What is the purpose of a vulnerability scan?

The correct answer is A. To identify security vulnerabilities in a system. A vulnerability scan is an automated process that probes systems, networks, or applications to identify known security weaknesses-such as unpatched software, misconfigured services, or open ports-before attackers can exploit them. It is a proactive, non-destructive assessment…

Security Operations

Question

Options

ATo identify security vulnerabilities in a system
BTo detect malware on the system
CNone of the above
DTo test the system's ability to withstand an attack

How the community answered

(26 responses)

A
92% (24)
B
4% (1)
D
4% (1)

Explanation

A vulnerability scan is an automated process that probes systems, networks, or applications to identify known security weaknesses-such as unpatched software, misconfigured services, or open ports-before attackers can exploit them. It is a proactive, non-destructive assessment tool. It is distinct from malware detection (B), which is the role of antivirus/EDR solutions, and from penetration testing (D), which actively attempts to exploit vulnerabilities to test defenses. Vulnerability scanning identifies weaknesses; it does not exploit them.

Topics

#Vulnerability scanning#Security assessments#Cybersecurity fundamentals

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