📊Types of Reports

🎯 Overview

Report structure varies based on assessment type and client requirements. Understanding different assessment methodologies and their corresponding report formats ensures appropriate deliverables for vulnerability assessments, penetration tests, attestation reports, and specialized assessments.

📊 Assessment Types

🔍 Vulnerability Assessment

# Characteristics:
- Automated scanning (authenticated/unauthenticated)
- No exploitation attempted
- Scanner result validation
- False positive identification

# Scope variations:
- External: Internet-facing systems
- Internal: Behind-firewall network scan
- Credentialed: Domain account context
- Anonymous: Unauthenticated scanning

⚔️ Penetration Testing

# Characteristics:
- Beyond automated scanning
- Active exploitation attempts
- Lateral/vertical movement
- Complete attack chain demonstration

# Testing perspectives:
- Black box: Company name only
- Grey box: IP ranges/network access
- White box: Credentials, source code, configs

# Evasion levels:
- Zero evasion: Maximum vulnerability discovery
- Hybrid: Start evasive, escalate when detected
- Full evasive: Remain undetected throughout

📋 Report Categories

🔍 Internal Penetration Test Report

# Primary focus:
- Active Directory domain compromise
- Lateral movement chains
- Privilege escalation paths
- Complete attack narratives

# Key sections:
- Executive Summary
- Technical Findings
- Attack Path Documentation
- Credential Discoveries
- Remediation Recommendations

🌐 External Penetration Test Report

# Additional elements:
- OSINT data collection
- Public-facing application attacks
- Email addresses and breach data
- Subdomain enumeration
- Third-party vendor analysis
- Cloud resource discovery

# OSINT categories:
- DNS/domain ownership records
- Email addresses (breach checking)
- Subdomains and similar domains
- Public cloud resources
- Third-party vendor relationships

📑 Vulnerability Assessment Report

# Content focus:
- Scanner result themes
- Vulnerability severity distribution
- False positive identification
- Procedural deficiency mapping
- Automated finding validation

# Report structure:
- Vulnerability statistics
- Risk categorization
- Remediation prioritization
- Compliance gap analysis

📋 Specialized Assessment Types

🔄 Inter-Disciplinary Assessments

# Purple Team Assessments:
- Red team simulation + Blue team response
- Detection capability evaluation
- Alerting configuration review
- Collaborative improvement process

# Cloud-Focused Testing:
- Cloud architecture expertise
- Container/serverless assessment
- Secret/key abuse evaluation
- Cloud-specific attack vectors

# IoT Comprehensive Testing:
- Network component analysis
- Cloud platform evaluation
- Application security testing
- Hardware layer assessment

# Web Application Focus:
- Application vulnerability testing
- Infrastructure compromise via apps
- Role-based authenticated testing
- Development background integration

🔧 Hardware Penetration Testing

# Scope considerations:
- IoT device security
- Physical device analysis
- Kiosk/ATM security testing
- Laptop/endpoint evaluation

# RoE requirements:
- Destructive testing limits
- Device return expectations
- Component modification boundaries
- Safety and functionality preservation

📄 Additional Deliverables

📊 Attestation Report/Letter

# Purpose:
- Third-party compliance evidence
- Vendor/customer requirements
- General security posture validation

# Content (1-2 pages):
- Number of findings discovered
- Assessment methodology used
- General environment comments
- NO specific technical details
- NO credentials or sensitive data

📈 Presentation Slide Deck

# Audience considerations:
- Technical vs Executive focus
- Industry-specific examples
- Current event correlations
- Relatable risk scenarios

# Content strategy:
- Avoid purely statistical presentations
- Include relevant anecdotes
- Industry-specific attack examples
- Actionable recommendations

📋 Findings Spreadsheet

# Format:
- Tabular finding layout
- Sortable by severity/category
- Import-friendly for ticketing systems
- Pivot table analytics

# Contents:
- Finding titles and descriptions
- Severity ratings
- Affected hosts
- Remediation recommendations
- NO executive summary content

🚨 Vulnerability Notifications

# When to issue:
- Critical internet-exposed RCE
- Unauthenticated sensitive data exposure
- Default/weak credential systems
- Client-specified threshold findings

# Content (minimal):
- Technical finding details
- Exploitation evidence
- Immediate remediation steps
- NO excessive narrative content

🔄 Report Lifecycle

📝 Draft Report Process

# Client collaboration approach:
1. Submit draft report
2. Client review period
3. Feedback incorporation meeting
4. Management response integration
5. Language/presentation adjustments
6. Final report delivery

# Benefits:
- Client input incorporation
- Board presentation optimization
- Security roadmap integration
- Compliance requirement fulfillment

🔁 Post-Remediation Testing

# Scope limitations:
- Original findings only
- Original affected hosts only
- Time-limited window
- NO new environment scanning

# Potential issues:
- Environment changes over time
- Scope creep with new discoveries
- Severity modification pressure
- Compliance timeline conflicts

# Solutions:
- Treat as new assessment if needed
- Document time passage impact
- Focus on original scope only
- Maintain ethical boundaries

🎯 HTB Academy Lab Solutions

Lab Questions

# Question 1: Automated assessment with no exploitation
# Answer: Vulnerability Assessment

# Question 2: Company name + network connection only
# Answer: black box

Assessment Perspective Matrix

# Testing perspectives:
Black Box:  Company name only
Grey Box:   IP ranges/network access provided
White Box:  Credentials, source code, configurations

# Evasion levels:
Zero:       Maximum vulnerability discovery
Hybrid:     Start evasive, escalate when detected
Full:       Remain undetected throughout assessment

⚠️ Professional Considerations

📋 Client Communication

# Pre-assessment:
- Establish RoE boundaries
- Define vulnerability notification thresholds
- Agree on draft/final report process
- Set remediation testing scope

# During assessment:
- Issue critical vulnerability notifications
- Maintain communication on scope changes
- Document all system modifications
- Track cleanup requirements

🔒 Ethical Boundaries

# Maintain integrity:
- No severity modification under pressure
- Accurate timeline documentation
- Honest scope limitation communication
- Professional remediation guidance

# Compliance support:
- Documented remediation plans
- Reasonable timeline justification
- Auditor-acceptable evidence
- Professional recommendation alternatives

💡 Key Takeaways

1. Assessment type determines report structure and content

2. Client perspective (black/grey/white box) affects methodology

3. Draft report process enables client collaboration

4. Specialized assessments require interdisciplinary expertise

5. Post-remediation testing needs strict scope control

6. Ethical boundaries must be maintained throughout

7. Professional communication essential for client success

---

Understanding different report types and assessment methodologies ensures appropriate deliverables that meet client needs while maintaining professional standards and ethical boundaries.