Vulnerability analysis, also known as vulnerability assessment, is a process that defines, identifies, and classifies the security holes (vulnerabilities) in a computer, network, or communications infrastructure. In addition, vulnerability analysis can forecast the effectiveness of proposed countermeasures and evaluate their actual effectiveness after they are put into use.

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Vulnerability analysis consists of several steps:

• Defining and classifying network or system resources.
• Assigning relative levels of importance to the resources.
• Identifying potential threats to each resource.
• Developing a strategy to deal with the most serious potential problems first.
• Defining and implementing ways to minimize the consequences if an attack occurs..

If security holes are found as a result of vulnerability analysis, a vulnerability disclosure may be required. Classical risk analysis is principally concerned with investigating the risks surrounding physical plant (or some other object), its design and operations. Such analyses tend to focus on causes and the direct consequences for the studied object. Vulnerability analyses, on the other hand, focus both on consequences for the object itself and on primary and secondary consequences for the surrounding environment. It also concerns itself with the possibilities of reducing such consequences and of improving the capacity to manage future incidents.