Jira pentest: how to effectively use Kanban to deliver pentesting projects
Turn pentest projects into streamlined, auditable workflows. Learn how Jira Kanban can bring structure, automation and visibility to every finding your team surfaces
Penetration testing projects are notoriously hard to coordinate. Between chat threads, spreadsheet trackers and inconsistent updates, even super-organised teams struggle to maintain visibility and accountability. Distributed work has only amplified the pain: time zones stretch handoffs and chat pings multiply, making ownership and priority more unclear.
In recent years, as a pentester and now an Offensive Security Engineer, I’ve faced many coordination challenges during engagements and have had the opportunity to utilize various tools in an effort to better integrate asynchronous pentesting workflows. Among all of these, Jira stands out as the best one.
Originally designed for software delivery, if used correctly, it can become a secret weapon for security teams that need structure, transparency and auditable processes that don't slow down projects. With a well-designed Kanban board, pentest engagements can effortlessly flow through different project states. Below are some of the states that are typically seen across pentests:
- Discovery of findings: Penetration tests often surface many findings across various vulnerability categories. Although this can result in multiple streams of issue types, they can typically be grouped and tracked under one project by applying consistent criteria.
- Triage: Once the findings list is populated, either manually or through integrations with External Attack Surface Management (EASM) tools, the workload can be assigned to the appropriate teams or individuals. From there, the triage process begins, guided by established project criteria, priorities and timelines. In most cases, a dedicated team assumes ownership of the identified items during this phase.
- Verification: Finally, the mitigation of identified findings must be verified. This stage often requires close collaboration with other teams and, when necessary, clear communication through ticket comments to ensure all stakeholders are informed and aligned.
In this guide, I'll share some Jira tips and tricks to turn potentially chaotic pentest engagements into streamlined and well-documented projects. You’ll learn how to set up a Kanban board, automate workflows and generate real metrics that demonstrate pentesting progress and value.
