Penetration testing is important to uncover real-world security weaknesses. With a continuous shift to testing and verification, it’s time to automate the delivery of these results.
The way the results are delivered is not keeping up with today’s fast threat landscape. In many cases, findings are packaged in static reports, buried in PDF or spreadsheets, and handed over to IT and engineering teams that have already been loaded manually. By the time the repair begins, it may have been days or weeks since the problem was first discovered.
As we discussed in a recent article on how automation redefines pentest delivery, static manual processes no longer reduce it. Security teams need faster insights, clean handoffs and more consistent workflows if they want to respond to modern exposure management.
That’s where automation makes a difference and ensures that discoveries move seamlessly from discovery to real-time repairs.
Where should I start?
Knowing automation issues is just the first step. The bigger challenge is to understand where to start. Not all workflows have an equal impact, and trying to automate everything at once is overwhelming.
This article focuses on seven key workflows that bring maximum value.
By automating these first, security teams can accelerate delivery, reduce friction, and build the foundation for modern, scalable approaches to penetration test delivery.
Platforms like PlexTrac help you automate pen test discovery in real time through robust, rule-based workflows. (I’m not waiting for the final report!)
1. Once the findings are discovered, create a ticket for repairs
One of the most powerful ways to accelerate penetration testing delivery is to integrate your findings directly into the tools your engineering and IT teams are already using. Instead of manually transcribing vulnerabilities to Jira, ServiceNow, or Azure DevOps, automation can create a corrective ticket the moment it is issued.
This will allow the findings to reach the right team without delay, eliminating the risk of human error during handoffs. For organizations with multiple stakeholders, from internal IT groups to external clients, automatic tickets ensure that everyone works within a familiar system without adding new friction. The result is faster repair cycles, providing two-way visibility between teams, and all findings are quickly tracked and resolved.
2. Information survey results
Not all discoveries require action. While information findings are valuable in historical context, they can clutter the dashboard and divert the team from higher priority risks. By automatically closing findings tagged as information during scan ingestion, organizations can reduce triage noise and streamline workflows.
This automation ensures that security leaders stay focused on what really matters, and preserves visibility into low-level data when needed. This is a simple but effective way to organize your queues, improve dashboard accuracy, and regain valuable time for your team.
3. Send real-time alerts for important survey results
Critical vulnerabilities discovered in active environments often need to be immediately aware of the report before it is completed. Automation allows real-time alerts to be pushed directly to communication channels such as text using custom webhooks based on Slack, Microsoft teams, email, or discovery severity.
This workflow ensures that high radicality issues escalate immediately, allowing for faster responses and reducing risk exposure. In many cases, alerts can be combined with automatic ticket creation, and survey results can be sent to the appropriate repair team at a particular moment. This proactive approach helps organizations reduce the time from discovery to mitigation.
4. Request a proofreading of the draft survey results
Collaboration and multiple levels of review are required to provide high-quality penetration testing. Instead of sending a manual message asking your teammates to review drafts or bump into issues with duplicate versions, automation could trigger real-time notifications when the findings are ready for proofreading.
This workflow will help promote stronger peer review practices, reduce communication overhead, and help teams scale their quality assurance processes without delaying delivery. Junior analysts will provide structured ways to involve more experienced team members in the editing process and ultimately improve the final deliverable.
5. Send an alert when the survey results are ready for retest
Closing vulnerability loops is just as important as identifying them in the first place. Retests are often delayed as communications between the test and repair teams break down. By automating alerts when the findings are ready to be retested, organizations ensure timely follow-up and avoid SLA mistakes.
This workflow helps teams coordinate more effectively, increase accountability, and reduce the risk of prolonged vulnerabilities. It is a small but impactful automation that strengthens confidence in the overall pentest process by ensuring that the vulnerabilities are truly resolved.
6. Automatic allocation results to users based on role, team, or asset type
Findings can quickly get lost on shuffling if they are not routed correctly. Manual assignments can lead to delays, confusion and even redoing if the problem lands on the wrong team or individual. By automating assignment rules based on attributes such as asset type, vulnerability category, and team roles, we ensure that your findings are delivered directly to the best equipment experts to address them.
This targeted delivery not only speeds up triage, but also reduces human error and increases overall efficiency. Whether your findings need to go to a specific department, system owner, or local team, automatic allocations build clarity in the remediation process and ensure accountability from day one.
7. Send search updates to the client portal or alert the client directly
For service providers, keeping clients informed during and after pentesting is important for trust and satisfaction. Instead of relying on regular emails and manual updates, automation can send survey results directly to a client-facing portal or dashboard. It also allows clients to receive real-time alerts of critical issues, providing instant visibility into the risk of high failure.
This creates a bridge between a security provider and its clients, allowing faster responses and stronger collaboration, allowing providers to position themselves as trustworthy partners.
PlexTrac supports each of these features through its workflow automation engine. For deeper guidance on how these automations work together, see the Workflow Automation Playbook.
Automation amplifies the impact of intrusion testers
By eliminating repetitive tasks, reducing delays, and ensuring survey results are reached at the right time, automation will free up teams and focus on what is most important: protecting your organization.
The seven workflows outlined are not only practical starting points, but also components for more advanced automation in the future. Each step, such as findings, streamlining retests, or direct updates to stakeholders, helps in creating more resilient, efficient and collaborative security practices.
Want to see how automated pentest workflows work? Platforms such as PlexTrac help teams integrate and accelerate delivery, remediation and closures on one platform, enabling real-time delivery and standardized workflows throughout the vulnerability lifecycle.
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