Network Defense Essentials (NDE) Practice Exam 2026 - Free Network Defense Practice Questions and Study Guide

Auditing serves as a critical technical security control that identifies weaknesses in network devices. This process involves a systematic examination of the network devices to assess their security posture, configuration, compliance with policies, and potential vulnerabilities. Through auditing, organizations can uncover misconfigurations, outdated software, and areas where security policies may not be applied effectively.

By conducting regular audits, security teams can evaluate the effectiveness of existing security measures and make necessary adjustments to mitigate risks. This proactive approach allows organizations to strengthen their defenses before any exploitation occurs, ensuring that any weaknesses are addressed promptly.

In contrast, encryption focuses on securing data by transforming it into a format that is unreadable without the appropriate decryption keys. While important for protecting data confidentiality, it does not directly identify weaknesses in network devices.

Monitoring refers to the continuous observation of network activity and access, which is essential for detecting threats and anomalies, but it is not specifically aimed at assessing device weaknesses. Similarly, authentication ensures that users and devices are verified before gaining access to network resources, which is crucial for security but does not identify vulnerabilities in the devices themselves. Hence, while all the options play important roles in a comprehensive security strategy, auditing specifically targets the identification of weaknesses in network devices.