Penetration testing is vital to uncovering real-world safety weaknesses. With the shift into steady testing and validation, it’s time we automate the supply of those outcomes.
The best way outcomes are delivered hasn’t stored up with immediately’s fast-moving risk panorama. Too usually, findings are packaged into static experiences, buried in PDFs or spreadsheets, and handed off manually to already-overloaded IT and engineering groups. By the point remediation begins, days and even weeks might have handed for the reason that points have been first found.
As we explored in our current article on how automation is redefining pentest supply, static, guide processes not reduce it. Safety groups want quicker insights, cleaner handoffs, and extra constant workflows in the event that they wish to preserve tempo with trendy publicity administration.
That is the place automation makes the distinction, making certain findings transfer seamlessly from discovery to remediation in actual time.
The place Ought to You Begin?
Understanding automation issues is simply step one. The larger problem is knowing the place to begin. Not each workflow carries equal affect, and attempting to automate every little thing without delay could be overwhelming.
This text focuses on the seven key workflows that ship the best fast worth.
By automating these first, safety groups can speed up supply, scale back friction, and construct the inspiration for a contemporary, scalable method to penetration take a look at supply.
Platforms like PlexTrac assist automate pentest discovering supply in actual time by sturdy, rule-based workflows. (No ready for the ultimate report!)
1. Create Tickets for Remediation When Findings Are Found
Some of the highly effective methods to speed up penetration take a look at supply is by integrating findings immediately into the instruments that engineering and IT groups already use. As an alternative of manually transcribing vulnerabilities into Jira, ServiceNow, or Azure DevOps, automation can create remediation tickets the second findings are printed.
This ensures findings attain the suitable groups immediately, whereas eliminating the chance of human error throughout handoff. For organizations with a number of stakeholders — from inside IT teams to exterior purchasers — automated ticketing ensures everybody works inside acquainted methods, with out including new friction. The result’s quicker remediation cycles, bidirectional visibility between groups, and making certain all findings are tracked and resolved promptly.
2. Auto-Shut Informational Findings
Not each discovery requires motion. Informational findings, whereas helpful for historic context, can litter dashboards and distract groups from higher-priority dangers. By routinely closing findings tagged as informational throughout scan ingestion, organizations can scale back triage noise and preserve workflows streamlined.
This automation helps safety leaders guarantee their groups keep targeted on what actually issues, whereas nonetheless retaining visibility into lower-level knowledge if wanted. It is a easy however efficient approach to declutter queues, enhance dashboard accuracy, and provides groups again helpful time.
3. Ship Actual-Time Alerts for Vital Findings
Vital vulnerabilities found in energetic environments want fast consideration, usually earlier than a report is finalized. With automation, real-time alerts could be pushed on to communication channels like Slack, Microsoft Groups, electronic mail, and even textual content utilizing customized webhooks primarily based on the severity of the discovering.
This workflow ensures high-severity points are escalated immediately, enabling quicker response and decreasing threat publicity. In lots of instances, alerts could be paired with auto-ticket creation, sending findings to the suitable remediation staff the second they’re recognized. This proactive method helps organizations shorten the time from discovery to mitigation.
4. Request Proofreading of Draft Findings
Delivering high-quality penetration checks requires collaboration and probably a number of ranges of evaluation. As an alternative of sending guide messages asking teammates to evaluation a draft or operating into duplicate versioning points, automation can set off real-time notifications when findings are prepared for proofreading.
This workflow promotes stronger peer evaluation practices, reduces communication overhead, and helps groups scale their high quality assurance course of with out slowing supply. For junior analysts, it offers a structured approach to contain extra skilled staff members within the enhancing course of, finally bettering the tip deliverable.
5. Ship Alerts When Findings Are Prepared for Retest
Closing the loop on vulnerabilities is simply as vital as figuring out them within the first place. Retesting is commonly delayed as a result of communication between testing and remediation groups breaks down. By automating alerts when findings are prepared for retest, organizations guarantee well timed follow-up and keep away from SLA misses.
This workflow helps groups align extra successfully, improves accountability, and reduces the chance of lingering vulnerabilities. It is a small however high-impact automation that strengthens belief within the general pentesting course of by making certain that vulnerabilities are actually resolved.
6. Auto-Assign Findings to Customers Primarily based on Position, Workforce, or Asset Sort
Findings can shortly get misplaced within the shuffle if they don’t seem to be routed accurately. Guide project results in delays, confusion, and even rework when points land with the incorrect staff or particular person. Automating project guidelines primarily based on attributes like asset sort, vulnerability class, or staff function ensures findings are delivered on to the subject material consultants finest outfitted to deal with them.
This focused supply not solely accelerates triage but in addition reduces human error and boosts general effectivity. Whether or not findings must go to a selected division, system proprietor, or regional staff, auto-assignment builds readability into the remediation course of and ensures accountability from day one.
7. Ship Discovering Updates to Shopper Portals or Alert Purchasers Straight
For service suppliers, maintaining purchasers knowledgeable throughout and after a pentest is vital for belief and satisfaction. As an alternative of counting on periodic emails or guide updates, automation can ship findings immediately into client-facing portals or dashboards. Purchasers may obtain real-time alerts for vital points, making certain they’ve fast visibility into high-severity dangers.
This creates a bridge between safety suppliers and their purchasers, enabling quicker responses and stronger collaboration so suppliers can place themselves as trusted companions.
PlexTrac helps every of those capabilities by its Workflow Automation Engine. Discover their Workflow Automation Playbook for deeper steering on how these automations work collectively.
Automation Amplifies the Influence of Penetration Testers
By eliminating repetitive duties, decreasing delays, and making certain findings attain the suitable folks on the proper time, automation frees groups to deal with what issues most: defending the group.
The seven workflows we have outlined should not solely sensible beginning factors, but in addition constructing blocks for extra superior automation sooner or later. Whether or not it is auto-assigning findings, streamlining retests, or delivering updates on to stakeholders, every step helps create a extra resilient, environment friendly, and collaborative safety observe.
Wish to see what automated pentest workflows appear like in motion? Platforms like PlexTrac assist groups unify and speed up supply, remediation, and closure in a single platform, enabling real-time supply and standardized workflows throughout all the vulnerability lifecycle.
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