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Once a year is not often enough.
An annual penetration test is a deep, human-led look at your systems on one date. A testing platform scans continuously, so new code, new dependencies and new cloud changes are checked the week they ship. Most teams need both: the platform for coverage between tests, people for depth and for the report a customer asks for.
Updated 31 October 2026
Side by side
| Cerberon | Annual pentest only | |
|---|---|---|
| How often | Every release, every week, or on a schedule you set. | Once or twice a year. |
| What changes between tests | Caught when it ships. | Unseen until the next test. |
| Depth on business logic | Agent testing on the OWASP method, with limits stated. | Strongest. A human understands intent. |
| Turnaround | Hours. | Weeks to scope, test and report. |
| Cost per test | Included in the licence. | Paid per engagement. |
| Customer-facing report | Fingerprinted reports from every scan. | A signed third-party report. |
Which fits you
Choose Cerberon when
- You ship weekly and need to know what each release changed.
- You want to fix issues before the annual test finds them.
- You need evidence of ongoing testing, not one report a year.
The other way fits when
- A customer contract requires an independent third-party test.
- You need deep testing of complex business logic or a red team exercise.
Common questions
Can a platform replace a penetration test?
Not entirely. It covers the repeatable work all year. A human test adds depth on business logic and a third-party report. Cerberon offers both: the platform and practitioner-led services.
How often should we run security testing?
On every significant release for code and dependencies, monthly or quarterly for web, API and infrastructure testing, and a human-led test at least once a year or when a customer asks.
See it on your own systems.
A 30-minute demo on your targets, or install it yourself and start scanning this afternoon.