New Cobalt Credit Definition – Cobalt

Cobalt shifted to a new credit model on June 1, 2022.

What this means for you:

All Cobalt Credits issued after June 1, 2022 will equal 8 pentesting hours.
All existing unused "old" Cobalt Credits will become equal to four “new” Cobalt Credits
The amount of hours worked by each pentester in relation to a specific credit will decrease, while the cost of each credit will also decrease.
If an open order is issued before June 1, 2022 but is signed by you or has a start date after June 1, 2022 the amount of credits will be adjusted to account for the one 1:4 credit conversion.

Why we are making this change:

Let's face it, 33 hours per credit was confusing. This change aligns Cobalt with the widespread unit of measure for human effort within the professional services industry.
Easier communication for customers when discussing with internal stakeholders and procurement teams
Smaller unit of measure allows for more flexible scoping and engagement sizes (new pentest offerings coming in Q3 2022)

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the switch from “old” to “new” credits actually entail?

As of June 1, the only change you will see in the platform is a multiplication of your remaining credit balance X 4. For example, if a customer has 4 credits remaining in their balance, the number will be updated to 16. The same multiplication will come into play in terms of credits applied to any upcoming pentests. If a test was previously scoped as 2 credits, it will require 8 credits with the new definition. Rest assured customers will not lose any credits as part of this change.

Will I lose any credits and/or pentest data as a result of this change?

No. Rest assured that you will not lose any credits and/or pentest data.

What changes will I see in the Cobalt Platform on June 1?

You should expect to see the following changes in platform:

Credits Balance in the Credits Ledger will increase by a factor of 4.
The Credits Ledger will have two entries on June 1, 2022:
- The first entry reduces the customer’s existing credit balance to zero.
- The second entry shows a new credit balance (old balance multiplied by 4).
Credit amounts for all “Draft” and “In Review” pentests will increase by a factor of 4, i.e. 2 old credits will become 8 new credits.
Credits Per Pentest for new & existing assets will increase by a factor of 4.
Estimated Credits in the Assets table will increase by a factor of 4.
Note: Credit amounts for all pentests in “Planned” or later state will NOT be adjusted to show new credits on June 1.

Please contact your CSM or email support@cobalt.io if you have any questions.