CISO Tribune

Vendor comparison · 2 companies

Cobalt vs GuidePoint Security

Cobalt offers a full suite of offensive security services, from autonomous pentesting to human-led pentesting. GuidePoint Security sells cybersecurity services that include security program reviews, vulnerability management and penetration testing, and Privileged Access Management as a Service. CISO Tribune files both under Penetration testing and red team services. This page sets the two records side by side: what each sells, where it is based, who owns and funds it, the customers it names and its recent news, each fact numbered to its source.

Change the companies

Up to four companies side by side.

  • Cobalt
  • GuidePoint Security
Cobalt vs GuidePoint Security: Products, Customers and Funding Compared
CobaltCobalt offers a full suite of offensive security services, from autonomous pentesting to human-led pentesting.cobalt.ioGuidePoint SecurityGuidePoint Security sells cybersecurity services that include security program reviews, vulnerability management and penetration testing, and Privileged Access Management as a Service.guidepointsecurity.com
What it sells
  • Autonomous Pentest[3][7]Complete pentests in 24 hours with proof of exploit on every finding.
  • Cobalt Sage AI[3][6][7]The intelligence Cobalt says powers every Cobalt pentest.
  • Secure Code Review[8]Human-led analysis of source code to find security vulnerabilities.
  • Internal Network Pentest[10]Testing of internal systems by Cobalt experts.
  • Application Security as a Service[4][14]Application Security as a Service scales up or down based on a customer's requirements for application security.
  • Privileged Access Management as a Service[11]GuidePoint Security offers Privileged Access Management as a Service to enforce least privilege over user accounts, systems and endpoints.
  • Vulnerability Management (VM) and Penetration Testing (Pen Testing)GuidePoint Security services that help organizations identify, prioritize and remediate security gaps.
  • Security Program Review[10]A GuidePoint Security Program Review evaluates and measures an organization's security program maturity.
  • Zero Trust Workshops[16]GuidePoint Security offers consulting workshops to guide organizations on their journey to Zero Trust adoption.
  • OT Security Services[4]GuidePoint OT Security Services include assessments, program development and managed services for critical infrastructure.
  • Staff Augmentation Services[15]GuidePoint Security provides Staff Augmentation services across a wide range of disciplines and products.
Categories
Headquarters
Not stated on its pagesReston, United States[2]
Founded
Not stated on its pages2011[2][4]
Ownership and funding
Not stated on its pagesPrivately held[3][7]
Named customers
Not stated on its pagesNot stated on its pages
Recent news
Not stated on its pages
  • September 15, 2026GuidePoint Security expanded its Identity and Access Management practice with three new service offerings.[6]
  • July 7, 2026GuidePoint Security appointed Scott Rachford as Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately, succeeding founder Michael Volk, who becomes Executive Chairman.[5]
G2 and Gartner Peer Insights
  • G2: listed, seen November 5, 2026[5]
  • Gartner Peer Insights: Not stated on its pages
  • G2: listed, seen November 10, 2026[7]
  • Gartner Peer Insights: Not stated on its pages
Who it fits
From its own pages, Cobalt sells mainly to security and development teams. Cobalt says customers use it to test critical web applications and APIs in production, AI and LLM-based applications still in development, and globally distributed networks segmented by location and business unit. Cobalt offers centralized management of parent and child organizations. Cobalt says its pentesting helps customers meet audit, regulatory and customer requirements.GuidePoint Security network infrastructure services cover both enterprise and government IT environments. GuidePoint Security supports cloud-based SaaS or IaaS, on-premise and hybrid architectures based on customer needs. GuidePoint Security staff augmentation is for organizations that want to increase staffing capabilities for a set amount of time.
Last verified
September 27, 2026September 27, 2026

Where they overlap

  • Cobalt and GuidePoint Security are both filed under Penetration testing and red team services.

Where they differ, field by field

  • Cobalt's primary category is Penetration testing and red team services; GuidePoint Security's is Security consulting and advisory.
  • GuidePoint Security is also filed under Managed security service providers.
  • Cobalt lists Autonomous Pentest, Cobalt Sage AI, Secure Code Review and Internal Network Pentest. GuidePoint Security lists Application Security as a Service, Privileged Access Management as a Service, Vulnerability Management (VM) and Penetration Testing (Pen Testing), Security Program Review, Zero Trust Workshops and 2 more.
  • GuidePoint Security is headquartered in Reston, United States.
  • GuidePoint Security was founded in 2011.
  • GuidePoint Security is privately held.

What it sells: Cobalt

What Autonomous Pentest does[3][7]
Cobalt Autonomous Pentest is overseen by Cobalt Core pentesters. Cobalt says it delivers complete pentests in 24 hours with proof of exploit on every finding.
What Cobalt Sage AI does[3][6][7]
Cobalt says Cobalt Sage AI is built on 13 years of expertise and informed by thousands of security engagements. Cobalt says it removes reconnaissance, scanning, triage and reporting work so human experts can focus on complex attack paths.
What Secure Code Review does[8]
Secure code review is described as human-led analysis of source code. Cobalt uses SAST and SCA for automated scanning and then manually reviews the output to validate findings.
What Internal Network Pentest does[10]
Cobalt says its experts use network scanning tools, exploit frameworks and manual techniques to find and exploit vulnerabilities in internal systems. Findings appear in real time on the Cobalt platform with remediation guidance.

