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.
Proofpoint Essentials
Proofpoint Essentials provides small to mid-sized businesses with enterprise-grade email security, continuity, archiving, and social media protection to defend against advanced phishing, malware, and data loss threats.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Cobalt | Proofpoint Essentials |
|---|---|---|
| Website | cobalt.io | proofpoint.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 | 2002 |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, USA | Sunnyvale, 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.
Proofpoint Essentials
Proofpoint Essentials brings enterprise-level email protection to your small or mid-sized business. You can defend your team against sophisticated attacks like spear-phishing, ransomware, and business email compromise using the same technology that protects the world’s largest organizations. The platform automatically filters out malicious attachments and URLs before they ever reach your inbox, keeping your digital environment clean and safe.
Beyond simple filtering, you can ensure your business stays operational even if your primary email server goes down with built-in emergency inbox features. You also get tools to archive important communications for legal compliance and train your employees to spot security threats. It is designed specifically for smaller IT teams, offering a simplified management console that lets you secure your entire organization without needing a dedicated security department.
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.
Proofpoint Essentials Features
- Advanced Threat Protection. Block malicious attachments and phishing URLs with cloud-based sandboxing that identifies threats before they reach your users.
- Email Continuity. Keep your business running during server outages with an emergency inbox that lets you send and receive emails.
- Data Loss Prevention. Prevent sensitive information like credit card numbers or social security data from leaving your organization via outbound email.
- Automated Email Archiving. Store your communications securely for up to 10 years to meet legal requirements and simplify internal discovery.
- URL Defense. Protect your team from malicious links by scanning every URL in real-time when a user clicks it.
- Social Media Protection. Monitor your social media accounts for security risks and prevent unauthorized content from being posted to your profiles.
Pricing Comparison
Cobalt Pricing
Proofpoint Essentials 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
Proofpoint Essentials
Pros
- Highly effective at catching sophisticated phishing attempts
- Emergency inbox ensures zero downtime during outages
- Granular control over filtering and quarantine settings
- Easy to deploy for Microsoft 365 users
Cons
- Interface can feel dated compared to newer competitors
- Initial configuration requires some technical security knowledge
- Reporting features could be more visually intuitive