What is a pentesting report and how to interpret it?

Receiving a pentesting report can feel like opening a document in a foreign language: it’s packed with technical details, graphs, risk classifications, and recommendations that aren’t always easy to digest—especially if you’re not part of the IT team.

And yet, understanding that report is crucial for making smart decisions. Not just for tech leaders, but also for departments like compliance, risk management, or executive leadership. Knowing where the critical vulnerabilities are, what needs to be fixed first, and how to prioritize your response can make the difference between proactive improvement… or a future crisis.

In this article, we explain how to read a penetration testing report, which sections you absolutely need to review, and how to turn findings into action.

What Is a Penetration Testing Report?

A penetration testing (or pentest) report is essentially the detailed result of a security audit carried out to identify vulnerabilities in a company’s infrastructure. This report doesn’t just list the flaws or risks found—it also prioritizes the most critical ones and suggests how to effectively fix them.

Beyond its technical value, this type of report also plays a key role in regulatory compliance. It helps organizations align with standards such as HIPAA, ISO/IEC 27001, PCI DSS, and others. The advantage? It shows that the company takes the security of its data—and that of its users—seriously, which is vital for protecting sensitive information and building customer trust.

Why Is a Good Pentesting Report So Important?

Breaking defenses, finding gaps, and working as a team to “hack” a network can be exciting. But let’s be honest: that’s not really what clients are looking for when they hire a penetration testing service. What they truly need is a clear, useful, and actionable report that gives them an accurate picture of their current security posture.

A good pentesting report goes far beyond checking a compliance box. It helps drive key decisions such as:

1. Which vulnerabilities need urgent remediation.

2. How to allocate budget and resources for the security team.

3. What new defensive tools or processes to invest in.

4. What kind of cybersecurity training is needed going forward.

A Good Report Makes All the Difference

Whether you’re hiring a security assessment or learning to conduct one yourself, there’s one thing you can’t overlook: knowing how to communicate findings is just as important as discovering them.

Why? Because well-written and well-structured reports enable all types of stakeholders—from technical staff to executives—to understand what’s going on and take action. In addition, they:

1. Help align teams and gain support from C-level leadership.

2. Lend credibility to the technical work.

3. Improve client relationships (in the case of consulting firms).

In short, a good pentester doesn’t just find flaws. They know how to tell a clear story about a company’s security—one that drives real decisions, strategic investments, and continuous improvement.

Read more: Why Pentesting Is Key in a Cybersecurity Strategy

Sections of a Penetration Testing Report

Executive Summary

Almost every pentesting report includes a key section: the executive summary. But it’s more than just a formality—it’s a tool designed to help anyone, even non-technical readers, quickly understand what happened during the test.

This summary typically includes:

1. A clear overview of the main findings.

2. The most critical vulnerabilities detected.

3. Which security controls failed during the simulated attack.

4. Practical recommendations for fixing the issues.

The key here is to keep it short, clear, and easy to grasp. It serves as a starting point for decision-making by executives and non-technical stakeholders—without getting lost in technical jargon.

Scope of Work

This section outlines exactly what was tested during the assessment. You should see a list of systems, domains, applications, devices, or infrastructure included in the test. It also notes anything that was excluded—either by choice or due to limitations.

This information helps you evaluate whether:

1. The tests covered everything necessary.

2. Something important was left out (intentionally or not).

3. There are critical areas that need immediate attention or can wait.

Methodology and Testing Techniques

Not all pentests are conducted the same way. That’s why the report should clearly explain the approach, tools, and methods used to identify vulnerabilities. Common methodologies include:

1. White Box Testing: Testers are given full access (credentials, architecture, even source code) to perform a deep inspection.

2. Gray Box Testing: Testers receive limited access, similar to that of a regular user, along with some internal knowledge to simulate a realistic attack.

3. Black Box Testing: Testers are provided with virtually no prior information. The goal is to simulate an external “blind” attack, like a real-world hacker would.

4. Hardware Testing: Designed for physical devices like POS terminals, ATMs, IoT gadgets, etc.

5. Web Application Testing: Focused on identifying security flaws in a web app, usually across different user roles and access levels.

This section is critical for understanding how the information was obtained and the depth at which systems were evaluated.

Read more: Types of Pentesting: Which one is right for your business?

Limitations and Assumptions

Not everything can be tested, and not all tests are performed under the same conditions. This part of the report answers questions such as:

1. What expectations and agreements were defined before or during the test?

2. Were there any areas or actions that were out of scope?

3. What limitations did the pentesting team face (time, access, environment, etc.)?

It’s also helpful to know how often these tests are conducted. If it’s the first time one is being performed, the report will likely be more extensive and reveal more critical vulnerabilities. If your organization already has a regular pentesting schedule (e.g., every six months or once a year), the issues found will likely be less severe.

