Energy sector organisations are critical to New Zealands economy and daily life. Any disruption, whether due to a cyberattack or internal failures, can lead to severe consequences, including power outages, disrupted supply chains, and even national security risks. The energy sector is becoming increasingly digitised, and as such, the risks associated with cyber threats are escalating. The frequency and complexity of attacks are growing, making traditional once-a-year pentesting inadequate for ongoing security management.

Annual pentesting typically involves a one-off engagement with a third-party cybersecurity provider, resulting in a report that outlines vulnerabilities found at the time of testing. While this approach can identify gaps, it often becomes outdated almost immediately after the test is completed. Cyber threats evolve rapidly, and vulnerabilities can emerge at any time during the year. Waiting an entire year for the next test leaves significant gaps in security.

Furthermore, many energy companies in New Zealand spend over $40,000 on one-off point-in-time, once-a-year pentests that provide limited value. Not only are these tests expensive, but they also fail to give engineers the support they need for patching and remediation. The result is a report that sits on a shelf, while vulnerabilities remain unaddressed for months, leaving organisations exposed.

Agile pentesting is a dynamic, continuous approach that allows organisations to test their systems and applications throughout the year. Rather than a once-a-year snapshot of vulnerabilities, agile pentesting offers real-time insights, allowing energy organisations to address security flaws as they emerge.

This method integrates pentesting into the organisations development and operational workflows. Vulnerabilities are detected and patched early, which significantly reduces risk exposure. Agile pentesting aligns perfectly with the agile methodologies already adopted by many companies for project management, ensuring a seamless approach to security.

One of the biggest advantages of agile pentesting is its return on investment (ROI). While many energy sector organisations spend over $40,000 on a single point-in-time pentest, agile pentesting spreads the cost over time and delivers ongoing value.

Heres how agile pentesting delivers ROI:

• Continuous Protection: Agile pentesting ensures your organisation is protected throughout the year, not just during a scheduled annual test. This reduces the likelihood of successful cyberattacks, saving costs related to breaches, downtime, and remediation.
• Faster Remediation: Agile pentesting allows you to identify and patch vulnerabilities in real-time. This reduces the risk window and minimises the need for costly, emergency fixes that could disrupt operations.
• Improved Resource Allocation: With traditional pentesting, internal resources are often tied up in vendor relationships, scheduling tests, and handling remediation efforts. Agile pentesting automates much of this process, freeing your teams to focus on core business functions.
• Affordability and Simplicity: Agile pentesting offers an affordable yearly subscription fee that covers everything- ongoing testing, retesting, and remediation support. This means your team doesnt have to worry about service-level agreements (SLAs) for retesting or additional costs for support throughout the year. The cost is spread out over time, providing predictable, budget-friendly security management.
• Reduced Vendor Onboarding Time: Agile pentesting platforms can reduce vendor onboarding time from several weeks to just a few days. This allows energy organisations to access security testing services faster and launch internal or external network pentests with ease.
• Regulatory Compliance: Energy sector organisations are subject to strict regulatory requirements regarding cybersecurity. Agile pentesting ensures continuous compliance by providing real-time insights and regular reports, avoiding the last-minute scramble to address vulnerabilities just before an audit.

One of the key advantages of Capture The Bug is how easy it is to launch an internal or external network pentest. Traditional pentesting requires extensive preparation, long lead times, and complex scheduling. With agile pentesting, companies can launch a test quickly - often in just a few days- without the headache of prolonged onboarding.

Our platform offers a streamlined, user-friendly process that allows your team to initiate a pentest with minimal effort. Whether you need to assess your internal network or test the resilience of your external-facing systems, Capture The Bug ensures you can get started quickly and with full control over the scope and timing.

Agile pentesting not only saves costs but also enhances your organisations security posture. Cyber threats evolve rapidly, and the traditional once-a-year model is no longer enough to stay ahead of sophisticated attackers. Agile pentesting offers:

• Early Detection: Vulnerabilities are identified as soon as they emerge, allowing your team to patch them immediately.
• Adapting to Emerging Threats: As new threats arise, agile pentesting adapts to ensure that your security is always up-to-date and ready to counter the latest risks.
• Real-Time Reporting: Agile pentesting platforms offer real-time dashboards, allowing organisations to monitor vulnerabilities and remediation efforts continuously. This ensures your organisation always has an up-to-date view of its security landscape.

For the energy sector responsible for maintaining critical infrastructure, adopting agile pentesting is the smart choice. Traditional, once-a-year pentesting is costly, time-consuming, and fails to provide continuous protection against emerging threats. Agile pentesting, on the other hand, offers a more affordable, scalable, and secure solution that aligns with the fast-paced, dynamic nature of todays energy sector.

With continuous testing, faster remediation, and streamlined processes, agile pentesting delivers a higher ROI while ensuring your systems are always secure. The yearly subscription model covers all your pentesting needs, from retesting to remediation support, without additional costs or concerns over SLAs. As the energy sector continues to digitise, the need for real-time, continuous security is more important than ever. Agile pentesting not only meets this need but does so in a way that provides value, efficiency, and peace of mind.