What is the main purpose of penetration testing?

The primary objective of penetration testing is to identify vulnerabilities in a system. This testing method simulates an attack on a system, network, or application to uncover security weaknesses that could be exploited by malicious actors. By conducting penetration tests, organizations can assess their security posture, understand potential threats, and prioritize vulnerabilities based on risk levels. This proactive approach helps in strengthening defenses, implementing necessary security measures, and ultimately safeguarding sensitive data.

While the other options touch on important aspects of IT and software development, they do not align with the core purpose of penetration testing. Streamlining software development processes, enhancing user experience, and optimizing network bandwidth are all significant goals in their own right but are not focused on assessing and improving the security of systems, which is the essence of penetration testing.