Report by Cobalt

Pentester Profile Report

7 FINDINGSPublished Mar 5, 2026
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Key Findings

98% of professional pen testers prefer the PTaaS model over bug bounties.

PTaaSBug BountyPenetration Testing

30% of all bug bounty submissions are invalid or low-value "noise."

Bug BountySecurity OperationsVulnerability Triage

15% of professional pentesters rank public bug bounties as the most effective model for uncovering complex vulnerabilities.

Bug BountyVulnerability DiscoveryPenetration Testing

1% of professional pentesters believe AI-only scanning is effective for uncovering high-impact, exploitable vulnerabilities.

AI SecurityVulnerability DiscoveryOffensive SecurityPenetration Testing

58% of professional pentesters rank PTaaS as the most effective model for uncovering complex vulnerabilities.

Penetration TestingPTaaSVulnerability Discovery

54% of professional pentesters report having discovered a Zero-Day or N-Day vulnerability that had no existing public patch or advisory.

Zero-DayVulnerability DiscoveryOffensive SecurityPenetration Testing

51% of professional pentesters cite the pressure to be the first to submit a finding as their primary frustration with bug bounty programs.

Bug BountyOffensive SecurityPenetration Testing