MITRE Caldera vs Picus Security Platform

MITRE Caldera automates adversary emulation and routine cybersecurity assessments using the MITRE ATT&CK framework. Its listed uses include autonomous emulation, detection and response platform testing, manual red-team work, and red-versus-blue research. Adversary profiles can be used to exercise defenses and train blue teams. The core combines an asynchronous command-and-control server, a REST API, and a web interface; plugins add capabilities including Atomic Red Team techniques, operational technology support, ATT&CK visualizations, incident response, reporting, and training. Its default Sandcat agent is written in Go and supports cross-platform deployment, beaconing, instruction execution, payload downloads, and file uploads. Caldera is free, open source under Apache License 2.0, and intended for on-premises deployment. Installation is documented from source and through Docker, with full and slim container variants. The project lists Linux or macOS and Python 3.10 or later with pip as host requirements, and recommends at least 8 GB RAM and 2 CPUs for the core framework. It advises running Caldera in a secure environment or network because its web interface is not hardened or thoroughly penetration-tested.

Picus Security Platform helps security teams validate attack surfaces, exposures, and security controls to prioritize risks and remediation. It simulates attacks against controls such as EDR, SIEM, firewalls, WAFs, and email gateways, then supports remediation and retesting. The platform combines automated penetration testing, breach and attack simulation, and exposure validation. Its threat library contains more than 30,000 TTPs and thousands of scenarios; critical new simulations are added under a 24-hour SLA. AI Threat Builder converts inputs such as a blog URL, PDF, CVE ID, or threat actor name into an ATT&CK-mapped simulation. Picus says it integrates with more than 75 security technologies. Deployment options include SaaS, on-premises, and fully air-gapped environments, with yearly subscriptions and unlimited simulations. Pricing is available on request, and a 14-day free trial is listed. The trial includes one simulation agent, a ransomware-only library, and recommendations for one technology. After the trial, recurring simulations stop and simulation results are no longer accessible.