What is Report Writing in Cybersecurity?
Report writing is a critical skill for ethical hackers and penetration testers. A well-structured report communicates technical findings, business risks, and remediation steps in a clear and professional manner. Whether you're working in bug bounty, consulting, or internal testing, the quality of your report reflects your expertise.
📑 Key Elements of a Great Security Report
- Executive Summary: High-level overview for non-technical stakeholders
- Methodology: How the test was conducted (tools, scope, dates)
- Findings: Detailed vulnerabilities with technical evidence
- Impact Assessment: Risk analysis (CVSS score, business impact)
- Recommendations: Clear steps to fix each issue
- Appendices: Logs, raw output, scripts (optional)
🧠 Step-by-Step: Writing a Security Report
Step 1: Plan Your Report
Before writing, organize your notes, screenshots, logs, and tool outputs. Decide your audience (technical vs. business).
Step 2: Write the Executive Summary
This section should be short (1-2 paragraphs) and describe the purpose of the test, overall security posture, and high-level findings.
Step 3: Define Scope & Methodology
List tested systems, dates, authorized targets, and tools used. Mention if the testing was black-box, gray-box, or white-box.
Step 4: Document Vulnerabilities
- Use a consistent structure: Title, Description, Impact, Evidence, Recommendation
- Use headers and bullet points for readability
- Include PoC requests/responses or screenshots
Step 5: Rate Risk & Impact
Use CVSS or custom scales to define severity: Low, Medium, High, Critical. Tie the impact to business logic when possible.
Step 6: Provide Remediation Steps
Include actionable, realistic advice tailored to the issue and environment (code fixes, config changes, etc).
Step 7: Review, Proofread, Format
Make sure the language is clear, professional, and error-free. Consistency and grammar matter.
🌐 Real-World Example Snippet
Finding: Unauthenticated Access to Admin Panel
URL: https://target.com/admin
Impact:
Attackers can access administrative functions without logging in.
Evidence (HTTP Request):
GET /admin HTTP/1.1
Host: target.com
Response:
HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Welcome, admin!
Recommendation:
Implement proper authentication checks before granting access to /admin.💡 Practical Tips
- Use templates to save time but tailor for each engagement
- Avoid jargon when writing for executives
- Use screenshots wisely—avoid clutter
- Provide context around risks: "This SQLi could leak user data from 'users' table"
- Include links t