bytebolt

What bytebolt does

BYTEBOLT is an Austrian cybersecurity firm headquartered in Linz, registered as a sole proprietorship (BYTEBOLT e.U.) owned by Andreas Klöbl. The company delivers professional penetration testing across web applications (OWASP Top 10), mobile applications (OWASP MASVS, tested on physical devices rather than emulators), Active Directory environments, and phishing simulations delivered via email, SMS, and telephone. Tests are conducted by certified penetration testers who engage directly with clients without sales intermediaries, using a five-stage process from initial consultation through kick-off, audit, and encrypted report delivery. The primary revenue engine is project-based, scope-dependent professional services billing, supplemented by unit-based sales of the BYTEBOLT One BadUSB hardware platform developed in cooperation with manufacturing partner LA&GL Embedded Solutions.

Name

bytebolt

Legal name

BYTEBOLT e.U.

Website

https://bytebolt.at

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

BYTEBOLT is an Austrian cybersecurity firm based in Linz that provides penetration testing and phishing simulation services, along with the open-source BYTEBOLT One BadUSB hardware platform, primarily serving SMEs, mid-market firms, and public-sector clients in Austria.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cybersecurity Penetration Testing

NAICS

Security Systems Services (except Locksmiths) (561621)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Key Management, Encryption & Secrets Management (KMS/HSM/Vault) (HDABAHAG)

Keywords

• Penetration testing services
• Phishing simulation
• Cybersecurity audits
• BadUSB hardware
• Ethical hacking

Headquarters

HQ city

Linz

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Penetration Testing Services: Professional penetration testing services across web applications, mobile apps (Android/iOS), Active Directory environments, and physical/social engineering. Billed as custom project engagements with pricing dependent on scope, complexity, and duration. This is the primary revenue stream.
2. Phishing Simulations: Phishing simulation services delivered via email, SMS, and telephone, targeting employee security awareness. Customized per client using branch-specific campaigns and individualized attack simulations. Billed as part of the pentest service engagement.
3. BYTEBOLT One Hardware Sales: Sale of the BYTEBOLT One BadUSB device — an open-source penetration testing hardware tool. Sold with default or custom enclosures. Pricing is unit-based; bulk pricing available on request. Developed and sold by LA&GL Embedded Solutions in cooperation with BYTEBOLT.
4. RansomTower.eu and Secret Sharing: RansomTower.eu provides a ransomware dashboard tracking incidents in Europe. The Yopass-based Secret Sharing service (share.bytebolt.at) allows end-to-end encrypted secret distribution. These appear to be supplementary offerings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

BYTEBOLT delivers professional penetration testing services across web applications, Android/iOS mobile apps, and Active Directory environments, as well as customized phishing simulations via email, SMS, and telephone. The company also designs, develops, and sells BYTEBOLT One, an open-source (GPLv3) BadUSB hardware platform for security professionals, and operates ancillary offerings such as RansomTower.eu and a Yopass-based secret sharing service.

Product overview

BYTEBOLT is an Austrian cybersecurity company offering penetration testing services (Web Application, Mobile App, Active Directory) and phishing simulations, alongside hardware and software products. Its product portfolio centers on BYTEBOLT One, an open-source BadUSB device for security professionals, and Secret Sharing via Yopass for end-to-end encrypted secret distribution. The company also operates RansomTower.eu, a European ransomware tracking dashboard. BYTEBOLT's ethical hacking services are delivered by certified penetration testers who work directly with clients without intermediary sales staff.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BYTEBOLT One: Open-source BadUSB platform designed and developed in Austria, featuring ATmega32U4 microcontroller for HID attack and automation tools.
• RansomTower.eu
• Yopass

