All Press ReleasesSE LABS Ⓡ redefined advanced cyber security testing today with the launch of PIVOT™ (Precise Insight and Visibility of Tactics) that will set a new standard for clear, unequivocal analysis of the effectiveness and efficacy of enterprise-grade cyber security products and services.
PIVOT is a new, ground-breaking detection and protection cyber security test covering incident response and forensic investigation capabilities. It helps businesses identify the products best suited to their needs; gives vendors detailed insight into how their solutions perform against real-world attacks; and supplies major analyst firms with trusted, high-quality data to inform their intelligence reports.
Initially focussing on Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)-style solutions, a pilot of the programme is currently underway with vendors including Broadcom, Cisco, Sophos, and Trend Micro taking part.
A full public test will start in early autumn 2026.
“As attackers evolve, so must the ways we test defences. PIVOT goes beyond conventional testing to show clearly whether a security product delivers on its promises – or falls short against today’s advanced, targeted threats.
“By sharing data openly and collaborating with analysts, we make those results meaningful and actionable for both vendors and the organisations that rely on them,” says Simon Edwards, Founder and CEO of SE Labs.
In the recent blog post, Declaring Zero Trust Without Testing is a Lie, analysts from Forrester expanded on the importance of full attack testing. “Declaring Zero Trust and aligning it to a framework feels safe. It looks mature on paper — but attackers don’t care about architectures. They test for lateral movement, privilege escalation, and exfiltration. The only meaningful response is to test the same way, continuously, antagonistically, and without assumptions.”
“CISOs today need clarity and proof, not just promises. PIVOT emphasises full transparency and inclusion of major analyst firms to set a new standard for trust. For us isn’t just about a score; it’s about demonstrating Symantec and Carbon Blacks’ real-world efficacy in an open, verifiable way that empowers customers to make confident security investments.” – Adam Bromwich, Vice President of Engineering and CTO, Enterprise Security Group at Broadcom.
“SE Labs’ PIVOT brings clarity to endpoint testing. It highlights who’s genuinely preventing and detecting threats, not just tuning for test conditions. As cybersecurity focuses increasingly on prevention and resilience for real-world protection, this independent assessment is critical to retain trust.” – Simon Reed, Chief Research and Scientific Officer (CRSO) at Sophos.
Key Features of PIVOT:
Transparency
Every stage of testing is conducted with full transparency, and follows a pre-published methodology, ensuring complete visibility into how results are achieved.
Clear Scoring
Consistent with all SE Labs evaluations, clear and detailed scoring helps enterprise users easily understand how each product or service performs throughout the test.
Analyst Inclusion
Test results are disclosed to major analyst firms, increasing transparency and enabling independent verification and analysis of the results.
Rigorous Testing
Tests replicate full attack chains, including detection, protection, and incident response, to reflect genuine, real-world conditions.
Realistic Configurations
Vendors are encouraged to submit configurations that mirror typical customer deployments, with no artificial setups allowed.
No Pre-Warnings
Apart from general test start and end dates, vendors receive no notice of when attacks will occur, for authentic, unbiased results.
Participation in PIVOT is initially by invitation only, but interested vendors can email pivot@selabs.uk.
