Which method focuses on ensuring ongoing maintenance of security policies through reviews and updates?

The method that focuses on ensuring ongoing maintenance of security policies through reviews and updates is continuous monitoring. This approach involves the regular review of security policies and controls to detect changes in the environment, assess the effectiveness of existing policies, and ensure that they are updated in response to new threats, vulnerabilities, or business changes. Continuous monitoring provides an ongoing assessment of the security posture, allowing organizations to adapt and respond proactively to emerging risks.

This continual process is crucial as it not only maintains baseline security measures but also promotes a culture of security awareness and readiness within the organization. By consistently reviewing and updating policies, businesses can effectively mitigate risks and maintain compliance with regulations.

Other methods, while important in their own right, serve different purposes. Risk assessment focuses on identifying and evaluating risks but does not inherently involve ongoing maintenance of policies. Penetration testing evaluates the effectiveness of security measures at a point in time but is not a recurring process for policy updates. Incident response deals primarily with reacting to security events and breaches rather than the proactive maintenance of security policies. Thus, continuous monitoring stands out as the method dedicated to ensuring security policies remain relevant and effective over time.