Cobalt
Cobalt is a Pentest as a Service platform that combines SaaS efficiency with a global community of security experts to identify and remediate vulnerabilities in your applications.
Ekran System
Ekran System is an insider risk management platform providing full-cycle protection through user activity monitoring, identity management, and incident response to secure your critical data and infrastructure.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Cobalt | Ekran System |
|---|---|---|
| Website | cobalt.io | ekransystem.com |
| Pricing Model | Custom | Custom |
| Starting Price | Custom Pricing | Custom Pricing |
| FREE Trial | ✘ No free trial | ✓ 30 days free trial |
| Free Plan | ✘ No free plan | ✘ No free plan |
| Product Demo | ✓ Request demo here | ✓ Request demo here |
| Deployment | ||
| Integrations | ||
| Target Users | ||
| Target Industries | ||
| Customer Count | 0 | 0 |
| Founded Year | 2013 | 2013 |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, USA | Bellevue, USA |
Overview
Cobalt
Cobalt transforms traditional penetration testing into a dynamic, tech-enabled experience through its Pentest as a Service (PtaaS) platform. You can move away from slow, static PDF reports and instead launch comprehensive security assessments in days rather than weeks. The platform connects you directly with a vetted community of on-demand security researchers who test your web applications, APIs, and cloud infrastructure in real-time.
You can manage the entire testing lifecycle from a single dashboard, allowing your developers to communicate directly with testers for faster vulnerability remediation. It integrates with your existing development workflows to ensure security keeps pace with your release cycles. Whether you need to meet compliance requirements like SOC2 or harden your external attack surface, you get actionable data and on-demand retesting to stay secure.
Ekran System
Ekran System helps you deter, detect, and disrupt insider threats by providing full visibility into user activity across your entire infrastructure. You can monitor every session on your servers and workstations, whether performed by regular employees, privileged users, or third-party vendors. The platform records everything on screen, including metadata like application names and typed keystrokes, allowing you to review actions in a video-like format for forensic investigations.
Beyond simple monitoring, you can manage access with built-in identity verification and password management tools. The software alerts you to suspicious behavior in real-time, enabling you to block users or terminate sessions instantly to prevent data breaches. It is particularly effective for organizations in regulated industries like banking, healthcare, and defense that must meet strict compliance requirements such as HIPAA, PCI DSS, or GDPR.
Overview
Cobalt Features
- On-Demand Pentesting Launch a manual pentest in as little as 24 hours to meet tight production deadlines or compliance windows.
- Real-Time Reporting View vulnerabilities as testers find them so your team can start fixing critical bugs before the test even finishes.
- Direct Researcher Access Chat directly with your assigned security experts to clarify findings and get specific guidance on complex remediation steps.
- SDLC Integrations Push findings automatically to Jira, GitHub, or Slack so your developers can manage security fixes in their existing tools.
- Complimentary Retesting Request a free retest once you've applied a fix to ensure the vulnerability is fully resolved and verified.
- Compliance Reporting Generate audit-ready reports for SOC2, HIPAA, and PCI-DSS with a single click to satisfy your stakeholders and auditors.
Ekran System Features
- User Activity Monitoring. Record every user session in a searchable video format so you can see exactly what happened on any screen.
- Privileged Access Management. Control administrative access with a built-in password vault and multi-factor authentication to ensure only authorized personnel enter sensitive systems.
- Real-Time Alerting. Receive instant notifications when users perform high-risk actions so you can respond to potential threats before damage occurs.
- Incident Response Tools. Block suspicious processes or lock out users with a single click to stop an active insider attack immediately.
- Keystroke Logging. Capture every key pressed during a session to provide searchable text evidence for audits and forensic investigations.
- Compliance Reporting. Generate detailed reports on user activity to satisfy auditors and meet regulatory requirements like GDPR, HIPAA, and SWIFT.
Pricing Comparison
Cobalt Pricing
Ekran System Pricing
Pros & Cons
Cobalt
Pros
- Significantly faster setup time than traditional consulting firms
- Direct communication with testers speeds up remediation
- Clean dashboard replaces messy PDF report management
- High-quality, vetted researchers provide deep manual insights
Cons
- Credit-based pricing can be complex to forecast
- Platform focus is primarily on manual testing over automation
- Premium pricing reflects the high-touch expert service
Ekran System
Pros
- Video-style playback makes investigating incidents very intuitive
- Lightweight agents don't slow down monitored workstations
- Comprehensive search filters find specific events quickly
- Excellent support for monitoring third-party vendor access
Cons
- Initial configuration requires careful planning for large scales
- Storage requirements grow quickly with high-frequency recording
- Reporting interface can feel dated compared to modern SaaS