OWASP Penetration Test Reporting Standard

The OWASP Penetration Test Reporting Standard aims to standardize the format and content of penetration test reports to address the industry’s lack of consistency. With tens of thousands of companies producing different types of reports, integrating penetration test findings into meaningful internal processes becomes challenging, leading to missed issues and inconsistent data.

By creating a standard in JSON format, this project will facilitate automation, ease of data ingestion, and interoperability among security tools and processes. The standard will include guidance on how to structure reports, categorize findings, and recommend mitigation strategies, making it easier for organizations to understand and act upon penetration test results.

Road Map

The roadmap for this project involves several key phases:

1. Research and Development Gather industry insights and existing best practices in penetration testing and reporting. Collaborate with penetration testing experts to ensure the standard covers all necessary aspects.

2. Drafting the Standard Create a detailed outline for the JSON-based standard. Develop templates for penetration test reports following this standard.

3. Community Feedback and Review Engage the OWASP community and other security professionals to gather feedback on the draft standard. Incorporate feedback and make necessary revisions.

4. Standardization and Advocacy Finalize the standard and publish it on the OWASP platform. Advocate for security vendors and penetration test service companies to implement this standard through awareness-raising initiatives and strategic alignment with industry organizations like CREST International.

5. Ongoing Maintenance and Updates Establish a process for continuous improvement of the standard. Regularly update the standard to reflect changes in the penetration testing landscape.