What is the primary purpose of a security audit?

The primary purpose of a security audit is to evaluate security policies and controls systematically. This process involves a thorough examination of an organization's security measures to determine how effectively they protect the organization's assets and data. Through this evaluation, auditors can identify weaknesses in the security posture, assess the effectiveness of existing security controls, and provide recommendations for improvements.

While ensuring compliance with regulatory standards is an important aspect of security audits, the overarching goal is to conduct a comprehensive analysis of security practices and protocols. This systematic evaluation allows organizations to understand their security landscape fully and address any vulnerabilities that may exist.

Assessing employee behavior in relation to security is part of security awareness and training initiatives but not the primary focus of a security audit. Similarly, testing the speed of network infrastructure is more related to performance assessment than to a security audit's primary objectives. Thus, the systematic evaluation of security policies and controls stands as the core purpose of conducting a security audit.