What Does a Penetration Test Report Include?

Why Report Quality Matters

A penetration test is only as valuable as the report that comes out of it. A list of CVE numbers and CVSS scores is not a roadmap for improvement. It's noise. Grid32's reports are designed to be genuinely useful to every audience that needs to act on them.

Executive Summary

Written for C-suite leaders and board members who need to understand business implications without technical detail. It includes an overall risk assessment, the most significant findings in plain language, and a high-level remediation priority summary. Many clients use this section directly in board presentations or risk committee reports.

Detailed Technical Report

Designed for CISOs, IT directors, compliance officers, and security leadership. It provides a full inventory of all findings, organized by severity, with: detailed vulnerability descriptions, step-by-step evidence of exploitation, severity ratings and CVSS scores, business impact assessment, specific actionable remediation guidance, and prioritization recommendations.

Attestation and Client-Facing Reports

For organizations that need to demonstrate their security posture to customers, auditors, or regulators, Grid32 provides attestation reports and client-summary documents. Learn more about attestation reports →

Remediation Verification

After you've addressed findings, we offer follow-up verification testing to confirm that vulnerabilities have been remediated effectively, particularly valuable before audit cycles.

How to Read Your Report

A good report is built to be acted on. Start with the executive summary for the overall risk picture, then work through findings in severity order, because critical and high issues are where an attacker would begin. Each finding should include evidence, business impact, and a specific remediation step, not just a label. Use the severity ratings to prioritize, assign owners, and track fixes to closure. If anything is unclear, the debrief is the place to ask, so the report becomes a plan rather than a document that sits unread.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does a penetration test report include?

A strong report includes an executive summary for leadership, a detailed technical section with each finding, its risk, evidence, and remediation guidance, and a client-facing attestation. Grid32 reports also support remediation verification after fixes.

What is the difference between the technical report and the attestation?

The technical report gives your team the detailed findings, evidence, and remediation steps needed to fix issues. The attestation is a concise letter you can share with auditors, insurers, and customers to prove testing without exposing sensitive detail.

Why does report quality matter?

A report is only useful if your team can act on it. Clear risk ratings, real evidence, and specific remediation guidance turn findings into fixes, while vague reports leave issues unresolved and value unrealized.