New UK Testing Program Aims to Show Which Cybersecurity Tools Actually Work

SE Labs, a UK-based security testing and advisory firm, has launched a new evaluation program called PIVOT to help businesses assess how well cybersecurity products actually defend against real attacks. Announced on 15 September, the six-month program has already attracted big names including Broadcom (parent of Symantec and Carbon Black), CrowdStrike, Fortinet, Palo Alto Networks and Sophos.

A team of ethical hackers based in SE Labs' London testing lab has been simulating attacks since July, impersonating known nation-state groups and cybercriminal gangs to test vendor products against ransomware, malware, phishing and other attack types. Rather than just checking if a threat is detected, PIVOT tracks the entire attack chain to see whether a product actually stopped the attack early, or merely noticed it while the attacker kept moving through the network.

SE Labs CEO Simon Edwards said the testing reflects how much the threat landscape has changed, citing AI-driven attacks and the economic impact of major incidents like the JLR breach. Results from the testing, which will be independently verified by Gartner and Forrester analysts, are expected to be published in January 2027.