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Penetration Test Plan Template for Agile Teams
A penetration testing plan and findings report template covering scope definition, test methodology, vulnerability classification, findings...
Updated 2026-03-04
Penetration Test Plan
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Frequently Asked Questions
How often should we run penetration tests?+
At minimum, annually. For products handling financial data, health data, or operating under compliance frameworks (SOC 2, PCI DSS, HIPAA), quarterly or semi-annual tests are standard. Additionally, run a targeted pen test after any major architectural change, new authentication flow, or new external integration.
Should we use internal testers or an external firm?+
Both have value. Internal testers know the codebase and can go deeper on business logic. External testers bring fresh perspective and are less likely to have blind spots. For compliance purposes (SOC 2, PCI DSS), external pen tests are typically required. A good cadence: external pen test annually, internal security reviews quarterly.
What is the difference between a vulnerability scan and a penetration test?+
A vulnerability scan runs automated tools (Nessus, Qualys, OWASP ZAP) against your system and reports known vulnerability signatures. It is fast, cheap, and covers broad surface area but produces many false positives and misses business logic flaws. A pen test involves a human tester who chains vulnerabilities, tests business logic, and validates exploitability. Run vulnerability scans weekly as part of CI/CD. Run pen tests quarterly to annually.
How do we prioritize remediation when we have many findings?+
Fix critical and high findings immediately (within the SLAs in the severity table). For medium and low findings, use the [RICE framework](/frameworks/rice-framework) to weigh remediation effort against risk reduction. Group related findings into single engineering tasks (e.g., "add authorization middleware to all document endpoints" fixes multiple IDOR findings at once). Track remediation in the same system you track engineering work.
Should pen test reports be shared with customers?+
Share the executive summary (severity counts and overall posture) with enterprise customers who request it during security reviews. Do not share detailed findings or proof-of-concept code, as this exposes your vulnerabilities to anyone who reads the report. Many B2B SaaS companies provide a "security posture" document that summarizes pen test frequency, scope, and high-level results. Your [SOC 2 readiness assessment](/templates) is a better artifact for customer security reviews. ---
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