Not Ready for a Pen Test? Attackers Don't Care

Organizations often delay penetration testing because they feel unprepared, fear the results, or believe compliance and tooling alone equal security. This talk challenges those assumptions head-on.

Drawing from real-world attacker behavior, breach patterns, and hands-on experience, the presentation reframes penetration testing not as a pass/fail exam but as a practical learning tool essential to building resilient security programs. It explores how compliance-driven strategies and "Security Jenga" (exceptions, undocumented workarounds, layered shortcuts) create a false sense of confidence, and how attackers exploit small oversights using common, built-in system capabilities rather than exotic malware.

Attendees will learn why "not ready" is never a valid reason to skip testing, and how pen tests uncover unknown risks, validate investments, educate teams, and align security with real business objectives. The core message: attackers don't wait for readiness, and neither should you.