There is a set of files that describes the state of the machine, it's called the filesystem. Anything less doesn't describe the whole machine. The 'poking and prodding' is just a convenient way of querying the very small parts of the filesystem that are relevant to that query.
That said, a script that pokes and prods the right places and reports a machine's 'security factor' and prompts improvements would be cool (and probably already exists).
That said, a script that pokes and prods the right places and reports a machine's 'security factor' and prompts improvements would be cool (and probably already exists).