Cyber insurer hopes to boost business with pen testing

Commercial insurer, Chubb Corp. is offering an incentive to cyber insurance buyers that use a penetration testing tool to test for vulnerabilities in their environment.

The insurer has identified Core Security's Core Impact product and said it is offering a discount on insurance if companies buy and demonstrate the use of the automated tool. Warren, NJ-based Chubb said it is the first time an insurer has identified specific security software as essential to defend against data leakage.

"Traditionally pen testing has been something brought to senior people in an organization and their eyes would glaze over," said Jeffrey Cassidy, vice president of business development at Core.

Cassidy said Chubb's move highlight's the latest recommendations from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), whose latest version for the first time includes language calling penetration testing a best practice for cyber security defense.

Core's tool costs $30,000 for an unlimited license. The company says its priority has been to beef up the tool's automated features, making it easy to deploy and use by less technically savvy people.

"Chubb's cyber security business and our automated pen business have seen significant growth in recent years," Cassidy said. "We applaud and share the same goal that they do to try and reduce risks."