The G2 on Cobalt

Cobalt Pros and Cons: Top Advantages and Disadvantages

Quick AI Summary Based on G2 Reviews

Generated from real user reviews

Users commend Cobalt for its efficiency in pen testing, significantly enhancing security through realistic attack simulations. (42 mentions)

Users praise the responsive and knowledgeable customer support of Cobalt, enhancing their overall experience with the platform. (36 mentions)

Users find Cobalt's platform easy to use, enabling quick deployment and efficient management of security testing. (31 mentions)

Users praise the excellent communication from Cobalt, appreciating their responsiveness and understanding of unique needs. (29 mentions)

Users appreciate the high-quality reporting from Cobalt, which enhances the implementation of security fixes efficiently. (24 mentions)

Users appreciate the expertise of Cobalt's diverse testing team, ensuring thorough assessments and unique insights each time. (21 mentions)

Users find Cobalt to be expensive, particularly due to costly credits that limit accessibility for smaller scopes. (12 mentions)

Users experience a lack of detail in testing reports, leading to inconsistent quality across security assessments. (7 mentions)

Users note the limited scope of testing which often fails to deeply address application business logic and tailored needs. (7 mentions)

Users find pricing issues with Cobalt, as credit changes lead to unpredictable budgeting and lack of transparency. (5 mentions)

Users highlight inaccuracy in Cobalt’s testing reports, noting variability in quality and missed findings in complex applications. (4 mentions)

Users report inadequate testing by Cobalt, as internal reviews reveal overlooked vulnerabilities and inconsistent testing quality. (4 mentions)

Users often express frustration with poor customer support, which negatively impacts their experience with Cobalt. (2 mentions)

Top Pros or Advantages of Cobalt

1. Pentesting Efficiency

Users commend Cobalt for its efficiency in pen testing, significantly enhancing security through realistic attack simulations.

See 42 mentions

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Igor O.

Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

5.0/5

"Amazing Tool for Mapping Security Issues"

What do you like about Cobalt?

Adversary Simulation and Red Teaming. Cobalt Strike isn’t your run-of-the-mill penetration testing tool. It goes beyond finding unpatched vulnerabilit

Patrick D.

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

4.5/5

"Reliable Security Solution with Room for Growth"

What do you like about Cobalt?

I appreciate how Cobalt aids in automating pen testing as a service, which simplifies security measures for our team and significantly enhances our se

2. Customer Support

Users praise the responsive and knowledgeable customer support of Cobalt, enhancing their overall experience with the platform.

See 36 mentions

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Verified User

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

5.0/5

"Our first experience with this company was great and they honored their word on all aspects."

What do you like about Cobalt?

Easy interface and good communication. We were able to use the platform over the year to remediate our vulnerabilities. We liked that they were contin

Verified User

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

5.0/5

"Streamlined Scheduling and Support"

What do you like about Cobalt?

The process is streamlined making scheduling and results very easy. Cost is reasonable, and retesting helps confirm any issues are resolved. Support i

3. Ease of Use

Users find Cobalt's platform easy to use, enabling quick deployment and efficient management of security testing.

See 31 mentions

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Verified User

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

1.0/5

"Quick turnaround, subpar execution"

What do you like about Cobalt?

It was quick to schedule and get started. The online portal is easy to use for tracking progress along with Slack comms.

Verified User

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

5.0/5

"Simple and Informative Platform, but Pricey with Too Many Package Options"

What do you like about Cobalt?

easy to use, platform is simple and informative

4. Communication

Users praise the excellent communication from Cobalt, appreciating their responsiveness and understanding of unique needs.

See 29 mentions

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Verified User

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

5.0/5

"Our first experience with this company was great and they honored their word on all aspects."

What do you like about Cobalt?

Easy interface and good communication. We were able to use the platform over the year to remediate our vulnerabilities. We liked that they were contin

Dimitar K.

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

5.0/5

"Pentest"

What do you like about Cobalt?

Communication at its best! Platform is great, they have thought about every detail when preparing for the test

5. Reporting Quality

Users appreciate the high-quality reporting from Cobalt, which enhances the implementation of security fixes efficiently.

See 24 mentions

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Taylor J.

Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

5.0/5

"Professional and responsive"

What do you like about Cobalt?

Cobalt was able to turn around a pen test report for us very quickly as we required testing on very short notice. We found them to be very thorough, t

Aengus O.

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

4.0/5

"Efficient, Automated Platform with Smooth Engagements"

What do you like about Cobalt?

