When it comes to offensive security projects, getting the scoping phase right can make or break the success of your assessment. Here are some of the most common pitfalls and how you can address them.
When it comes to offensive security projects, getting the scoping phase right can make or break the success of your assessment. Here are some of the most common pitfalls and how you can address them:
1. Knowledge Transfer Gaps
One of the big challenges is ensuring that the knowledge gathered during scoping actually makes it to the assessment team. Often, the people doing the scoping and the people doing the testing aren’t the same, which can lead to lost details. It’s crucial to have a robust way to document and transfer client requirements and expectations. If the project team doesn’t get the full context, you risk unhappy customers down the line.
2. Time-Consuming Offer Creation
Nobody enjoys the manual work of crafting proposals from scratch, especially when it’s done by senior consultants whose time could be better spent elsewhere. This is a common pitfall: you’re losing valuable billable hours to repetitive tasks. Streamlining or automating this can save not just time, but also reduce errors and inconsistencies.
3. Inconsistent Questionnaires and Methodologies
Another big challenge is inconsistency. Different scopers might ask questions in different ways, leading to varying levels of detail. Without a standardized approach, you can end up with gaps in the scope. It’s important to have a methodology or tool in place that ensures consistency, so every project is scoped in a reliable way.
Conclusion
By addressing these pitfalls—ensuring proper knowledge transfer, reducing manual offer creation time, and standardizing your questionnaire approach—you can make your offensive security scoping process more efficient and consistent. Ultimately, that leads to happier clients and a smoother start to every project.