Picus Security Clarifies Difference Between Automated Pentesting and BAS

Cybersecurity firm Picus Security has released an explanation distinguishing between automated penetration testing and Breach and Attack Simulation (BAS). While both methods employ real attack techniques against systems, their primary purpose and mode of operation differ significantly.

Automated penetration testing focuses on identifying and validating attack paths within an organization's environment. It aims to uncover vulnerabilities that an attacker could exploit to progress towards valuable assets. The method chains together various techniques, such as exploitation, credential harvesting, and lateral movement, to construct a proven attack path.

BAS, conversely, tests an organization's defensive controls, including firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and endpoint security. Its objective is to verify that these controls can block and detect known threats. BAS executes a broad set of independent attack actions to continuously and repeatably measure control effectiveness.

Picus Security states the difference lies in the "questions they answer": automated pentesting asks if there is an exploitable path, while BAS asks if defenses block and detect known threats. While BAS offers breadth across techniques and their detection, automated pentesting provides depth along a specific attack path. Organizations can benefit from combining both methodologies for a comprehensive security strategy.