Report Penetration Test: Outline (en)
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Introduction
- Importance of Penetration Test Reports: Why is a good report crucial? Its impact on organizations.
- Report Objectives: What is to be achieved through the report? Providing clear, actionable, and comprehensive information.
- Audience: Who will read the report? Tailor the language and technical level.
Ideal Report Structure
- Title Page: Basic information such as title, author, date, organization.
- Executive Summary: A brief summary of main findings, recommendations, and potential impacts.
- Introduction: Background, objectives of the testing, scope, and methodology used.
- Findings:
- Vulnerabilities: Detailed description of each identified vulnerability, including CVE (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures) if applicable.
- Exploitation: How the vulnerability was exploited, steps taken, and supporting evidence.
- Impact: Potential impact of each vulnerability if exploited by unauthorized parties.
- Risk Analysis:
- Risk Assessment: Evaluation of the risk level of each vulnerability based on the likelihood of exploitation and its impact.
- Prioritization: Determining repair priorities based on risk level.
- Recommendations:
- Remediation: Specific recommendations for fixing each vulnerability.
- Mitigation: Temporary mitigation steps if remediation cannot be implemented immediately.
- Prevention: Suggestions to prevent similar types of vulnerabilities in the future.
- Conclusion: Summary of main findings and recommendations.
- Appendices:
- Technical Evidence: Screenshots, logs, and other evidence supporting the findings.
- Detailed Methodology: More detailed descriptions of tools and techniques used.
Tips for Writing an Effective Report
- Clear and Concise: Avoid excessive technical jargon, use easily understood language.
- Structured: Use a consistent and easy-to-follow format.
- Accurate: Ensure all presented information is accurate and verifiable.
- Objective: Avoid bias and present facts neutrally.
- Visualization: Use graphs, diagrams, or tables to present complex data.
- Actionable: Recommendations should be clear and actionable.
Tools and Templates
- Tools for Evidence Collection: Burp Suite, Metasploit, Nmap, etc.
- Tools for Report Creation: Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or specialized report generation tools.
- Report Templates: Many penetration test report templates are available online.
Best Practices
- Collaboration with Teams: Involve the development and operational teams in the reporting process.
- Regular Updates: Reports should be updated regularly to reflect environmental changes.
- Good Documentation: Keep all evidence and documentation related to the testing.
Additional:
- Ethics in Reporting: Discuss the importance of maintaining ethics in reporting, especially regarding confidentiality of information.
- Legality: Touch on the legal aspects related to penetration test reporting, such as Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) implications.