What is the main purpose of penetration testing?

The primary purpose of penetration testing is to measure the strength of security defenses by simulating a cyber-attack on a system, network, or application. This method helps organizations identify vulnerabilities that could potentially be exploited by attackers. By mimicking an actual attack, penetration testing provides insights into how well the current security measures perform against real-world threats and helps in prioritizing remediation efforts.

Organizations use penetration testing not only to discover weaknesses but also to assess the effectiveness of their security policies and controls. This proactive approach enables them to understand their security posture and make informed decisions on improving their defenses to thwart potential threats.

While finding and fixing coding errors is essential for software development and security, that task is not the primary goal of penetration testing. Optimizing system performance pertains more to system efficiency rather than security. Ensuring compliance with regulations is an important aspect of cybersecurity but does not capture the essence of penetration testing, which focuses directly on evaluating the resilience of systems against attacks.