Why Offensive Security Is Key to Understanding and Managing Cybersecurity Risk

Cybersecurity has moved from a technical necessity to a board-level priority. As enterprises accelerate digital transformation, adopt cloud-native technologies, and navigate an increasingly hostile threat landscape, the need for proactive security practices has become critical. 

This shift has led to the rise of offensive security—a practice focused on simulating real-world attacks to uncover weaknesses before adversaries do. It stands in contrast to defensive security, which centers around monitoring, detecting, and reacting to threats. Offensive security includes penetration testing, red teaming, vulnerability assessments, and social engineering exercises, all designed to answer one fundamental question: What would an attacker find, and how far could they go? 

“Security testing helps to check if everything is fine with the three core pillars—confidentiality, integrity, and availability. It’s not just about protecting the system; it’s about understanding how it behaves under pressure.” 

—Andrei Dzesiatsik, Security Practice Lead at EPAM 

As cyber threats grow more frequent and damaging, businesses need more than passive defenses, they need foresight. Offensive security equips organizations with the tools and techniques to anticipate attacks, reduce risk, and maintain resilience in a volatile digital landscape. It transforms security from a reactive cost center into a proactive enabler of operational stability and strategic growth. 

The Expanding Threat Landscape

Digital transformation has expanded organizational attack surfaces beyond the perimeter. Cloud services, APIs, IoT devices, and hybrid networks offer agility, but also introduce complex security risks. Cybercriminals are growing more coordinated, automated, and persistent, and the arms race is accelerating. According to IBM’s 2023 Cost of a Data Breach report, the global average breach cost hit $4.45 million, with lost business alone accounting for 39% of damages. This underscores that cyber incidents don’t just threaten infrastructure — they erode trust, damage reputation, and stall growth. That’s why offensive security practices like penetration testing play a vital role in building cyber resilience. 

Offensive security addresses these risks head-on by identifying weaknesses in infrastructure, software, and human behavior—before they’re exploited. 

“If you conduct offensive security activities regularly, you lower the chances of incidents by identifying and mitigating vulnerabilities early.” 
—Andrei Dzesiatsik 

Prevention Is Cheaper Than Response

Organizations with proactive security testing save significantly in breach response and remediation costs. According to the manager on the project, Oleksandr Stehostenko, “The earlier you find a vulnerability, the less it costs to fix. If something gets into production, you’re not only fixing the code—you’re dealing with compliance issues, data loss, and reputation damage.” 

By integrating offensive testing into product development and IT operations, companies minimize disruption and gain operational resilience. Vulnerabilities can be patched incrementally through sprint cycles instead of triggering full-blown incident responses. 

A Key Driver for Regulatory Readiness

Industries such as finance, healthcare, and retail face growing regulatory requirements. Standards like HIPAA, PCI DSS, SOC 2, and ISO 27001 now recommend or require proactive security validation. 

Dzesiatsik explains: “Audits are resource-intensive. If you fail one, you’ll likely need to retest, delay releases, or risk penalties. With offensive security, we identify and fix vulnerabilities before auditors even start looking.” 

Offensive Security in Global Compliance Frameworks

Many frameworks explicitly reference security testing: 

• PCI DSS 4.0 requires annual internal and external penetration tests. 

• GDPR encourages Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs), for which offensive testing provides valuable insights. 

• ISO 27001 promotes regular risk assessments, best done via red teaming or simulated attacks. 

• HIPAA leverages penetration testing to cover risk management requirements. 

Compliance is no longer just a formality—it’s a foundational requirement for maintaining customer trust and operational continuity. 

A well-rounded offensive security strategy comprises several complementary services. Each serves a different function and maturity level, giving organizations the flexibility to tailor their approach based on business objectives, compliance needs, and risk appetite. 

Vulnerability Assessments

These serve as a high-level view of known software and infrastructure weaknesses. Ideal for early-stage maturity or continuous risk monitoring, they provide a prioritized list of issues with remediation guidance. 

Penetration Testing

Penetration testing mimics real attackers to actively exploit vulnerabilities in applications, IoT, APIs, networks, or cloud environments. The outcome is a clear understanding of how attackers could breach the system and how to close those gaps.  

Red Teaming Exercises

Red teams simulate advanced persistent threat (APT) actors using multi-layered attacks. These campaigns often include lateral movement, privilege escalation, and stealth operations—all designed to test how well the organization detects and responds. 

“Red teaming is like a war game. We test the Blue Team’s readiness and their ability to handle complex, coordinated attacks.” 
—Andrei Dzesiatsik 

Social Engineering & Human Testing

Simulated phishing campaigns, smishing through messaging and texts, physical intrusion attempts, and vishing calls assess the human element of security. These exercises test the effectiveness of awareness training and help build a more security-conscious culture. 

“The most common weaknesses we uncover are related to authentication and authorization. Even a misconfigured login form can allow attackers to enumerate users and breach systems.” 
— Andrei Dzesiatsik 

EPAM delivers offensive security through a flexible yet standardized methodology, guided by international frameworks like PTES and OWASP. This approach ensures consistency while allowing for client-specific customization. 

Key differentiators include: 

• Tailored Execution: Every engineer follows “standard work” principles but adapts based on the client’s unique needs—whether it’s industry-specific compliance, IoT complexity, or hybrid cloud setups. 

• Certified Talent: All engineers hold advanced certifications (OSCP, OSWE, OSEP), and EPAM is CREST-certified for service delivery across Europe and the Americas. 

• Actionable Reporting: Each engagement includes a business-ready executive summary and a technical deep dive—designed to inform both leadership and engineering teams. 

• As Oleksandr Stehostenko notes, “All our engineers are certified. That means their work is validated by external bodies, and our clients can trust that they’re getting world-class assessments.” 

Offensive security is not a checkbox. It’s a mindset and a continuous process that helps organizations identify risks before they become incidents, enable business growth and reinforce client trust. By embedding offensive tactics into product development, user awareness, and infrastructure management, companies can anticipate attacks, minimize damage, and improve overall cyber resilience. 

Dzesiatsik recommends starting with a vulnerability assessment to understand existing risks. From there, organizations can evolve their programs with targeted penetration testing, red teaming, and user behavior simulations. 

“Every system, every user, every interface is a potential target,” he emphasizes. “Offensive security helps you see your environment the way an attacker would—so you can protect it more effectively.” 

In a world where breaches are inevitable, proactive testing isn’t optional—it’s essential. The organizations that lead in cybersecurity will be those that think like attackers, adapt like innovators, and invest like strategists.