Inside the Pellera Red Team Report: 2025 Penetration Testing Findings & 2026 Strategies

By: Josh Berry

Cybersecurity moves fast, but staying ahead requires a proactive approach. Red team penetration testing empowers organizations to identify and resolve vulnerabilities before attackers can exploit them.

Our newly released 2026 Pellera Red Team Report summarizes a year of real-world assessments from over 150 clients and 250 penetration tests, and approximately 20,000 tested assets. By combining the tactics of skilled attackers with the expertise of seasoned defenders, we uncover critical vulnerabilities often missed by traditional tools. This report delivers actionable intelligence to help you strengthen your IT environment.

What are the key findings from Pellera’s Red Team Testing in 2025?

In 2025, red team penetration testing revealed that misconfigurations and credential abuse remain the primary catalysts for successful security breaches. The shifting threat landscape requires constant adaptation as adversaries evolve. Based on our assessments, we uncovered:

• Misconfigurations: Accounting for 58% of vulnerability classes, simple errors like NTLM Relay attacks heavily impacted environments.
• Application Risks: Broken Access Control (42%) and Injection flaws (43%) dominated the OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities.
• Credential Abuse: Stolen or mismanaged identities remain a leading cause of compromises.
• AI in Attacks: Adversaries increasingly utilize artificial intelligence to rapidly scale their threat capabilities.

How can organizations strengthen their defenses in 2026?

You can proactively protect your infrastructure by securing identities, adopting continuous penetration testing, and leveraging defensive AI. Turn these insights into collaborative momentum with these actionable steps:

• Secure Identities: Implement passwordless authentication and phishing-resistant MFA.
• Adopt Continuous Testing: Integrate ongoing penetration testing to close security gaps quickly.
• Evolve Security Programs: Incorporate transformative services like Purple Teaming.

Build Momentum: Download the 2026 Report

Red team testing goes beyond identifying flaws—it transforms how organizations manage risk. By applying the strategies in our report, you can build a more resilient, forward-looking security posture.

Download the Pellera Red Team Report: 2025 Penetration Testing Findings & 2026 Strategies today and gain the clarity you need to secure your future.

If you’d like to hear more about advancing your security with penetration testing, fill out the form below and someone from our team will reach out! 

Josh Berry is Director, Cybersecurity for Pellera.