Final answer:
A Penetration test is an authorized security assessment conducted to identify and exploit vulnerabilities in an organization's information system, helping to understand and improve the system's security posture.
Step-by-step explanation:
Penetration test is an authorized attempt by an internal audit team or an external security consultant to attempt to break into the organization's information system. This security assessment is conducted to identify weaknesses and vulnerabilities in the system that could be exploited by a malicious actor. By simulating a cyberattack, an organization can better understand their security posture and take corrective measures to strengthen it. A penetration test goes beyond a simple vulnerability assessment by actually exploiting the vulnerabilities to determine what information and access can be gained.