About Asteros
Security That’s Clear, Credible, and Built for the Real World
Why We Exist
Asteros was founded to fix what’s broken in penetration testing: bloated scanner dumps, vague writeups, and flashy ego-filled reports that don’t help anyone. We’re here to give engineering leaders the real-world testing and clear reporting they need to reduce risk, satisfy compliance, and move forward with confidence.
Led by Expertise
Zach Varnell leads the team at Asteros. With 12+ years in offensive security, he’s tested everything from SaaS startups to global infrastructure environments. His work has been featured in Infosecurity Magazine, ZDNet, Threatpost, and The Washington Examiner. Zach has led over 300 successful engagements for companies preparing for SOC 2, PCI-DSS, ISO 27001, and HIPAA.
Where We Work
Asteros is based in Atlanta, Georgia, and operates fully remote — serving teams across the U.S. and internationally. Whether you’re a startup in NYC or a platform team in the Bay Area, we meet you where you are with testing that fits your tech, timelines, and goals.
Why We Exist
We started Asteros after seeing too many teams get burned by superficial tests that failed when it mattered. We believe a penetration test should do more than check a box — it should help you understand your exposure, guide your team, and prove to stakeholders that you’re serious about security.
How We Work
We blend manual attacker logic with compliance-ready structure. Our tests follow OWASP ASVS and PTES, but never stop at checklists. We chain vulnerabilities, show real-world impact, and explain findings in language your devs, auditors, and execs all understand.
What You Can Expect
- Real validation, not scanner noise — every finding manually confirmed
- Actionable, audit-ready reports that reduce friction with auditors and customers
- Clear remediation steps your developers can actually use
- Free retesting for remediated issues
- No sales handoffs or junior teams — just real experts doing real testing
The Impact We Make
- Our team has performed penetration tests for over 300 companies — from high-growth startups to Fortune 500s
- Clients reduce sales cycles by 19 days with clean, audit-ready reports
- Companies with recent penetration tests are 3× more likely to close enterprise deals
- Startups that fail compliance audits spend an average of $32,000 on rework
- Companies that invest in security early save 40% on legal and remediation costs over 3 years
- 81% of SaaS companies say passing audits helped accelerate revenue growth
What’s Next
We’re building Asteros to be the go-to security partner for fast-moving tech teams who care about getting it right. We don’t just want to help you pass — we want to help you grow with confidence, earn trust with every test, and stay ready when customers, auditors, or investors come calling.