 15, 2026 5:11 AM

Tags: access, cloud, container, cybercrime, data, detection, docker, endpoint, exploit, framework, kubernetes, linux, malware, network, penetration-testing, risk, strategy, threat, tool, windows

Cloud reconnaissance and adaptability: The malware was designed to detect whether it’s being executed on various cloud platforms such as AWS, GCP, Azure, Alibaba, and Tencent and then to start leveraging those vendors’ management APIs. The code suggests the developers plan to add detections for Huawei, DigitalOcean, and Vultr in the future.The malware collects extensive…
DORA penetration testing and threat-led exercises explained

Jan 14, 2026 7:11 PM

Tags: dora, finance, framework, penetration-testing, resilience, risk, threat

The Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) introduces a unified framework for managing ICT risk across the European financial sector, with key requirements, including penetration testing, coming into force in 2026. Its aim is to ensure that regulated organisations, and the critical third-party providers they rely on, can withstand, respond to and recover from operational disruptions.”¦…
Parrot OS shares its 2026 plans for security tools and platform support

Jan 13, 2026 11:02 AM

Tags: cybersecurity, linux, malware, penetration-testing, tool

Parrot OS is a Debian-based Linux distribution built for cybersecurity work. Security practitioners use it for penetration testing, digital forensics, malware analysis, and … First seen on helpnetsecurity.com Jump to article: www.helpnetsecurity.com/2026/01/13/parrot-os-2026-plans-security-platform-roadmap/
Parrot OS shares its 2026 plans for security tools and platform support

Jan 13, 2026 11:02 AM

Tags: cybersecurity, linux, malware, penetration-testing, tool

Parrot OS is a Debian-based Linux distribution built for cybersecurity work. Security practitioners use it for penetration testing, digital forensics, malware analysis, and … First seen on helpnetsecurity.com Jump to article: www.helpnetsecurity.com/2026/01/13/parrot-os-2026-plans-security-platform-roadmap/
Notorious BreachForums hacking site hit by ‘doomsday’ leak of 324,000 criminal users

Jan 13, 2026 12:02 AM

Tags: access, breach, crime, cyber, cybercrime, dark-web, data, data-breach, email, extortion, group, hacking, intelligence, law, leak, password, penetration-testing, ransomware, risk, service, threat

Have I Been Pwned, the data breach happened last August, two months before the police takedown of the BreachForums data extortion site after threats by Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters to use it to release one billion records stolen from Salesforce customers.This tallies with the August 11 date on the database leaked last week; that was the…
What Is Penetration Testing: Tools, Process, and Importance

Jan 9, 2026 10:01 AM

Tags: hacker, penetration-testing, tool

Web applications, databases, sub-domains, DNS configuration, and public_html are some of the online places where you can never allow a hacker in. If they do, sometimes forcefully, a full account takeover is just a matter of time. First seen on thecyberexpress.com Jump to article: thecyberexpress.com/what-is-penetration-testing/
What Is Penetration Testing: Tools, Process, and Importance

Jan 9, 2026 10:01 AM

Tags: hacker, penetration-testing, tool

Web applications, databases, sub-domains, DNS configuration, and public_html are some of the online places where you can never allow a hacker in. If they do, sometimes forcefully, a full account takeover is just a matter of time. First seen on thecyberexpress.com Jump to article: thecyberexpress.com/what-is-penetration-testing/
The 2 faces of AI: How emerging models empower and endanger cybersecurity

Jan 8, 2026 8:02 PM

Tags: ai, api, attack, compliance, credentials, cyber, cybersecurity, data, deep-fake, defense, detection, endpoint, espionage, exploit, finance, flaw, framework, GDPR, google, governance, government, group, guide, hacker, HIPAA, incident response, injection, intelligence, LLM, malicious, malware, mandiant, microsoft, network, PCI, penetration-testing, privacy, risk, russia, scam, security-incident, service, social-engineering, strategy, tactics, threat, tool, vulnerability, zero-day

Self-modifying, evasive malware More recently, the researchers at Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) identified a disturbing new trend: malware that uses LLMs during execution to dynamically alter its own behavior and evade detection. This is not pre-generated code, this is code that adapts mid-execution.In June 2025, GTIG identified an experimental malware called PROMPTFLUX, which connects…
The 2 faces of AI: How emerging models empower and endanger cybersecurity

Jan 8, 2026 8:02 PM

Tags: ai, api, attack, compliance, credentials, cyber, cybersecurity, data, deep-fake, defense, detection, endpoint, espionage, exploit, finance, flaw, framework, GDPR, google, governance, government, group, guide, hacker, HIPAA, incident response, injection, intelligence, LLM, malicious, malware, mandiant, microsoft, network, PCI, penetration-testing, privacy, risk, russia, scam, security-incident, service, social-engineering, strategy, tactics, threat, tool, vulnerability, zero-day

Self-modifying, evasive malware More recently, the researchers at Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) identified a disturbing new trend: malware that uses LLMs during execution to dynamically alter its own behavior and evade detection. This is not pre-generated code, this is code that adapts mid-execution.In June 2025, GTIG identified an experimental malware called PROMPTFLUX, which connects…
The Boardroom Case for Penetration Testing

Jan 8, 2026 5:05 PM

Tags: attack, breach, business, cyber, cybersecurity, government, penetration-testing, risk

Cybersecurity risk is no longer an abstract concern relegated to IT teams, it is a material business risk that boards and senior leaders must actively manage.UK government research indicates that around 43% of businesses experienced a cyber security breach or attack in the past year, underlining how common these incidents have become across sector, from”¦…