Penetration testing articles

Penetration Test Reports

A penetration test report is a structured document that presents the findings of a security assessment conducted on an organisation's systems, applications, or network infrastructure. It serves as a detailed record of the testing process, vulnerabilities identified, risk analysis, and remediation recommendations.

Structure of a Pentest Report

A comprehensive pentest report typically includes the following sections:

1. Executive Summary

  • High-level overview of the assessment, key findings, and overall security posture.
  • Intended for senior stakeholders and decision-makers.
  • Summarises critical risks and their potential impact.

2. Scope and Methodology

  • Defines the targets, in-scope assets, and testing constraints.
  • Describes the methodologies used (e.g., OWASP, PTES, NIST).
  • Specifies tools and techniques applied during the engagement.

3. Findings and Risk Analysis

  • Detailed breakdown of identified vulnerabilities.
  • Categorisation based on severity (e.g., Critical, High, Medium, Low).
  • Evidence and proof-of-concept (PoC) demonstrating exploitability.
  • Mapping findings to industry standards such as CVSS, MITRE ATT&CK, or OWASP Top Ten.

4. Impact Assessment

  • Analysis of potential consequences if vulnerabilities were exploited.
  • Business risk evaluation and potential attack scenarios.
  • Consideration of real-world exploitability and adversarial techniques.

5. Recommendations and Remediation

  • Actionable mitigation strategies for each identified vulnerability.
  • Suggested best practices and security enhancements.
  • Prioritisation of fixes based on risk levels.

6. Appendices

  • Technical details, logs, and raw data from security tools.
  • References to industry guidelines and compliance frameworks.
  • Additional notes on environmental factors that influenced the test.

Importance of a Pentest Report

A pentest report is critical for improving an organisation’s security posture by identifying weaknesses before malicious actors can exploit them. It supports compliance requirements, informs security strategies, and provides a roadmap for remediation. A well-structured report facilitates communication between technical teams and executive stakeholders, ensuring security measures align with business objectives.