What is the primary goal of penetration testing?

The primary goal of penetration testing is to identify vulnerabilities in a system. This process involves simulating attacks on a system, network, or application to uncover security weaknesses that could be exploited by malicious actors. By discovering these vulnerabilities, organizations can take proactive measures to remediate them before they are exploited in real-world scenarios.

Penetration testing is a critical component of a comprehensive security assessment, as it assesses the effectiveness of existing security controls and overall resilience against potential threats. Identifying these vulnerabilities allows organizations to strengthen their security posture, implement necessary patches, and enhance their defenses against future attacks.

Other options do not align with the primary purpose of penetration testing. Increasing user engagement, improving software development, and advancing cybersecurity regulations may be relevant to the overall context of security and software, but they do not encapsulate the main objective of conducting penetration tests.