Security validation: The new standard for cyber resilience

Security validation has officially turned a corner. Once considered a “nice-to-have” it’s now a top priority for security leaders worldwide. This shift has been accelerated by frameworks like Gartner’s Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM), introduced in 2022, which emphasizes the need for continuous testing and validation of security controls.

But what exactly is security validation, and why has it become so critical? In simple terms, it’s the process of “battle-testing” your security defenses to ensure they can withstand real-world attacks. By emulating threats and analyzing how your systems respond, security validation provides actionable insights into your organization’s true security posture.

Let’s explore three quick wins for leveraging security validation in 2025 to strengthen your cyber resilience.

#1 validate against ransomware strains

Ransomware remains one of the most pervasive and damaging threats facing organizations today. With damages projected to exceed $265 billion by 2031, executives are demanding clear metrics on their organization’s readiness to combat these attacks.

Traditionally, elements of the ransomware kill chain—such as email filtering, phishing detection, and endpoint security—were tested in isolation. However, this fragmented approach often leaves gaps that attackers can exploit. Security validation enables organizations to test defenses across the entire ransomware kill chain, from groups like LockBit, REvil, Maze, and Conti.

But here’s the kicker: breaches often occur due to anomalies—a single misconfigured firewall, an unpatched endpoint, or one user falling for a phishing email. Security validation’s automation ensures full coverage, testing every endpoint and identifying vulnerabilities that could let ransomware in.

By validating your defenses against ransomware, you can move from assuming you’re protected to knowing you’re protected.

#2 validate user credential threats

Stolen credentials are a goldmine for attackers. According to Verizon’s 2024 Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR), compromised credentials account for 31% of breaches over the past decade and 77% of web application attacks. The Colonial Pipeline attack in 2021 is a stark reminder of the damage that can result from leaked credentials—attackers gained access to the company’s VPN using credentials found on the dark web.

Security validation makes it easy to test for credential-related risks. By scanning for exposed credentials, emulating credential-stuffing attacks, and identifying weak or reused passwords, organizations can uncover critical gaps in their identity-threat posture before attackers exploit them. Emulating the attack in the mindset of the compromised user allows organizations to truly understand what their “blast radius” risk is.

Additionally, security validation ensures that defenses like multi-factor authentication (MFA) and single sign-on (SSO) are functioning as intended. For example, if an attacker attempts to use stolen credentials, does your MFA system block the login attempt? Security validation provides the answers.

#3 validate patched vulnerabilities

Patching is a cornerstone of cybersecurity, but it’s not enough to simply deploy patches—you need to ensure they’re effective. The Equifax breach is a cautionary tale: despite a patch being available for the Apache Struts vulnerability, the company failed to apply it correctly, leading to the exposure of sensitive data of over 147 million accounts.

Security validation takes patching to the next level by verifying that patches are not only deployed but also effective. For example, after patching a critical vulnerability, organizations can use security validation tools to confirm that the patch has been applied across 100% of their infrastructure and that no residual gaps remain.

This approach is particularly valuable in complex environments with thousands of endpoints. Without validation, teams may assume a patch has been successfully deployed, only to discover later that it wasn’t. Security validation eliminates this uncertainty, ensuring that your patching efforts deliver the intended results.

The path to surgical remediation

One of the most significant benefits of security validation is its ability to provide evidence-based guidance for remediation. Rather than adopting a “patch everything” approach, teams can focus on the most critical fixes based on real exploitability risk and system impact.

For example, if a security validation test reveals that a specific vulnerability is easily exploitable and could lead to a ransomware attack, teams can prioritize patching that vulnerability over less critical issues. This precision reduces remediation bottlenecks and enables timely, targeted action.

But security validation isn’t just about finding gaps—it’s also about proving what’s working. Knowing that your defenses can handle real-world threats is far more valuable than assuming they will.

Why security validation should be your new standard

Traditional security metrics, such as the number of vulnerabilities patched or the percentage of endpoints with antivirus software, only tell part of the story. Security validation offers a fresh perspective by measuring your posture based on emulated attacks.

This shift from reactive to proactive security management is essential in today’s ever-changing threat landscape. By safely emulating real-world attacks in live environments, security validation ensures that your controls can detect, block, and respond to threats before damage occurs.

Don’t wait for the next breach to test your defenses. Start validating, defending, and winning with the GOAT Guide.