What is the primary purpose of a vulnerability assessment?

The primary purpose of a vulnerability assessment is to identify and classify security vulnerabilities within a system or network. This process involves systematically examining systems for potential weaknesses that could be exploited by attackers or lead to security breaches. By effectively identifying vulnerabilities, organizations can prioritize risks and take appropriate mitigation steps before they can be exploited. Understanding where these security gaps exist is crucial for maintaining the overall integrity and security of information systems.

While exploiting vulnerabilities could be an aspect of penetration testing, it is not the purpose of a vulnerability assessment, which focuses solely on identification. Capturing network communications pertains more to monitoring and analysis of traffic rather than assessing vulnerabilities. Performing a gap analysis involves comparing current capabilities against established standards or desired outcomes but does not specifically relate to identifying vulnerabilities within a security context. Thus, the identification and classification aspect of security vulnerabilities is the central objective of a vulnerability assessment.