Why you need a better read-out
A great penetration test or red team can still fall flat if the executive read-out feels like a bug report. Leadership doesn’t need payload details; they need a clear story that connects risk to decisions and next steps.
This template gives you a simple, repeatable structure for telling that story—whether the engagement was a web app test, internal assessment, or full-scope red team.
Slide 1 – Title & quick context
- Title: “<Engagement type> results – <System/Org Name>”
- Subtitle: Dates and scope (e.g., “External & internal pen test, Oct–Nov 2025”).
- Purpose in one sentence: “We’re here to show what we found, what it means, and what we recommend doing next.”
- Who’s in the room: security, IT/engineering leads, and key stakeholders.
Slide 2 – Objectives and scope
Anchor everyone on what you actually set out to do.
- Objectives (2–3 bullets):
- “Evaluate external attack surface for critical internet-facing assets.”
- “Assess lateral movement risk after a single endpoint compromise.”
- Scope highlights:
- In-scope systems, apps, environments, or business units.
- Key exclusions that leadership should be aware of.
Slide 3 – High-level outcome (“the so what”)
This is the slide executives will remember. It should answer: “So how are we doing, and what are you recommending?”
- Overall assessment: A short phrase like:
- “Meaningful risks with a clear path to improvement.”
- “Generally strong posture with targeted gaps.”
- 3–5 key takeaways:
- “We identified X critical and Y high issues impacting Z systems.”
- “The most realistic attack path looked like <short description>.”
- “Our detection worked well in <areas> and needs improvement in <areas>.”
- “We recommend a 30/60/90-day plan to address the major gaps.”
Slide 4 – Risk picture (visual)
Use a simple visual, not a wall of numbers.
- Options:
- A bar chart of findings by severity (critical/high/medium/low).
- A heatmap of risk areas (identity, network, app, cloud).
- Top three risk themes in a brief table.
- Goal: show where risk clusters—not every individual issue.
Slide 5 – Attack path or scenario (when relevant)
For red teams or deeper tests, walk through one primary attack path as a story.
- Start at initial access (phishing, exposed service, credential reuse).
- Show 3–5 major steps:
- Initial foothold → privilege escalation → lateral movement → objective.
- Call out:
- Where detection worked well.
- Where detection failed or was delayed.
Keep the packet captures and payload details in the appendix. Executives need the story and the impact, not the shell history.
Slide 6 – Strengths and positives
Don’t skip this. It builds trust and shows progress.
- Highlight 3–4 positives:
- Controls that worked as intended.
- Detections that triggered at the right time.
- Good response actions or coordination.
Slide 7 – Top risks and themes
Group related issues into themes that leadership can remember.
- Examples:
- “Identity and access management gaps.”
- “Insufficient segmentation between critical systems.”
- “Inconsistent patching and hardening in <area>.”
- For each theme, include:
- One sentence on impact.
- One sentence on root cause or contributing factors.
Slide 8 – 30/60/90-day remediation plan
Turn findings into a time-boxed plan instead of a giant backlog.
- Next 30 days: critical fixes and quick wins.
- Next 60 days: structural changes for high-impact gaps.
- Next 90+ days: deeper improvements, refactors, or roadmap items.
Assign owners at the team level (e.g., “Identity”, “Platform”, “AppSec”) rather than individual names. This keeps the focus on capabilities, not people.
Slide 9 – Support needed from leadership
This is where you make clear, direct asks while you have their attention.
- Examples:
- “Endorse and prioritize the 30/60/90-day remediation plan.”
- “Support temporary change freezes where needed to implement fixes safely.”
- “Align on acceptable risk for areas we won’t address this quarter.”
Slide 10 – Q&A and recap
- Recap:
- What we tested.
- What we found.
- What we’re doing about it.
- Open the floor for questions and clarify trade-offs.
What goes in the appendix
The executive deck shouldn’t hold every payload and PoC. Use the appendix and the full report for deep technical detail:
- Per-finding technical details and reproduction steps.
- Evidence (screenshots, logs, timelines).
- Mappings to frameworks like MITRE ATT&CK or OWASP.
Share the detailed report with the right technical teams, but keep the main read-out focused on decisions, priorities, and outcomes.
Written by:
Chris Coppock — Founder, Red Raven Solutions