The penetration testing report
The report is the product you actually pay for. Here is what a good one contains, how to judge quality before you commit, and a free template you can adapt for your own engagement.
What a good report contains
A strong penetration testing report works for two audiences at once — leadership and engineers:
- Executive summary — the overall risk, the top handful of issues, and what to do, in language a director can act on.
- Scope and methodology — exactly what was tested, from what perspective, against which standards.
- Findings — each with a severity rating, reproducible evidence, business impact, and specific remediation.
- Remediation plan — findings prioritised by risk and effort, with owners and timelines.
- Retest — validation that the fixes actually closed the gaps.
How to judge quality before you buy
Ask a prospective firm for a redacted sample report. The tells of a good one: findings that explain what an attacker could do, not just what is technically wrong; evidence you could hand to an engineer to reproduce; remediation that is concrete rather than “apply best practice”; and an executive summary that a non-technical leader could read and act on. A report that is mostly raw scanner output is the sign of a light, automated test.
Use the free template
The downloadable template above gives you a neutral, standards-aware structure to adapt — useful for agreeing the deliverable format with a firm before testing starts, so the final report matches what your auditors, customers, or board actually need.
Frequently asked
What should a penetration testing report include?
A good report has an executive summary for management, a clear statement of scope and methodology, detailed findings with evidence and severity ratings, a prioritised remediation plan, and a retest section. The executive summary should be readable by a non-technical leader; the findings should be reproducible by an engineer.
How are findings rated?
Most reports rate each finding by severity using a recognised system such as CVSS, alongside a plain-language impact and likelihood. The report should state which rating method and version it uses so the numbers are meaningful and comparable.
How do I judge report quality?
Look for findings that explain business impact, not just technical detail; evidence you can reproduce; remediation that is specific and actionable; and an executive summary a director could act on. Raw scanner output pasted into a document is a red flag.
Will I get a retest?
A good firm includes or offers a retest after you have fixed the issues, so you and your stakeholders can prove the vulnerabilities are actually closed. Confirm this is included before the engagement.
Download the free report template
A neutral, reusable penetration test report structure — executive summary, scope, findings, remediation plan, and retest. Adapt it to your engagement.
Download the template (.md)