Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Rising Breaches Push Firms Toward New Testing Methods –
UK enterprises are under heavy fire. According to Pentera’s State of Pentesting 2025 – United Kingdom report, 75% of organisations suffered a breach in the past two years, and most endured significant damage. At the same time, enterprises are reshaping their defense strategies. 61% now use software-based pentesting, marking a decisive shift away from purely manual testing. Cyber insurance providers are also shaping adoption, with nearly half of firms implementing tools at their insurers’ request. Spending on pentesting accounts for, on aaverage, 12% of cyebrsecurity budgets. Together, these findings reveal a cybersecurity landscape in transition; complex, costly, and increasingly reliant on automation to keep pace with attackers.
What Is Pentesting?
Pentesting, short for penetration testing, is a method of probing systems for weaknesses. Security professionals simulate cyberattacks to see how far an intruder could get. The goal is not to cause damage but to reveal vulnerabilities before criminals exploit them.
Traditional pentesting was a manual exercise. Specialists would act like hackers, attempting to bypass defenses using their knowledge, creativity, and available tools. This process was often slow, expensive, and limited in scope.
Now, many organisations are adopting software-based pentesting. Automated platforms continuously test entire environments, from cloud systems to on-premises networks. These tools can mimic a wide range of attack techniques without causing disruption. The benefit is scale: instead of testing once or twice a year, companies can validate their security weekly or even daily.
In both forms, the purpose remains the same: find weaknesses before attackers do. For enterprises, pentesting provides a clear map of risks and guides where to focus security resources.
Link to Cyber Insurance
Pentesting is also tied directly to cyber insurance. Insurers want proof that clients can withstand modern threats. The report shows that “48% of enterprises have implemented at least one cybersecurity solution at the request of their insurance provider. An additional 41% reported receiving recommendations for specific solutions.”
Breaches Remain Common
This means insurance is no longer only about financial coverage. It is shaping the very defenses companies deploy. Regular testing, validation, and demonstrable resilience are fast becoming essential for coverage approval and premium control.
The report highlights that “75% of UK enterprises experienced a breach in the past 24 months.” Of those breaches, 76% had a major impact. Nearly 35% faced unplanned downtime. Another 24% reported financial loss.
Threats are no longer confined to one system. Attackers target the entire IT environment, from endpoints and cloud to APIs. The message is clear: no surface is safe.
The Weight of Security Stacks
Enterprises are managing increasingly complex environments. UK companies report using an average of 75 security tools. The report warns that while more tools increase visibility, they also create challenges.
Security teams now face 1,764 alerts per week on average. Filtering through this volume slows down responses. It risks allowing critical threats to slip through unnoticed.
One Minute Wtch – Incident Response: Is Pentesting Premature?
Spending on Pentesting
The report shows pentesting now represents a core part of the IT security budget. UK enterprises spend an average of £158,000 annually on pentesting, which equals 12% of their total security spend.
Budgets are trending upward. “58% of enterprises report an increase to their pentesting budgets in the coming year, while 58% report a rise in their overall security budgets.”
Despite the investments, many firms still fall behind. Pentesting frequency often lags behind the speed of IT changes, creating dangerous gaps.
Government Support Questioned
Confidence in government cyber defense remains low. The report states that only 15% of UK CISOs believe government support is adequate. Another 14% say they cannot rely on the government at all.
This distrust places more responsibility on enterprises themselves. Leaders cannot assume government protections will close the gaps.
Pentera CEO Amitai Ratzon warned: “The pace of change in enterprise environments has made traditional testing methods unsustainable. In the UK, 97% of enterprises report making changes to their IT environments at least quarterly. Without automation and technology-driven validation, it’s nearly impossible to keep up.”
His remarks emphasize the urgency of adopting new approaches.
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Pentesting as Strategy, Not Just Compliance
Once seen as a compliance checkbox, pentesting now delivers strategic value. Enterprises are aligning testing with risk perception and breach patterns.
Findings are being shared with executives, regulators, and boards. This shows pentesting is no longer a siloed technical task. It is a business-critical practice, shaping decisions and justifying investments.
Conclusion
The State of Pentesting 2025 – UK Edition reveals a landscape in transition. UK enterprises face rising threats, complex toolsets, and tightening insurance demands. Software-based pentesting offers a way forward, helping companies test continuously and scale their defenses.
As cyber risk grows, firms must prioritize proactive validation. Cyber insurance may ease losses, but only resilient testing and defense will stop attacks before they succeed.
Quick Takeaways
- 75% of UK enterprises suffered a breach in the last 24 months.
- 61% now rely on software-based pentesting.
- £158K is the average annual pentesting spend per enterprise.
- 48% adopted new security tools at the request of insurers.
- Only 15% of CISOs trust government cyber support.
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