The first step to analyze in depth the term vulnerability is to determine its etymological origin. In this case, we must emphasize that this word comes from Latin because it is made up of three clearly differentiated Latin parts: the noun vulnus, which can be translated as “wound”; the particle – abilis, which is equivalent to “that you can”; and, finally, the suffix -nity, which is indicative of “quality”. Consequently, vulnerability can be defined as “the quality that someone has of being able to be hurt”.
Vulnerability is the quality of being vulnerable (that is susceptible to being harmed or injured both physically and morally). The concept can be applied to a person or social group according to their ability to prevent, resist and overcome an impact. Vulnerable people are those who, for various reasons, have not developed this capacity and are therefore at risk.
Children, women and the elderly are often considered vulnerable subjects. This conception is given by physical deficiencies or differences in the face of man, which is supposed to be naturally prepared to face certain threats. A typical example to explain the concept of vulnerability in society occurs when a ship sinks and the first to be rescued are the aforementioned groups (children, women and the elderly). Men are believed to be more likely to resist and help others. Vulnerability is also given by social and cultural conditions. In this sense, a person who lives on the street is vulnerable to various risks (illness, aggression, robbery, etc.). On the other hand, illiterate people are also in a situation of vulnerability, since they have difficulties accessing the labor market and, therefore, satisfying their needs. In the field of computing and technology in general, the term vulnerability is also frequently used. In this case, it is used to refer to all the weak or fragile points that a certain program is considered to have and that can cause it to be attacked by viruses of various kinds. Likewise, when a file or piece of software has vulnerability problems, we are talking about security gaps that could allow the entry of intruders and hackers that could compromise its confidentiality or integrity. Also, we must not forget the fact that the vulnerability is also talked about in various board games. A clear example of this is bridge, where pairs that have already won a set are considered vulnerable to those that have not. Finally, another application of vulnerability is related to natural disasters. A vulnerable area is one that appears exposed to a potentially destructive phenomenon (for example, a city developed at the foot of an active volcano).
The resilience that the population may have, the infrastructure it has or its governments are other factors that can make one place more vulnerable than another to certain catastrophes of this type.
