What is the primary goal of a security audit?

The primary goal of a security audit is to systematically evaluate security policies and practices. This entails a comprehensive examination of an organization's security measures to ensure they are effective and comply with established standards and regulations. By focusing on security policies and practices, a security audit identifies vulnerabilities, assesses risks, and evaluates the overall security posture.

This process is essential for ensuring that the organization's information assets are protected against threats and that adequate controls are in place to mitigate potential risks. A security audit provides insights into the effectiveness of existing policies and helps organizations to identify areas for improvement, ultimately strengthening their security framework.

The other options do not align with the main objective of a security audit. Assessing the aesthetic of IT systems, implementing new hardware solutions, and analyzing software performance are important activities in their own right but do not focus specifically on evaluating the effectiveness and compliance of security measures within the organization.