HALOCK Adopts Continuous Threat Validation to Move Beyond Pen Tests

TEL AVIV, Israel – February 25, 2026 – In a significant move reflecting a broader industry shift, US cybersecurity consulting firm HALOCK announced it has integrated a new platform to provide clients with continuous, validated visibility into their external security risks. The partnership with Israeli firm ULTRA RED equips HALOCK to move its services beyond traditional, point-in-time assessments and into an ongoing model of threat exposure management.

This collaboration addresses a critical vulnerability in corporate security: the blind spots that emerge between periodic penetration tests. As companies rapidly adopt cloud services, absorb new assets through mergers, and contend with shadow IT, their digital footprint, or attack surface, changes daily. The integration aims to replace periodic snapshots with a live, constantly updated view of genuine, exploitable threats.

The Limits of the Periodic Snapshot

For years, the standard for proactive security has been the penetration test—a deep, expert-led assessment that simulates an attack to find vulnerabilities. While highly valuable, its findings represent a single moment in time. In the weeks and months that follow, new deployments, misconfigurations, or forgotten subdomains can create fresh entry points for attackers, leaving organizations exposed until the next scheduled test.

This challenge has given rise to a new strategic approach known as Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM), a framework championed by industry analysts like Gartner as a top technology trend. CTEM programs are designed to continuously discover, prioritize, validate, and remediate an organization's exposures from an attacker's perspective. The goal is to shift security from a reactive, incident-driven posture to a proactive and predictive one.

The market for CTEM solutions is expanding rapidly as organizations grapple with tool sprawl and alert fatigue. Security teams are often inundated with notifications from dozens of different tools, many of which flag theoretical or low-impact issues. The core promise of a mature CTEM strategy is to cut through this noise by focusing resources on the vulnerabilities that pose a clear and present danger.

From Alert Fatigue to Actionable Intelligence

The partnership between HALOCK and ULTRA RED is centered on a “validation-first” methodology. Instead of delivering a raw data stream of potential vulnerabilities, the platform works to confirm which of those vulnerabilities are actually exploitable.

"ULTRA RED's validation-first approach was a game-changer for our clients," said Terry Kurzynski, Founder and Partner at HALOCK. "Instead of overwhelming security teams with thousands of theoretical vulnerabilities, we deliver a focused list of exposures attackers can actually exploit. This enables our consultants to immediately focus on sophisticated exploitation techniques and fast-track remediation with precise, expert guidance."

The impact was immediate. According to the announcement, the integration led to a 90% reduction in alert volume for clients and a false positive rate below 1%. This allowed security teams to stop wasting time manually verifying endless alerts and instead focus on fixing verified problems. Consequently, the mean time to remediation was reportedly cut in half.

In one early engagement, the platform discovered an exposed internal subdomain that had been missed by all of the client’s existing scanning tools. The vulnerability was not only identified but also confirmed as exploitable, allowing the organization to remediate the issue within hours and prevent a potential breach.

Evolving the Cybersecurity Service Model

For consulting firms like HALOCK, this technological shift also represents a strategic evolution of its business model. By integrating a continuous validation platform into its External Attack Surface Management (EASM) service, the firm can transition from project-based engagements to a more dynamic, subscription-like service.

This model offers clients a sustained partnership focused on ongoing risk reduction rather than a series of disconnected assessments. It provides the persistent visibility needed to manage the security of a constantly changing digital environment. Every finding presented to a client comes with proof of exploitability, giving them the confidence to act decisively.

"ULTRA RED doesn't just surface an issue, it provides verified evidence our team leverages to immediately guide remediation," Kurzynski added. "That allows our clients to act with urgency and confidence."

This approach aligns with the growing demand from business leaders for clear, evidence-based security metrics and a demonstrable return on investment for their cybersecurity programs. By focusing only on proven risks, organizations can better prioritize budgets and resources to address the threats that matter most.

Navigating a Competitive Security Landscape

The move comes as the market for exposure management becomes increasingly crowded and competitive. Established cybersecurity giants like Tenable and Qualys are building out their platforms to align with the CTEM framework, while other specialized vendors such as Pentera and Cymulate focus on automated security validation and breach simulation.

ULTRA RED, founded in 2021, is an emerging player in this space, leveraging technical expertise reportedly honed in the Israeli military's elite cyber units. The company positions its validation-first methodology and ability to provide concrete proof of exploitability as key differentiators. By partnering with established consultancies like HALOCK, it gains a critical channel to bring its technology to a wider enterprise market in the United States.

This collaboration highlights a growing trend of synergy between advanced security technology providers and expert-led service firms. As organizations seek to both implement powerful new tools and access the human expertise needed to interpret and act on their findings, these partnerships are becoming essential for delivering comprehensive and effective cybersecurity outcomes.