Strike48 Labs Strike48 Labs

Notes

Overview

Notes provide flexible documentation for:

  • Technical observations
  • Ideas and hypotheses
  • Questions for the client
  • Temporary findings
  • Context and background
  • Team communications

Creating Notes

  1. Navigate to Reporting → Notes
  2. Click Create Note
  3. Write note content
  4. Add tags and links
  5. Save

Note Types

Technical Notes

Document technical observations:

- "SMB signing disabled on file servers"
- "Web app uses outdated jQuery version"
- "Firewall allows outbound DNS on all ports"

Operational Notes

Track engagement logistics:

- "Client requested testing pause Dec 20-31"
- "VPN credentials expire in 3 days"
- "Need client approval before database access"

Analysis Notes

Record analysis and hypotheses:

- "Password pattern suggests default policy"
- "Network segmentation appears non-existent"
- "Multiple services running as SYSTEM"

Question Notes

Track questions for client:

- "Is X.X.X.X subnet in scope?"
- "Can we test admin portal after hours?"
- "Who is responsible for patch management?"

Note Features

Rich Text Editing

Notes support:

  • Bold, italic, code
  • Bulleted and numbered lists
  • Code blocks with syntax highlighting
  • Links to URLs
  • Inline images

Tagging

Organize notes with tags:

Tags:
- technical
- needs-clarification
- high-priority
- for-report
- client-question

Filter notes by tag for quick access.

Linking

Link notes to engagement items:

  • Targets: Notes about specific systems
  • Findings: Context for vulnerabilities
  • Objectives: Notes related to goals
  • Activities: Observations during operations

Find notes quickly:

  • Full-text search
  • Search by tags
  • Search by linked items
  • Date range filters

Organization

By Phase

Organize notes by engagement phase:

  • Reconnaissance notes
  • Initial access notes
  • Post-exploitation notes
  • Report preparation notes

By Category

Group by purpose:

  • Technical findings (potential report content)
  • Questions (need answers)
  • Ideas (future testing)
  • Context (background information)

By Priority

Tag for urgency:

  • urgent - Immediate attention needed
  • high-priority - Address soon
  • low-priority - Nice to have
  • reference - For future use

Common Workflows

During Testing

  1. Make quick notes as you work
  2. Tag appropriately
  3. Link to relevant targets
  4. Review daily for action items

Converting to Findings

When note becomes a finding:

  1. Create proper finding
  2. Use note content as starting point
  3. Add evidence and details
  4. Link finding to note for reference
  5. Tag note as converted-to-finding

Client Questions

  1. Tag note as client-question
  2. Review before client meetings
  3. Document answers in same note
  4. Update related items based on answers

Report Writing

  1. Filter for for-report tag
  2. Review technical notes
  3. Incorporate into findings
  4. Use as context for report sections

Best Practices

During Engagement

  1. Write immediately: Capture thoughts when they occur
  2. Be concise: Short notes are easier to review
  3. Tag consistently: Use same tag names throughout
  4. Link everything: Connect notes to related items
  5. Review regularly: Don't let notes pile up

Note Quality

  1. Clear titles: Make notes easy to find
  2. Sufficient detail: Include enough context
  3. Actionable: Note what needs to be done
  4. Timestamped: Automatic, but check for accuracy

Organization

  1. Regular cleanup: Review and organize notes weekly
  2. Archive old notes: Remove outdated information
  3. Consolidate: Merge related notes when appropriate
  4. Action items: Flag notes requiring follow-up

Tips

  1. Quick capture: Don't worry about perfect formatting initially
  2. Refine later: Clean up notes during downtime
  3. Use templates: Create note templates for common types
  4. Share context: Link notes to provide context for findings
  5. Question tracking: Use notes to track all client questions
  6. Daily review: Spend 10 minutes daily reviewing notes
  7. Tag liberally: Better to over-tag than under-tag
  8. Search frequently: Use search instead of scrolling

Integration with Reporting

Notes enhance reports by:

  • Providing context for findings
  • Documenting methodology decisions
  • Recording client interactions
  • Explaining unusual observations
  • Supporting technical details
  • Findings - Convert notes to formal findings
  • Evidence - Link notes to supporting proof
  • Targets - Target-specific observations
  • Timeline - Chronological context
  • Reports - Use notes for report content