What it sells: GuidePoint Security

What Application Security as a Service does[4][14]
Application Security as a Service from GuidePoint Security scales up or down based on a customer's requirements for application security. AppSec as a Service supports a wide range of application security tools. GuidePoint Security can manage an application security tool environment end to end when it is on-prem or in the customer's own cloud environment.
What Privileged Access Management as a Service does[11]
GuidePoint Security offers Privileged Access Management as a Service to enforce least privilege over each user account, system and endpoint in an IT ecosystem. GuidePoint Security supports cloud-based SaaS or IaaS, on-premise and hybrid architectures based on customer needs.
What Vulnerability Management (VM) and Penetration Testing (Pen Testing) does
GuidePoint Vulnerability Management and Penetration Testing services help organizations identify, prioritize and remediate security gaps. GuidePoint Security provides the people, processes and technologies to fully or partially administer vulnerability management programs.
What Security Program Review does[10]
A GuidePoint Security Program Review evaluates and measures an organization's security program maturity. GuidePoint Security uses standards-based maturity definitions based on CMMI and Cobit. GuidePoint Security offers several levels of security program reviews, right-sized to an organization's requirements. The security program report from GuidePoint Security documents a set of recommendations and corresponding resource estimates.
What Zero Trust Workshops does[16]
GuidePoint Security consultants lead Zero Trust Workshops that develop and align use cases to a customer's environment and maturity. GuidePoint Security offers consulting workshops to guide organizations on their journey to Zero Trust adoption.
What OT Security Services does[4]
GuidePoint OT Security Services include assessments, program development and managed services for critical infrastructure. GuidePoint Security helps organizations bridge IT/OT convergence.
What Staff Augmentation Services does[15]
GuidePoint Security provides Staff Augmentation services across a wide range of disciplines and products. GuidePoint Security analysts can support a SOC or Cyber Fusion center with Cyber Hunt, threat intelligence, digital forensics, incident response and analysis of log data.

Questions about Cobalt and GuidePoint Security

What do Cobalt and GuidePoint Security sell?
Cobalt sells Autonomous Pentest, Cobalt Sage AI, Secure Code Review and Internal Network Pentest. GuidePoint Security sells Application Security as a Service, Privileged Access Management as a Service, Vulnerability Management (VM) and Penetration Testing (Pen Testing), Security Program Review, Zero Trust Workshops and 2 more.
Are Cobalt and GuidePoint Security in the same category?
They share Penetration testing and red team services. Cobalt's primary category is Penetration testing and red team services and GuidePoint Security's is Security consulting and advisory.
Where are Cobalt and GuidePoint Security headquartered?
GuidePoint Security is headquartered in Reston, United States.
When were Cobalt and GuidePoint Security founded?
GuidePoint Security was founded in 2011.
Who owns Cobalt and GuidePoint Security?
GuidePoint Security is privately held.
Who are Cobalt and GuidePoint Security sold to?
From its own pages, Cobalt sells mainly to security and development teams. GuidePoint Security network infrastructure services cover both enterprise and government IT environments.
What have Cobalt and GuidePoint Security announced recently?
September 15, 2026: GuidePoint Security expanded its Identity and Access Management practice with three new service offerings.

About Cobalt

Cobalt offers a full suite of offensive security services, from autonomous pentesting to human-led pentesting. The Cobalt Offensive Security Platform helps customers move beyond point in time pentesting to a continuous offensive security program.[1][3]

Cobalt says most pentesting programs still operate on an annual cycle. Cobalt describes the gap between how fast risk changes and how often organizations test for it as the exposure adversaries count on.[7]

The Cobalt Platform centralizes access to the full range of security testing services: web app, API, cloud, network, red teaming, AI and LLM, and more. Customers can launch a pentest in hours and get real-time findings. Customers can collaborate directly with testers via the platform, Microsoft Teams or Slack. Cobalt says Cobalt Sage AI powers every Cobalt pentest and is built on 13 years of expertise, informed by thousands of security engagements. Cobalt says Cobalt Sage AI removes the reconnaissance, scanning, triage and reporting work so human experts can focus on complex attack paths and creative scenarios.[1][3][4][7][10]

Cobalt delivers penetration testing across the entire application portfolio to find and fix vulnerabilities before they are exploited. Cobalt says network and cloud infrastructure are high-value targets in a constant state of change, and that Cobalt identifies and validates real exposures across the attack surface. Network and cloud testing covers Internal Network Pentest, External Network Pentest, Cloud Pentest and Cloud Configuration Review. Advanced offensive security services from Cobalt test systems against the tactics and techniques of a sophisticated adversary. Cobalt's advanced services include Red Teaming, Digital Risk Assessment and Secure Code Review. Customers use Cobalt to test critical web applications and APIs in production, AI and LLM-based applications still in development, and globally distributed networks segmented by location and business unit. For code review, Cobalt uses SAST and SCA for automated scanning and then reviews the scanner output manually to validate the findings.[3][4][8][10]

