A final penetration test report has been submitted to the board for review and accepted. The report has three findings rated high. Which of the following should be the NEXT step?

Performing a new penetration test immediately is premature as the purpose of the first test was to identify weaknesses; the next step is to fix them before re-testing for verification.

Once a penetration test report is accepted and high-rated findings are acknowledged, the immediate and most critical next step is to remediate the identified vulnerabilities. Remediation involves implementing fixes, patches, or configuration changes to eliminate or mitigate the security weaknesses discovered, thereby improving the organization's overall security posture.

Providing a list of common vulnerabilities and exposures (CVEs) might be part of the report or remediation effort for context, but it is not the next action step itself; remediation is the direct action taken based on the findings.

Broadening the scope of the penetration test is inappropriate at this stage, as the current high-rated findings need to be addressed and verified within the existing scope before considering any expansion.