A vulnerability assessment (VA) is a examination of your systems, networks, and applications to identify, classify, and prioritise security weaknesses. This process involves using automated scanning tools combined with manual review to catalogue known vulnerabilities: outdated software, missing security patches, misconfigurations, and common security flaws.
Unlike penetration testing, vulnerability assessments stop at identification and don’t actively test for exploitation. The goal of a VA is to provide an inventory of security weaknesses that need attention. However, they have limitations: automated scanners can produce false positives (flagging issues that aren’t actually exploitable), can miss complex vulnerabilities that require human analysis, and can’t assess business logic flaws or chained attack scenarios.
Vulnerability assessments are typically conducted more frequently than penetration tests (quarterly or monthly versus annually) because they’re faster, less intrusive, and less expensive. They’re excellent for maintaining an ongoing awareness of your security posture and identifying newly discovered vulnerabilities in a timely manner.
For a well rounded security testing workflow, organisations often combine regular vulnerability assessments with periodic penetration testing. The assessment provides continuous monitoring whilst the pentest validates that critical systems can withstand real-world attacks.