What is the primary goal of a penetration test?

The primary goal of a penetration test is to find and exploit vulnerabilities within a system, application, or network. This involves simulating an attack by a malicious actor to identify security weaknesses that could be exploited. By demonstrating the potential impact of these vulnerabilities, organizations can take proactive measures to strengthen their security posture before these issues are maliciously exploited in the wild.

While improving network availability, ensuring compliance with regulations, and educating employees are important aspects of a comprehensive security program, they are not the primary objectives of a penetration test. The focus of penetration testing is specifically on the discovery and exploitation of vulnerabilities to assess risk and enhance the security solutions implemented in the environment.