What is defined as "penetration testing"?

Penetration testing, often referred to as "pen testing," is a proactive security assessment method where simulated cyber attacks are executed on a system to evaluate its security posture. This process aims to identify vulnerabilities that could be exploited by real attackers. By mimicking an actual attack, penetration testing provides insights into the effectiveness of existing security measures and helps organizations understand how their systems react under pressure. It plays a crucial role in uncovering weaknesses before they can be exploited maliciously, allowing for remediation and strengthening of security defenses.

The other options reflect different aspects of software development and security practices. For instance, secure coding is about building software that is resilient from its inception, while software license audits focus on compliance with licensing agreements, and user interface design enhancement does not relate to security assessments. Each of these areas is vital in its own right, but they do not encompass the specific definition and purpose of penetration testing.