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What do ethical hackers primarily look for when testing systems?

  1. Performance issues

  2. Vulnerabilities and potential risks

  3. User experiences

  4. Compliance with regulations

The correct answer is: Vulnerabilities and potential risks

Ethical hackers focus on identifying vulnerabilities and potential risks when testing systems. Their primary goal is to uncover security weaknesses that could be exploited by malicious actors. By systematically probing a system, ethical hackers simulate the tactics used in real-world attacks to discover flaws in security measures, configuration, and design. Their findings help organizations strengthen their defenses proactively, thereby reducing the likelihood of data breaches and enhancing overall security posture. While performance issues, user experiences, and compliance with regulations are important aspects of software and system assessment, they are not the main focus of ethical hacking activities. Performance considerations address the efficiency and effectiveness of the system, user experience is centered around how end-users interact with software, and compliance pertains to following laws and standards. While ethical hackers may consider these factors indirectly, their primary concern lies in finding and mitigating vulnerabilities to protect the system from threats.