Which vulnerability assessment provides feedback on performance in comparison to industry peers?

The gap assessment is a systematic approach that identifies the difference between current performance and desired performance in the context of cybersecurity practices, frameworks, or standards. It provides a benchmarking mechanism, allowing organizations to compare their security posture against industry peers and best practices. This assessment usually highlights areas where an organization may be lacking in compliance or significantly lagging behind competitors, effectively identifying vulnerabilities related to both practices and technologies.

In contrast, penetration testing primarily focuses on simulating attacks to identify exploitable vulnerabilities in a system’s defenses rather than providing comparative performance data against industry standards. Passive assessments typically involve monitoring network traffic to identify risks, but do not involve a structured comparison with peers. Cyber risk assessment involves analyzing risks to the organization and its assets without specifically benchmarking those risks against industry standards or performance among peers.

Thus, the gap assessment's focus on identifying discrepancies relative to industry peers and benchmarks makes it the most suitable choice for this question.