In today’s digital economy,
security is mission-critical for businesses that handle sensitive financial transactions, customer identities, and critical infrastructure.
For KOBIL GmbH, a leader in secure digital identity and multi-sided platform technology, security is not just a priority—it’s a fundamental part of their business model. KOBIL powers secure transactions and authentication for major banks (Raiffeisen, ING, ProCredit, Erste Bank, Commerzbank, Deutsche Bank), logistics providers (DHL), global enterprises (Dropbox), government agencies, and insurance companies—all industries where trust and compliance are non-negotiable.
To reinforce this trust, KOBIL holds several industry-leading security certifications, including ISO 27001, ISO 27701, ISO 9001:2015, and ISO 20000-1:2018 IT Service Management System. They also maintain an internal security team dedicated to managing and mitigating risks. However, with the evolving threat landscape and client-driven security requirements, maintaining an independent, third-party assessment is crucial.
Problem Overview:
The Need for Proactive, Third-Party Security Validation
Despite their robust internal security measures, KOBIL recognizes the importance of regular third-party audits to identify vulnerabilities before attackers do. These audits serve two key purposes:
Ensuring Resilience Against Advanced Threats​​
Even with strong internal security and industry certifications, blind spots can emerge—especially in complex digital identity platforms.
Sophisticated cyber threats target authentication mechanisms, session management, cryptographic implementations, and data storage systems—all of which are mission-critical for KOBIL’s operations.
Meeting Client Security Expectations
KOBIL’s enterprise clients in banking, logistics, and government require detailed security assurance reports.
Clients frequently request independent security evaluations to validate that KOBIL’s authentication, data protection, and transaction security mechanisms meet their high standards.
To maintain its market-leading position, KOBIL needed a comprehensive, external security audit that would challenge their existing security posture, uncover new risks, and provide actionable recommendations—without disrupting their ongoing operations.
Key Results:
Enhanced Threat Resilience​​
Uncovered previously undetected authentication vulnerabilities—allowing KOBIL to proactively mitigate risks before they could be exploited.​
Strengthened session security, encryption, and API authentication mechanisms against real-world attack scenarios.
Lessons Learned & Key Takeaways
Rotating Third-Party Security Assessments is Critical
KOBIL’s strategy of frequently changing security audit providers ensures fresh perspectives and objective assessments—reducing the risk of security blind spots.
Security Approach Matters
KOBIL recognized Sekurno’s methodical, in-depth testing approach as a key differentiator from standard compliance-driven assessments.
Proactive Security = Stronger Market Position
Regular, independent security audits ensure KOBIL stays ahead of regulatory requirements and client security expectations—reinforcing its position as a trusted security leader in digital identity solutions.
Meeting Client Security Expectations
KOBIL’s enterprise clients in banking, logistics, and government require detailed security assurance reports.
Clients frequently request independent security evaluations to validate that KOBIL’s authentication, data protection, and transaction security mechanisms meet their high standards.
Strengthening KOBIL’s Security & Market Position
Sekurno’s comprehensive, hands-on security assessment helped KOBIL uncover vulnerabilities that had previously gone undetected, strengthening their authentication platform and overall security posture.
Solution:Implementing Sekurno’s Cybersecurity Audit
The audit followed industry-leading standards, including:
This assessment covered key attack surfaces, ensuring comprehensive coverage beyond basic penetration testing.
Sekurno conducted an end-to-end security assessment, evaluating KOBIL’s authentication ecosystem, web and mobile security, cryptographic implementations, and compliance frameworks.
200+
security controls from the OWASP Web Security Testing Guide (WSTG)
89+
requirements from the OWASP Mobile Security Testing Guide (MSTG)
Key Phases of the Audit Process:
Understanding KOBIL’s Infrastructure
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Conducted reconnaissance and technical briefings with KOBIL’s security team.
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Mapped out key authentication workflows, API integrations, and session security mechanisms.​
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Automated & Manual Security Testing
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Leveraged enterprise-grade security scanners to detect misconfigurations and exposed endpoints.​
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Conducted deep manual testing on authentication flows, multi-factor verification, encrypted data storage.
Follow-Up Validation Testing
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Re-tested KOBIL’s patched security gaps to confirm that remediation efforts fully mitigated vulnerabilities.
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Threat Modeling & Risk Prioritization
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Built a customized threat model to identify business logic vulnerabilities beyond standard exploits.​​
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Identified potential privilege escalation paths, cryptographic weaknesses, and session hijacking risks.​​​​​​
Vulnerability Identification & Remediation Guidance
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Provided detailed security reports with exploit scenarios, risk ratings, and remediation strategies.
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Conducted technical debriefing sessions with KOBIL’s internal security team to ensure effective fixes.​​
Project Closure & Security Hardening Recommendations
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Ensured all client-provided materials were securely purged from Sekurno’s systems.
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Delivered future security roadmap recommendations for continuous security improvement.
The thoroughness of Sekurno’s security testing really stood out. They took an in-depth approach and identified vulnerabilities that were previously missed by both our internal assessments and other auditors. This was particularly impressive given that we were already confident in our security measures, having implemented extensive security protocols and maintaining extremely high standards as a company in the security industry. Sekurno exceeded our expectations, providing detailed explanations and crucial actionable recommendations.
Markus T., Chief Technology Architect, KOBIL
Conclusion: Proactive Security is the Key to Trust & Growth
KOBIL’s commitment to regular, independent security audits reflects the gold standard of proactive cybersecurity. By partnering with Sekurno, KOBIL has:
Strengthened authentication security & encryption frameworks
Proactively addressed emerging security risks
Enhanced compliance transparency for enterprise & government clients
Reinforced its position as a security-first provider of digital identity solutions
As cyber threats continue to evolve, KOBIL’s security-driven approach ensures it remains one step ahead—protecting customers, transactions, and digital identities across the globe.