The Myth of the "Hacker-Proof" Certification

Every year, companies spend billions on penetration tests, believing they are "simulating real-world attacks." Yet, somehow, breaches still happen. Ransomware still spreads. Data still gets leaked.

Could it be that penetration testing is just another expensive box-ticking exercise?

Of course not. After all, it comes with an official-looking report!

How the Pentest Industry Really Works

Let’s break it down:

1️⃣ Company hires a pentesting firm.
2️⃣ Pentesters run automated tools and copy-paste vulnerabilities from public databases.
3️⃣ Findings are presented in a well-designed PDF.
4️⃣ Company fixes the "critical" issues (or at least documents an exception).
5️⃣ Pentest passes. Compliance achieved.
6️⃣ Six months later, the company is breached anyway.

And when that happens? Don’t worry – just schedule another pentest!

The Ultimate Cybersecurity Business Model

Penetration testing is the cybersecurity industry's equivalent of a medical check-up where the doctor only looks for illnesses they already know about, ignores new symptoms, and sends you home with a clean bill of health – until you collapse six months later.

Why? Because security budgets don’t exist to make systems secure. They exist to make security look legitimate.

👉 A good pentest finds vulnerabilities. That justifies next year’s pentest budget.
👉 A bad pentest finds nothing. That means you need a more expensive pentest next time.
👉 A breach after a pentest? No problem – the test only guaranteed compliance, not security.

A win-win situation – for the pentesting firms, at least.

The "Elite Ethical Hacker" Illusion

The pentesting industry loves to sell the idea that your company is being tested by elite hackers, the kind you see in movies, wearing hoodies in dark rooms.

Reality check: Most pentesters are just running Nmap, Metasploit, and Burp Suite – the same tools you could run yourself. The difference? They charge you a fortune to do it.

The true elite hackers aren’t selling their skills in compliance-driven pentests. They are out there, bypassing your security while you admire your pentest report.

Why Pentests Keep Failing (But That’s the Point)

Ever noticed that security audits and pentests never permanently fix security issues? That’s because the real goal isn’t security – it’s repeat business.

✅ Vulnerabilities never disappear – they are "managed."
✅ Fixing one flaw just means another will be found next time.
✅ The goal is not to eliminate threats, but to control liability.

Pentests don’t make you secure – they make you compliant. And compliance is just security theater.

What You Actually Need Instead of a Pentest

If you want real security instead of just a fancy report:

✔ Red Teaming – Hire real attackers who don’t follow pre-approved scripts.✔ Continuous Monitoring – A pentest is a snapshot; security is 24/7.✔ Threat Hunting – Look for threats proactively instead of waiting for them to be found.✔ Zero Trust Architecture – Assume breaches happen and design security accordingly.

Because when an actual attack happens, your pentest certificate won’t save you.

Read more at Security-Management.org – while you still can.