Cobalt offers two testing delivery models. Customers can choose one or mix and match depending on assets, environment, release cycles and goals. Human-led testing draws on purpose-built methodologies and 500+ vetted security experts in the Cobalt Core. Cobalt Autonomous Pentest delivers complete pentests in 24 hours with proof of exploit on every finding, overseen by Cobalt Core pentesters. Agentic Penetration Testing as a Service pairs AI-driven automation with human pentesters to deliver continuous offensive security. Cobalt says periodic penetration testing meets compliance deadlines and continuous testing gives coverage in between.[3][4][7]

Cobalt pushes vulnerability data into Jira, GitHub, ServiceNow and more through 50+ integrations. Cobalt offers unlimited retesting with a seven-day SLA. Cobalt offers centralized management of parent and child organizations. Cobalt says its customizable reports are mapped to SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA and PCI-DSS. A Cobalt Credit represents the equivalent of 8 hours of offensive security testing. Cobalt sells credits in annual packages that include asset scoping, testing, retesting and platform access. Credits do not roll over into the next contract.[2][3][4][7][9]

Cobalt on the record

Sources

Cobalt full record

  1. [1]cobalt.ioCobalt · cobalt.io · undated page, accessed September 27, 2026 · Tier A
  2. [2]Cobalt Introduces New AI Capabilities for Continuous PentestingCobalt via Business Wire · businesswire.com · published March 19, 2026 · Tier A
  3. [3]Cobalt: Continuous Offensive Security TestingCobalt · undated page, accessed October 23, 2026 · Tier A
  4. [4]Cybersecurity Services | CobaltCobalt · undated page, accessed October 23, 2026 · Tier A
  5. [5]Cobalt Reviews 2026: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2G2 · undated page, accessed October 23, 2026 · Tier C
  6. [6]Modern Offensive Security Platform | CobaltCobalt · undated page, accessed November 5, 2026 · Tier A
  7. [7]Agentic PTaaS: Pentest as a Service | CobaltCobalt · undated page, accessed November 5, 2026 · Tier A
  8. [8]Secure Code Review Services | CobaltCobalt · undated page, accessed November 5, 2026 · Tier A
  9. [9]Pentest Pricing & Penetration Testing Costs | CobaltCobalt · undated page, accessed November 5, 2026 · Tier A
  10. [10]Internal Network Penetration Testing Services | CobaltCobalt · undated page, accessed November 5, 2026 · Tier A

GuidePoint Security full record

  1. [1]guidepointsecurity.comGuidePoint Security · guidepointsecurity.com · undated page, accessed September 27, 2026 · Tier A
  2. [2]Guidepoint security opens new global headquarters amid continued growthGuidePoint Security · guidepointsecurity.com · published June 3, 2025 · Tier A
  3. [3]Guidepoint security attracts new round of growth capitalGuidePoint Security · guidepointsecurity.com · published October 10, 2023 · Tier A
  4. [4]Cybersecurity Consulting Services | GuidePoint SecurityGuidePoint Security · undated page, accessed October 25, 2026 · Tier A
  5. [5]GuidePoint Security Appoints Scott Rachford as Chief Executive OfficerBusiness Wire · published July 7, 2026 · Tier A
  6. [6]GuidePoint Security Expands Identity and Access Management Practice With Three New Service OfferingsBusiness Wire · published September 15, 2026 · Tier A
  7. [7]GuidePoint Security LLC Reviews 2026: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2G2 · undated page, accessed October 25, 2026 · Tier C
  8. [8]Cloud Security Assessments | GuidePoint SecurityGuidePoint Security · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier A
  9. [9]Cybersecurity Services | GuidePoint SecurityGuidePoint Security · undated page, accessed November 3, 2026 · Tier A
  10. [10]Security Program Review and Strategy | GuidePoint SecurityGuidePoint Security · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  11. [11]Privileged Access Management (PAM) as a Service | GuidePoint SecurityGuidePoint Security · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  12. [12]5 Phases of AWS Cloud Security | GuidePoint SecurityGuidePoint Security · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  13. [13]Enterprise Cybersecurity MSSP Provider | GuidePoint SecurityGuidePoint Security · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  14. [14]Application Security as a Service | GuidePoint SecurityGuidePoint Security · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  15. [15]Cybersecurity Staff Augmentation | GuidePoint SecurityGuidePoint Security · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  16. [16]Zero Trust Workshops & Consulting Services (IAM) | GuidePoint SecurityGuidePoint Security · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  17. [17]Advanced Network Security Technologies | GuidePoint SecurityGuidePoint Security · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A

Spot a factual error? Request a correction.