6. Explain how the outcomes of cyber security testing can be reported (AC 1.6)

After cyber security testing is done, you'd need to documents and share the results with the right people. How these results are reported depends on the type of test and how important it is. For large-scale or critical security tests, the findings are written in a detailed report for senior management, IT teams or even external regulators. This report will explain what was tested, what vulnerabilities were found and how to fix them. For smaller our routine tests, such as malware scans, a less detailed report should be written. This could be in a form of a memo, an entry in an incident log or a short report. Website's like HackerOne and ZeroDayInitiative offer a platform where white hat hackers can provide their services and report their findings to the software developer. These could either be zero-day vulnerabilities or serious software bugs. What's most important about reports, is that they are clear, well structured, and actionable. This allows decision makers to understand and take steps to improve security. The reports might be viewed by senior management, IT teams, clients and regulators, so it is important to be thorough and professional. To write a good report, it should have these 4 sections. Executive summary This is quick overview of the key findings, it includes: A bullet point summary of the most important points, Charts or graphs to illustrate key statistics, and a short introduction explaining the purpose of the test. Security risks This section should details the security vulnerabilities that were discovered: The types of security tests performed and how they were conducted, a summary of the test results, including raw data, the likelihood and potential impact of each vulnerability, and any areas where security best practices were not followed, which could cause future risks. Remediation measures This part outlines how to fix the security issues found during testing; specific recommendations for addressing vulnerabilities, step-by-step actions to improve security, and a timeline or priority list for implementing these fixes. Strategic recommendations This section focuses on long term security improvements and planning: An evaluation of current security controls and their effectiveness, feedback on security policies and operational procedures, and suggestion for future security investments to strengthen defences.