Products and services

• Web Application Pentest Professional penetration testing of websites, web applications, and APIs based on OWASP Top 10 and real attack scenarios, identifying vulnerabilities in authentication, access control, and data processing for Austrian businesses.
• Android & iOS App Pentest Mobile application penetration testing for Android and iOS, performed on real devices (not emulators), checking for insecure data storage, faulty API connections, inadequate encryption, and compliance with OWASP MASVS.
• Active Directory Pentest Internal network security assessment simulating real cyberattacks on Active Directory environments to identify privilege escalation paths, misconfigurations, and lateral movement vectors before attackers can exploit them.
• Phishing-Simulationen Customized, industry-specific phishing campaigns delivered via email, SMS, and telephone to test employee awareness and identify human security vulnerabilities, followed by encrypted PDF reports and debriefing sessions.
• BYTEBOLT One Open-source BadUSB hardware platform built around the ATmega32U4 microcontroller, programmable through the Arduino ecosystem, emulating keyboard and mouse input for HID attack simulation and security automation. Supports VID/PID spoofing, multi-keyboard layout support, and per-device unique ID tracking.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• LA&GL Embedded SolutionscoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerLA&GL Embedded Solutions (la-gl.net) is the manufacturing and fulfillment partner for BYTEBOLT One. It develops and sells BYTEBOLT One in cooperation with BYTEBOLT. LA&GL also appears in the contact form's data-sharing consent as the entity that processes order data. When ordering a BYTEBOLT One via the order form, customer data is shared with LA&GL to process the hardware order. Custom and bulk case designs for BYTEBOLT One are also handled through LA&GL.
• Uberspace (Web Hosting Provider)minorOthersUberspace (uberspace.de) is the external web hosting provider for the BYTEBOLT website. Located in Mainz, Germany, operated by Jonas Pasche. Server access logs are fully deactivated. The relationship is that of a hosting vendor — infrastructure service provider.
• Domaintechnik (Web Hosting)minorOthersDomaintechnik (domaintechnik.at / Ledl.net GmbH, Straßwalchen, Austria) is the hosting provider for the pentest.wien subdomain. This is a domain and web hosting service used for the company's secondary web presence. The relationship is that of a domain and hosting service vendor.
• Form.taximinorOthersForm.taxi (form.taxi) is the third-party service used to power BYTEBOLT's contact form. Data entered in the contact form is sent to Form.taxi's servers (hosted in Germany) and then forwarded to BYTEBOLT via email. IP addresses and browser metadata are also collected by Form.taxi. This is a form processing infrastructure service.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cure53: Berlin-based boutique penetration testing firm specializing in web, browser, and mobile application security assessments. Highly comparable to BYTEBOLT in service scope (pentests across web/mobile) and boutique positioning, with similar certified-tester-led delivery.
• SEC Consult (Atos): Austrian-origin cybersecurity consultancy now part of Atos, offering penetration testing, red teaming, and security audits across DACH. Comparable as a same-region, same-service-line competitor with broader scale than BYTEBOLT.
• Redteam Pentesting: German boutique penetration testing firm offering web, infrastructure, and Active Directory assessments. Directly comparable boutique DACH pentest provider with similar methodology-driven delivery and published research output.
• SRLabs (Security Research Labs): Berlin-based security consultancy providing penetration testing, red teaming, and offensive-security research. Comparable boutique DACH competitor with overlapping offensive-security service line and similar technical credibility emphasis.
• Hak5: US-based maker of offensive-security hardware including USB Rubber Ducky BadUSB devices. Comparable as the closest direct product peer to BYTEBOLT One, with overlapping buyer base (penetration testers, red teams) and similar HID-attack tooling focus.

Broad incumbents

• NCC Group: Global cybersecurity services firm offering penetration testing, threat intelligence, and managed security. Comparable as a broader-scale incumbent offering the same core pentest services BYTEBOLT sells, competing for enterprise mandates in DACH and globally.
• Trustwave: Global cybersecurity vendor offering penetration testing, MDR, and compliance services. Overlaps with BYTEBOLT's pentest and phishing simulation offerings but operates at much larger scale with a broader services portfolio.
• HackerOne: Platform-based bug bounty and penetration testing provider with a global hacker community. Comparable as an alternative channel for offensive-security testing services, particularly for organizations considering crowdsourced models over boutique consultancies.
• Bugcrowd: Crowdsourced cybersecurity platform offering pen testing, bug bounty, and attack surface management. Comparable as a platform alternative to boutique pentest firms like BYTEBOLT, particularly for buyers seeking crowdsourced or continuous testing models.
• F-Secure (WithSecure): Nordic-origin cybersecurity vendor offering penetration testing, MDR, and consulting. Comparable as a broader European cybersecurity incumbent with offensive-security capabilities overlapping BYTEBOLT's pentest line.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• GitHubcodeberg.org/byteboltsec/BYTEBOLT-One
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bytebolt

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about bytebolt