7 Key Workflows for Most Affect

Penetration testing is important 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 way in which outcomes are delivered hasn’t saved up with at present’s fast-moving menace panorama. Too usually, findings are packaged into static reviews, 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 had been first found.

As we explored in our latest article on how automation is redefining pentest supply, static, handbook processes not reduce it. Safety groups want sooner insights, cleaner handoffs, and extra constant workflows in the event that they need 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?

Realizing automation issues is barely step one. The larger problem is knowing the place to start out. Not each workflow carries equal affect, and attempting to automate every thing directly might be overwhelming.

This text focuses on the seven key workflows that ship the best quick worth.

By automating these first, safety groups can speed up supply, scale back friction, and construct the inspiration for a contemporary, scalable strategy to penetration take a look at supply.

Platforms like PlexTrac assist automate pentest discovering supply in actual time by means of 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 instantly 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 proper groups immediately, whereas eliminating the chance of human error throughout handoff. For organizations with a number of stakeholders — from inner IT teams to exterior shoppers — automated ticketing ensures everybody works inside acquainted techniques, with out including new friction. The result’s sooner 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 useful for historic context, can muddle dashboards and distract groups from higher-priority dangers. By robotically 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 really issues, whereas nonetheless retaining visibility into lower-level knowledge if wanted. It is a easy however efficient technique to declutter queues, enhance dashboard accuracy, and provides groups again useful time.

3. Ship Actual-Time Alerts for Important Findings

Important vulnerabilities found in energetic environments want quick consideration, usually earlier than a report is finalized. With automation, real-time alerts might 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 sooner response and decreasing danger publicity. In lots of instances, alerts might be paired with auto-ticket creation, sending findings to the proper remediation staff the second they’re recognized. This proactive strategy helps organizations shorten the time from discovery to mitigation.

4. Request Proofreading of Draft Findings

Delivering high-quality penetration exams requires collaboration and doubtlessly a number of ranges of assessment. As an alternative of sending handbook messages asking teammates to assessment a draft or working into duplicate versioning points, automation can set off real-time notifications when findings are prepared for proofreading.

This workflow promotes stronger peer assessment 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 technique to contain extra skilled staff members within the modifying course of, finally enhancing the top deliverable.

5. Ship Alerts When Findings Are Prepared for Retest

Closing the loop on vulnerabilities is simply as necessary 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 really resolved.

6. Auto-Assign Findings to Customers Primarily based on Function, Staff, or Asset Sort

Findings can shortly get misplaced within the shuffle if they don’t seem to be routed accurately. Handbook project results in delays, confusion, and even rework when points land with the fallacious 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 specialists greatest outfitted to handle 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 Shoppers Instantly

For service suppliers, protecting shoppers knowledgeable throughout and after a pentest is important for belief and satisfaction. As an alternative of counting on periodic emails or handbook updates, automation can ship findings instantly into client-facing portals or dashboards. Shoppers may also obtain real-time alerts for important points, making certain they’ve quick visibility into high-severity dangers.

This creates a bridge between safety suppliers and their shoppers, enabling sooner responses and stronger collaboration so suppliers can place themselves as trusted companions.

PlexTrac helps every of those capabilities by means of its Workflow Automation Engine. Discover their Workflow Automation Playbook for deeper steering on how these automations work collectively.