Pax8 and Horizon3 Partner to Deliver Autonomous Pen Testing and Remediation Verification to European MSPs
The partnership expansion brings autonomous penetration testing and remediation verification to managed service providers via the Pax8 Marketplace across Europe.
Key points
- Horizon3 and Pax8 have expanded their partnership to make the NodeZero Proactive Security Platform available to European managed service providers.
- The platform enables MSPs to deliver autonomous penetration testing, prioritized remediation guidance, and continuous security validation services.
- NodeZero chains individual weaknesses to demonstrate proven attack paths and verifies that corrective actions successfully remove exploitable conditions.
Horizon3 and Pax8 announced on 16 October 2026 that they are expanding their partnership across Europe, making the NodeZero Proactive Security Platform available to managed service providers through the Pax8 Marketplace. This move allows partners to offer autonomous offensive security testing to small and midsized businesses, helping them understand actual exploitability rather than just listing vulnerabilities.
Root cause
The expansion addresses the operational difficulty MSPs face in determining which vulnerabilities are actually exploitable in a customer’s environment. According to Horizon3, traditional vulnerability lists do not reveal the true level of exposure or the specific attack paths an adversary could use. NodeZero resolves this by autonomously testing production environments using real attack techniques within defined safety controls and scope.
Attack path
NodeZero moves beyond isolated findings by chaining weaknesses to demonstrate attainable attacker impacts, such as unauthorized access or privilege escalation. It provides evidence of successful exploitation and documented attack paths. The NodeZero WebApp component extends this to custom web applications, supporting authenticated testing to uncover business logic flaws and broken access controls that standard scanning often misses.
Affected versions
The platform supports testing across multiple infrastructure types, including internal and external networks, cloud environments, and web applications. It includes multi-tenant support and MSP-friendly licensing, allowing partners to manage testing across various customers. The solution also evaluates exposure to vulnerabilities listed in CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, enabling threat-focused assessments for diverse client environments.
Mitigation
- Deliver initial security assessments using autonomous testing to identify exploitable attack paths.
- Guide customers through prioritized remediation based on demonstrated attacker impacts rather than generic severity scores.
- Perform fix verification by retesting remediated weaknesses to confirm that previous exploitation methods are no longer possible.
- Establish ongoing security validation programs to repeat testing after infrastructure changes, application releases, or control updates.
What it means for organisations
Organisations should review how they currently validate security improvements with their managed service providers. Teams usually need to confirm that testing covers actual attack paths, not just vulnerability counts. Check whether your provider can demonstrate that remediation efforts successfully closed specific exploits. Ensure that security conversations include verified results and clear evidence of reduced exposure. Internal stakeholders, including risk managers and IT directors, should be informed about these testing capabilities to align security investments with measurable outcomes and continuous validation efforts.
Background: Business logic vulnerabilities
Stop relying on automated tools alone. Map your application flows, define strict state transitions, and enforce server-side validation. Use threat modelling to find gaps in the workflow. Review code for missing authorisation checks and ensure every step validates the previous state.
Read the full guide: Prevent Business Logic Vulnerabilities: 4 Proven Measures
What to do and how to stay safe: Horizon3
- Verify that your security provider uses tools capable of chaining vulnerabilities to demonstrate real-world attack paths.
- Request evidence of successful exploitation during assessments to prioritize remediation efforts effectively.
- Ensure that any remediation work is followed by verification testing to confirm the fix is effective.
- Monitor for updates to known exploited vulnerability catalogs to align your testing scope with current threats.
General security guidance from the TechSec Observer newsroom. It is not confirmed advice from the organisations named in this story.
Frequently asked questions
How does NodeZero differ from standard vulnerability scanning?
NodeZero autonomously tests production environments using real attack techniques to chain weaknesses into proven attack paths, whereas scanning typically lists individual vulnerabilities without demonstrating exploitability.
Which regions can now access this service through Pax8?
The partnership expansion makes the NodeZero Proactive Security Platform available to managed service providers across Europe through the Pax8 Marketplace.
Does NodeZero support web application testing?
Yes, NodeZero WebApp supports authenticated testing for custom web applications, helping to uncover exploitable weaknesses like broken access controls and business logic flaws.
