How HALOCK Is Redefining Offensive Security with ULTRA RED
For most security teams, the daily grind isn’t stopping attackers. It’s working through an overwhelming volume of alerts, CVE scores, and partial signals while trying to answer a basic question: what actually matters right now?
HALOCK, a cybersecurity consulting firm based in Illinois, built its reputation on hands-on offensive security. Their approach has always been rooted in real exploitation, real risk, and clear remediation guidance. But as their clients’ environments expanded across cloud platforms, shadow IT, AI-driven services, and assets introduced through mergers and acquisitions, maintaining visibility between engagements became increasingly difficult.
A penetration test delivers deep insight at a specific moment in time. The problem is that the attack surface changes almost immediately. HALOCK needed a way to keep that insight alive between assessments.
From theoretical risk to verified exposure
When HALOCK started evaluating external attack surface management platforms, they were not looking for another source of findings. They needed a way to understand which issues were truly exploitable.
Most tools identify potential risk based on software versions or CVE correlations. That still leaves consultants with a long validation phase before they can begin meaningful testing.
ULTRA RED approaches the problem differently. Every exposure is validated against real attack conditions, with request and response evidence that confirms exploitability before it reaches a human analyst.
This changed how HALOCK’s team spends its time. Instead of working through large volumes of unverified results, they can move directly into advanced testing and targeted remediation.
The exposure that was already open
Early in the engagement, ULTRA RED identified an internal subdomain that had gone unnoticed by other tools. It was externally accessible and exploitable.
This was not a hypothetical scenario or a high-risk score waiting for manual confirmation. It was a functioning entry point.
HALOCK analyzed the attack path, mapped the business impact, and worked with the client to remediate the issue within hours of discovery. Without continuous monitoring between tests, that exposure could have remained in place indefinitely.
What changed for the clients
Organizations working with HALOCK through ULTRA RED saw a measurable shift:
- Alert volumes reduced by 75–90%
- Remediation moved two to three times faster
- False positives dropped to below 1%
This is not only an operational improvement. It allows both consultants and security teams to focus on work that requires expertise instead of spending time validating whether something is real.
Decisions are based on evidence rather than probability.
Strengthening EASM
HALOCK’s goal was never to replace penetration testing. Continuous discovery improves the quality of every engagement.
Validated exposures help define scope before testing begins. Consultants start with confirmed attack paths instead of assumptions. Reporting becomes easier to translate into business impact for leadership and auditors.
Today, HALOCK includes ULTRA RED in its external attack surface management (EASM) services across multiple engagement models, from point-in-time assessments to continuous monitoring between tests.
As their clients’ environments continue to grow, the objective remains consistent: security outcomes that are backed by proof and stand up to scrutiny.
Read the full case study to see how HALOCK delivers continuous, evidence-based offensive security with ULTRA RED.