Why Does This All Matter?

How to Read and Interpret a Pentesting Report

Key Narratives Every Pentesting Report Should Include

A strong pentesting report isn’t just a collection of technical data or listed vulnerabilities. It should also tell a story: the story of how the simulated attack unfolded and how prepared your organization was to face it.

These narratives help contextualize the findings, giving them meaning beyond the technical aspects. They allow you to understand the “how” and “why” behind each discovery—critical for making informed decisions.

Some essential narratives to look for in your report:

1. Attack Narrative: Summarizes the entire flow of the simulated attack, from entry to exploitation.

2. Reconnaissance Narrative: Describes what was done in the pre-attack phase, such as environment mapping and data gathering.

3. Ports and Vulnerabilities Narrative: Details findings related to exposed services and weak points in the network.

4. Exploitation Narrative: Shows exploitation attempts and which vulnerabilities were successfully leveraged.

5. OSINT Narrative (Open-Source Intelligence): Reveals what public information about your company could be used against you.

6. Social Engineering Narrative: Analyzes phishing, employee manipulation, or other tactics targeting the human element.

Breaking the report into these narratives helps security teams identify patterns and vulnerable areas. For example, if social engineering tests were successful, that’s a clear sign your team needs stronger cybersecurity training.

Results Analysis: Vulnerability and Risk Assessment

Once the story is told, it’s time to dig into the analysis. This is where risk assessment comes in, clearly identifying which vulnerabilities pose the greatest impact to your organization.

The CVSS (Common Vulnerability Scoring System) is typically used to assign a risk severity to each finding. But a good pentesting team goes further. They also assess the specific context of your organization to determine real-world risk—considering factors like environment, data exposure, and operational impact.

A more advanced approach may include “if-then” scenarios, for example:

“If you fix this vulnerability, you’ll also mitigate four related issues.”

This type of analysis helps you prioritize more effectively and focus resources where they’ll have the most impact.

Recommendations and Next Steps

With the findings clearly prioritized, the report should conclude with an action plan. This includes specific recommendations to resolve the detected issues—from patching and reconfigurations to more complex adjustments or structural changes.

These suggestions are often organized into short-, medium-, and long-term actions based on the urgency of the risk and the complexity of the solution. Some may even address potential zero-day vulnerabilities—issues that don’t yet have an official fix.

In short, not all vulnerabilities are equally dangerous. Some may provide full access to your system, while others barely scratch the surface. That’s why the first step is to clearly understand the criticality of each finding—and not panic over technical terms.

When prioritizing actions, start with those that put sensitive data at risk or could directly impact business operations. Tools like CVSS offer a helpful baseline, but ultimately, the real weight lies in your organization’s specific context.

And beware of common mistakes: don’t assume “low risk” means “not worth fixing,” and don’t underestimate issues just because they appear in test environments or stem from default settings. What seems minor today could escalate quickly tomorrow.

Read more: What is retesting in penetration testing (pentests)?

The Perfect Balance: Technical vs. Non-Technical Report

A good penetration testing report must be useful for everyone—from the technical team implementing the fixes to business leaders making strategic decisions. That’s why the ideal approach is to deliver two complementary versions of the report:

Non-Technical Risk-Based Report

This version is designed for non-technical profiles: managers, stakeholders, and leaders from other departments. It presents findings and risks clearly, without jargon, focusing on:

1. What poses a real threat to the business.

2. What to expect and what needs urgent attention.

3. How to prioritize decisions without delving into technical details.

Technical Report

This is the detailed version, intended for the IT or security team. It includes:

1. A full list of vulnerabilities.

2. Technical evidence (screenshots, scripts, test results).

3. Specific remediation instructions.

4. Impact, attack vectors, and recommended mitigation measures.

Additionally, the technical report can reveal valuable insights. For example, if a flaw is found in a CRM login, it may be a good time to review access for other connected vendors. Often, findings open the door to examining areas that were originally out of scope.

Why Is Penetration Testing Key to Your Organization’s Future Security?

Pentesting reports are not just technical documents—they are strategic tools that give you a clear, up-to-date view of your cybersecurity posture.

By identifying vulnerabilities, assessing risks, and offering actionable recommendations, these reports empower you to make smart decisions, allocate resources wisely, and strengthen your defenses where it matters most. They are also essential for compliance with standards like HIPAA, PCI DSS, SOC 2, and more.

Understanding the key components of a pentesting report prepares you (and your team) to:

1. Detect and mitigate risks before they become incidents.

2. Invest time and budget where it truly makes an impact.

3. Build a stronger, more resilient cybersecurity strategy.

At TecnetOne, we have a team of certified ethical hackers who conduct professional penetration tests aligned with industry best practices. We don’t just identify security flaws—we help you understand, prioritize, and resolve them effectively. Because in cybersecurity, prevention is always better than reaction.