What is the least invasive assessment technique mentioned?

The least invasive assessment technique among the listed options is the Gap Assessment. This method focuses primarily on identifying discrepancies between an organization's current security posture and the desired state or best practices without directly impacting the systems or processes being evaluated.

A Gap Assessment involves reviewing policies, procedures, and existing documentation. It assesses what is in place against established frameworks or standards to pinpoint areas of improvement. Because it does not require direct interaction with the live systems, such as exploiting vulnerabilities or testing defenses, it minimizes disturbance and risk to operations.

In contrast, Penetration Testing actively attempts to exploit vulnerabilities in the system, which can interfere with normal operations and potentially lead to outages or security breaches. Active Assessment also entails inherent risks as it may involve direct engagement with the system’s functions. Cyber Risk Assessment typically involves a comprehensive analysis that may survey operational effectiveness and compliance, often including methods that can be more invasive as they probe the environment or test controls.

Considering these factors, the Gap Assessment stands out as the most non-intrusive approach to evaluating risk and security readiness.