Probely

Probely operates as a Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST) provider, offering a platform designed to automate vulnerability scanning for web applications and APIs. The company was established in 2016 in Porto, Portugal, by a team of six cybersecurity specialists: Nuno Loureiro, Tiago Mendo, João Poupino, Hugo Castilho, Bruno Barão, and Cláudio Gamboa. The founding team spun out of an application security division at an international telecommunications provider, Portugal Telecom, where they encountered challenges in scaling security testing. This firsthand experience led them to build a developer-focused tool when existing market solutions were primarily aimed at security professionals and lacked clear remediation guidance.

The founders brought extensive experience to the venture. CEO Nuno Loureiro's background includes over two decades in IT, with roles in information security, system administration, and leading security teams at SAPO and PT Pay. CTO Tiago Mendo also spent nearly 12 years at Portugal Telecom, where he co-founded the web security team at SAPO, focusing on penetration testing and secure coding training. Both Loureiro and Mendo hold master's degrees in Information Security from Carnegie Mellon University.

Probely's core business revolves around a SaaS-based subscription model, which includes a freemium version and tiered paid plans for enterprises. The platform is engineered to integrate directly into the software development lifecycle (SDLC) and CI/CD pipelines, bridging the gap between development, security, and operations (DevSecOps). It serves a global client base that includes organizations in telecommunications, hospitality, and healthcare across approximately 30 countries. The service helps clients comply with standards such as PCI-DSS, SOC2, and GDPR by providing detailed reports for evidence.

The platform's key service is its automated vulnerability scanner, which can detect over 30,000 potential security issues, including the OWASP Top Ten risks like SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS). A distinguishing feature is its low false-positive rate of 0.1%, achieved through machine learning and heuristic-based analysis. The scanner provides developers with detailed, evidence-based reports and actionable guidance on how to remediate the identified vulnerabilities. Another feature, Probely's Discovery, helps organizations identify and catalog all their external-facing web applications and APIs to ensure complete testing coverage. In November 2024, the U.S.-based developer security company Snyk acquired Probely to integrate its DAST and API security testing capabilities into Snyk's platform, aiming to provide more comprehensive security coverage.

Keywords: Dynamic Application Security Testing, DAST, API security, web application scanning, vulnerability management, DevSecOps, CI/CD security, automated security testing, software development lifecycle, cybersecurity compliance, penetration testing, vulnerability assessment, application security, OWASP Top 10, false-positive reduction, Snyk, PCI-DSS compliance, SOC2 compliance, GDPR compliance, developer security