Creating Report Templates

As well as viewing scan results in the Dashboard, you can create and export reports to share findings with other stakeholders. Reports can be both standardised and tailored, depending on your requirements.

To create a report, you must first create a Report Template, if none have been created already.

Click on the Project Settings Icon in the left-hand navigation pane, then select the Reports Tab to open the Reports View. 

This view shows your existing Report Templates in a tabular view, which displays six columns that provide information about each template. Users can sort and filter templates via the Column Headings and search bar.

Reports Column Heading	Description
Label	The name you have assigned to the template
Template Name	The template category
Type	The type of output this template will produce (Excel, PowerPoint, etc.)
Created At	The date the template was created
Updated At	The date the template was updated
Actions	Options to edit or delete templates

 

If no templates exist, this view will be empty. To create a template, click the ‘Create a Report’ button in the top-right corner, then choose one of the three Report Categories from the drop-down menu.

The three Report Categories are:

• XLSX template 1: An Excel template, ideal for raw data extracts or remediation plans
• Xlsx delta template 2: A Delta template designed to compare data between two scans, highlighting any changes that have occurred
• Pptx template 1: A PowerPoint template - best for creating visually engaging reports.

XLSX template 1

If you choose the XLSX template 1 option, you will be redirected to this page, where you can customize the template.

First, name your template in the field labelled ‘Report title’.

Next, choose a report type:

Raw extract: Provides all data matching the  detailed filtering and rules applied (e.g. to target specific criteria such as applications, IP ranges, or certificates).

1. Use the drop-down menus to filter what is included in the report

Use Case 1: Find all applications with log-in fields that are online and available on port 80. 
Select Thing Type = Application.
Add rules: applications with authentication greater than 50 and application status = online, and application port = 80 (see screenshot below).

Use Case 2: Find all applications on a particular IP (in the event of issues with a server).
Select: Thing Type = IP. Related Things = Application
Add rule: IP = 91.216.XX.XXX (see screenshot below).

The raw extract option provides extreme flexibility in filtering for all or specific datasets. Adding groups when using this functionality allows even more advanced filtering and is the equivalent of putting logical operations into brackets, providing the ability to combine “and” / “or” arguments.

Remediation plan: Template report providing guidance on applications and software so that remediation can be properly prioritised. While the top-level parameters are preset in this template, rules and filtering can be applied by the user.
 
Use-case: Find all applications that are online and have the lowest application risk rating since they are most likely posing the greatest risk.
Add rules: “application status = online, and application risk = F (see screenshot below).

Xlsx delta template 2

Select the Xlsx delta template 2 option from the drop-down menu, and you will be redirected to this page, where you can customize the template.

First, name your template in the field labelled ‘Report title’. Then select the ‘Things’ you want to compare from the drop-down menu—options include applications, IP addresses, and URLs among others.

You can also add custom Rules and Groups, as well as use the toggle and/or function 

Finally, click ‘Save’ in the lower-right corner to save the template and make it available for use.

Because the Xlsx delta template 2 option is designed to produce reports that compare data, you need to switch to Delta Mode to use it. Use the left-hand navigation panel to view the Dashboard, and from there, use the Compare With function to select the date you would like to compare your scan with. Then select your Xlsx Delta template from the exports menu. 

Pptx template 1

If you choose the Pptx template 1 option, you will be redirected to this page, where you can customize the template.

First, name your template in the field labelled ‘Report title’.

Next, choose how many (1–4) graphical indicators (“dashlets”) you want to include on each page of your report using the slider. Dashlets display data in various graph formats—line, bar, or column—and indicators are added to represent key data points, such as missing headers or expired certificates.

There is also an option to include a main page in your report, which gives an overall snapshot of the findings. Toggle this on or off using the switch next to the slider.

To configure dashlets, click the ‘Add a Dashlet’ button. In the pop-up window, give your dashlet a label, choose the chart-type from the first drop-down menu, and select which indicators you want to be included from the second drop-down menu. Finally, click ‘Add a Dashlet’, and it will appear in the Dashlet Table, which includes five columns. 

Colum Header	Description
Name	System-assigned designation for the dashlet
Label	User-assigned designation for the dashlet
Chart Types	Lines, bars or columns
Indicators	The parameter (indicator) to be presented in the chart (live applications, old components etc)

 

Individual dashlets can be edited or deleted using the Action Icons in the Action Column.

Once you have finished configuring dashlets, save your template by clicking the ‘Save’ button in the lower-right corner.

• Once configured, add the dashlet to your report.
• Once everything is set up, the report is saved.

Generating Reports

Once you have set up your templates, you can start generating reports. To begin, navigate to the Dashboard Module by clicking the Dashboard icon in the left-hand navigation pane.

You can export reports at a project level, business unit level, or domain level. Use the heatmap view to focus on the information you want to include, then click on the Create A New Export button in the top-right corner.

Choose your template from the pop-up window and click the export icon in the Actions column to begin the exporting process. If there are numerous templates in the list, you can use the search bar to find the one you want more easily.

The numeric icon in the Universal Banner will change to show the number of exports currently in progress, and you can click it to see more information about that and other exports.

Using the Exports Module

Depending on the volume of data, it can take from minutes to a few hours to generate reports. When your report is ready, it will appear in the main Exports Module view. Click on the Exports Icon in the left-hand navigation pane to navigate there.

Exports are shown in a tabular view, which displays seven columns that provide information about each template. Users can sort and filter templates via the Column Headings  and the search bar.

Reports Column Heading	Description
Label	Auto-generated export ID (which can be changed)
Report Label	The name assigned to the report template
Type	Report format (XLSX, PPTX, etc.)
Status	Report status: Done, Pending or Failed
Created At	Export creation timestamp
Updated At	Last updated time (if applicable)
Actions	Download or Delete options

 

You can download and delete exports using the icons in the Actions column. Simply click on the icons to perform the action.