What does a vulnerability scan help identify in a system?

• A. Potential security weaknesses that could be exploited.
• B. Data encryption keys
• C. Real-time traffic anomalies
• D. User authentication failures

Answer: (A)

Vulnerability scanning targets the weaknesses in a system that could be exploited by attackers. It checks assets for known security gaps, missing patches, misconfigurations, default or weak credentials, and insecure services, producing a report that helps you prioritize remediation based on risk. It isn’t about locating encryption keys, which are sensitive data, nor about spotting real-time traffic anomalies (that’s the realm of anomaly detection or IDS), nor about pinpointing specific authentication failures. The focus is on identifying weaknesses that, if left unaddressed, could be exploited to breach the system.