Explanation
The term that refers to a weakness in a mechanism or technical process is vulnerability. A vulnerability is a flaw or gap in a system's security that can be exploited by an attacker to gain unauthorized access, compromise data, or cause damage. A vulnerability can be caused by design errors, configuration errors, software bugs, human errors, or environmental factors. For example, an outdated software version that has known security holes is a vulnerability that can be exploited by malware or hackers. References: CompTIA Network+ N10-008 Certification Study Guide, page 342; The Official CompTIA Network+ Student Guide (Exam N10-008), page 13-7.