I really appreciate Cobalt's automated platform, which simplifies the setup process by quickly initiating scanning for the first environments. The pla

6. Expertise

Users appreciate the expertise of Cobalt's diverse testing team, ensuring thorough assessments and unique insights each time.

See 21 mentions

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Taylor J.

Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

5.0/5

"Professional and responsive"

What do you like about Cobalt?

Cobalt was able to turn around a pen test report for us very quickly as we required testing on very short notice. We found them to be very thorough, t

Vijeta .

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

5.0/5

"Best platform to get secured with quality findings"

What do you like about Cobalt?

1. The quality of security assessment on the application performed by the pentester. 2. Quality security issues with all details including steps to

Top Cons or Disadvantages of Cobalt

1. Expensive

Users find Cobalt to be expensive, particularly due to costly credits that limit accessibility for smaller scopes.

See 12 mentions

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Verified User

Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

4.0/5

"Automating the Penetration Testing Process"

What do you dislike about Cobalt?

Cobalt is a premium pen testing service, the platform, pen testers and options to retest continously all mean a premium priced service versus traditio

Verified User

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

4.5/5

"Hassle free Management and accurate Pentesting Services"

What do you dislike about Cobalt?

Pricing model. I think Cobalt should revise/review their pricing model

2. Lack of Detail

Users experience a lack of detail in testing reports, leading to inconsistent quality across security assessments.

See 7 mentions

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Verified User

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

4.5/5

"Convenient and organized pen testing platform"

What do you dislike about Cobalt?

I paid "extra" for the pen testers to create GitHub issues to report any security issues found. There were minimal findings but still no GitHub issues

Verified User

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

3.5/5

"Some issues but excellent customer experience"

What do you dislike about Cobalt?

The quality and expertise of security testing engineers can vary widely. You may get a testing report with fantastic detail and accurate findings but

3. Limited Scope

Users note the limited scope of testing which often fails to deeply address application business logic and tailored needs.

See 7 mentions

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Verified User

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

1.0/5

"Quick turnaround, subpar execution"

What do you dislike about Cobalt?

Testers mostly ran automated tools without carefully checking results, and did not tailor the test according to our brief. Testing was very surface le

Taylor P.

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

4.0/5

"Cobalt Delivers Expert Pentesting with Great Communication, Minor Scheduling Hiccups"

What do you dislike about Cobalt?

The only drawback is that scheduling can sometimes take longer than expected, especially for retesting or specialized scopes. While the platform is so

4. Pricing Issues

Users find pricing issues with Cobalt, as credit changes lead to unpredictable budgeting and lack of transparency.

See 5 mentions

See Related User Reviews

Verified User

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

4.5/5

"Hassle free Management and accurate Pentesting Services"

What do you dislike about Cobalt?

Pricing model. I think Cobalt should revise/review their pricing model

Martin A.

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

4.0/5

"Good penetration tests and platform that integrates with JIRA"

What do you dislike about Cobalt?

Its not transparrent what it costs to run a test. You have to buy credits first, and then apply them. I would prefer to just have an agreement, pay th

5. Inaccuracy

Users highlight inaccuracy in Cobalt’s testing reports, noting variability in quality and missed findings in complex applications.

See 4 mentions

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Verified User

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

3.5/5

"Good platform based pentesting service"

What do you dislike about Cobalt?

Sometimes the quality of the findings and coverage are average.

Verified User

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

3.5/5

"Some issues but excellent customer experience"

What do you dislike about Cobalt?

The quality and expertise of security testing engineers can vary widely. You may get a testing report with fantastic detail and accurate findings but

6. Inadequate Testing

Users report inadequate testing by Cobalt, as internal reviews reveal overlooked vulnerabilities and inconsistent testing quality.

See 4 mentions

See Related User Reviews

Verified User

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

1.0/5

"Quick turnaround, subpar execution"

What do you dislike about Cobalt?

Testers mostly ran automated tools without carefully checking results, and did not tailor the test according to our brief. Testing was very surface le

Verified User

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

3.5/5

"Some issues but excellent customer experience"

What do you dislike about Cobalt?

The quality and expertise of security testing engineers can vary widely. You may get a testing report with fantastic detail and accurate findings but

7. Poor Customer Support

Users often express frustration with poor customer support, which negatively impacts their experience with Cobalt.

See 2 mentions

See Related User Reviews

Joe D.

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

4.0/5

"Professional and timely"

What do you dislike about Cobalt?

Hard to reach over an extended time period

Jeremy S.

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

4.0/5

"Good penetration testing"

What do you dislike about Cobalt?

Since we pentest yearly, it had been almost year since I logged in and I could not get my previous account to work. CS solved it for me, but it was

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Arthur G.

