What is the primary purpose of Nmap?

The primary purpose of Nmap is network discovery and security auditing. Nmap, which stands for Network Mapper, is a powerful open-source tool used by network administrators and security professionals to gather information about the devices and services running on a network. It scans IP addresses and ports to identify active hosts, open ports, and the operating systems and services that are running on each device.

Network discovery is crucial for maintaining an understanding of the organization's network infrastructure, as it helps in identifying devices that are connected, their configuration, and any potential weaknesses in the network. Security auditing with Nmap allows users to assess the security status by checking for open ports that could be vulnerable to exploitation, examining the versions of services running, and verifying compliance with security policies.

Thus, Nmap plays a vital role in helping organizations identify vulnerabilities and enhance their network security posture through thorough scanning and analysis. This makes the option focused on network discovery and security auditing the correct answer.