In vulnerability assessment, which phase focuses on identifying externally visible services on a target with limited information?

In vulnerability assessment, which phase focuses on identifying externally visible services on a target with limited information?

• A. Wireless auditing
• B. External penetration testing
• C. Internal vulnerability scanning
• D. Social engineering assessment

Answer: (B)

From an outside-in perspective, the goal is to map the attack surface that an external attacker could reach with limited starting information. The phase that focuses on identifying externally visible services on a target in this way is external penetration testing. It involves simulating an attacker coming from outside the organization, with minimal intel, and using network discovery to determine what is exposed—from which hosts to which ports and services are reachable, and what versions or configurations might be vulnerable. This helps establish what an attacker could actually exploit from the internet and guides what needs to be secured or patched. If you think about the other options, wireless auditing targets Wi‑Fi security, not the internet-facing services; internal vulnerability scanning looks at assets inside the network after access is gained; and social engineering assesses human factors rather than technical exposure.

From an outside-in perspective, the goal is to map the attack surface that an external attacker could reach with limited starting information. The phase that focuses on identifying externally visible services on a target in this way is external penetration testing. It involves simulating an attacker coming from outside the organization, with minimal intel, and using network discovery to determine what is exposed—from which hosts to which ports and services are reachable, and what versions or configurations might be vulnerable. This helps establish what an attacker could actually exploit from the internet and guides what needs to be secured or patched.

If you think about the other options, wireless auditing targets Wi‑Fi security, not the internet-facing services; internal vulnerability scanning looks at assets inside the network after access is gained; and social engineering assesses human factors rather than technical exposure.