Head of Engineering

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

8/30/2022

"Smooth process for first time customer"

4.5/5

What do you like best about Cobalt?

The cobalt dashboard makes reviewing and updating the issues being collected really easy and the recheck process means we can get each item rechecked as they are addressed by our team.

During the test, itself we were able to engage with the team providing information they needed and directing them to check specific things team through a Slack channel making our life easier. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Cobalt?

A silly point but the sales process felt a bit disappointing compared to other companies, they clearly don't need to try as hard given their reputation. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Adeniyi O.

Cybersecurity Engineer

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

3/31/2022

"Exceptional onboarding and penetration testing"

5/5

What do you like best about Cobalt?

Cobalt penetration testing process is simply one of the best out there for your external PT. They also have a user-friendly interface for managing the PT and reports. With an automated interface for report management, feedback and comments. You even get to ask for options etc. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Cobalt?

The area of improvement will be follow-up after testing and during remediation. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Franz W.

Managing Director

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

12/19/2022

"agile pentesting at its best"

5/5

What do you like best about Cobalt?

I like best the SaaS platform of Cobalt, where you can see your test results instantly as they appear and not weeks later Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Cobalt?

data of EU customers is not stored yet on EU servers, should hopefully change soon Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Verified User in Higher Education

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

11/17/2022

"Cobalt understands what modern teams need in a testing partner"

5/5

What do you like best about Cobalt?

Our team loved how Cobalt was embedded in our slack channel but still stayed out of the way and didn't burden our team with additional coordination. I also appreciated the daily updates on which tasks were done Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Cobalt?

I found the credit system to be a little difficult to understand. Though I like the idea that we can spend credits on a variety of different services, it was unclear to me why "8" credits was the right number for what we needed Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Verified User in Higher Education

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

11/17/2022

"Seamless process = good experience"

4.5/5

What do you like best about Cobalt?

The engagement was easy. The Cobalt team was helpful in setting up the tests. Their documentation is well written and purposeful. The team was fast to respond to any issues or concerns and worked through our testing keeping us informed along the way. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Cobalt?

We had no negative experience through the engagement. They were very responsive. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Dwight I.

Director of Development Systems

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

12/2/2022

"Great Pen Test platform and helpful team"

5/5

What do you like best about Cobalt?

The platform is well organized and integrates nicely with Jira. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Cobalt?

We have been using Cobalt for a year and switched from a previous vendor. I have not found anything to dislike. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Jonathan F.

CEO

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

8/30/2022

"Cobalt made my life easy"

5/5

What do you like best about Cobalt?

Cobalt was a tech friendly, automated way to make sure the Assembly platform stays compliant and safe. We care about our customers saftey and Cobalt ensures we are in a great spot! Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Cobalt?

Haven't found anything yet... I'll keep you all posted but it's been almost 3 great years together thus far Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Robert B.

Online Producer

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

11/16/2022

"Really really awful experience"

1/5

What do you like best about Cobalt?

The website and infrastructure work ok-ish Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Cobalt?

The so-called PEN-Testers have no qualifications for what they are doing. They are not motivated and the supervisors seem to be part of the problem. They didn't find anything. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Verified User in Computer Software

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

9/1/2022

"Painless Pen Test"

4/5

What do you like best about Cobalt?

The platform was easy to use, and Cobalt made it easy to scope what exactly needed to be tested. The penetration testers were patient and, as far as I can tell thorough! There were shareable customer reports generated and remediation included, it ticked all our boxes. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Cobalt?

Wasn't a lot to dislike. Had to use a separate Slack to communicate with the penetration testers but equally appreciated the IM aspect rather than having to resolve problems via e-mail. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Andrew S.

Head of Security & Compliance

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

4/10/2022

"Convenient, thorough, and timely."

5/5

What do you like best about Cobalt?

We engaged Cobalt to perform a targeted security assessment with specific criteria around testing objectives. The entire process was seamless, from the scoping discussions and contract to the technical testing itself. The Cobalt team was friendly, professional, and knowledgeable. I especially appreciated the clear and frequent communication during the testing period. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Cobalt?

I can't think of anything we disliked or were not happy with. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Recommendations to others considering Cobalt:

I have used Cobalt as a penetration testing provider at several companies, and have only positive experiences to relate. They have been timely, communicative, and professional in both the administrative and technical aspects of the engagements. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What problems is Cobalt solving and how is that benefiting you?

We were trying to solve two problems: 1) external validation of internal security and remediation efforts, and 2) upholding contractual and regulatory commitments. Engaging Cobalt for security testing has helped us achieve both objectives. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.