Whether you aspire to become a Cybersecurity Engineer or an Ethical Hacker, learning about various scanning tools is crucial. This topic is especially important to learn if you’re preparing for the Certified Ethical Hacking (CEHv13) exam.

As cyberattacks continue to evolve and become more sophisticated, the need for scanning tools has increased multifold. This blog will familiarize you with the need for scanning tools and some of the best industry-recognized scanning tools in the cybersecurity landscape.

Without further ado, let’s begin.

What is the Meaning of Scanning in Cybersecurity?

Scanning is a crucial concept of cybersecurity. Scanning lays the foundation of hacking concepts, especially when you’re learning about ethical hacking. So, what exactly is scanning?

Imagine if there were a way to predict what kind of attacks hackers can perform on your systems or applications. Based on those attacks that your systems are vulnerable to, you can then create a proactive strategy to protect your systems. This process is called scanning.

In simple terms, it is a method for picking out and identifying weaknesses, vulnerabilities, and security shortcomings in networks, systems, or applications. The motive is to create highly secure touchpoints that cannot be exploited or attacked.

It involves the use of automated tools and techniques to discover open ports, services running, and other configurations that could be exploited by attackers.

What are the Different Types of Scanning in Cybersecurity?

There are many types of scanning in cybersecurity:

1. Port Scanning: This type of scanning involves identifying open ports on a networked device to figure out which services are running and potentially vulnerable.

2. Vulnerability Scanning: This is a type of scanning where systems are accessed for known vulnerabilities using databases or lists of security issues, often provided by organizations like CVE (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures).

3. Network Scanning: Network Scanning is a type of scanning that involves mapping out the structure of a network, including devices and their relationships, to understand the overall security posture.

4. Application Scanning: This is a type of scanning that involves evaluating web applications for security flaws such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and other common vulnerabilities.

Scanning is a critical step in security assessments and is often part of a broader penetration testing or security auditing process, helping organizations to proactively identify and mitigate risks before they can be exploited by malicious actors

What is the Need for Scanning Tools?

Different types of scanning methodologies can help in identifying weaknesses in the systems. The following are the reasons why we need scanning tools:

• Proactive Approach:

Using scanning tools is a sign that you don’t want to sit in the passenger seat. You wish to create a system that can identify potential vulnerabilities proactively. Cybersecurity professionals can easily look for weaknesses in networks, applications, or systems with the help of scanning tools and thus stay proactive.

• A-grade Risk Assessment:

An organization’s infrastructure is highly likely to be at risk. Security teams can identify the consequences of these risks with the help of scanning tools.

• Eliminating Exploitation:

Enterprises can securely patch weaknesses by finding them through scanning before they are used by malicious attackers. This approach decreases the possibility of dangerous cyber attacks.

• Compliance Agreement:

Regular scanning is necessary in order to adhere to several regulatory frameworks and guidelines, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). Heavy fines will be imposed if these regulations are not followed.

What are the Best Scanning Tools Available?

The following is the list of the best scanning tools available, along with their highlighting features:

• Nmap:

Created by Gordon Lyon, Nmap is also called Network Mapper.

• It is one of the most widely used open-source tools by ethical hackers. 

• Ethical hackers can collect information about a target system with it. Therefore, it is a useful reconnaissance tool.

• It is a cross-platform tool; therefore, it can run on iOS, Linux, Windows, and Mac.

• The Network Mapper allows performing a variety of scan types such as version detection, host discovery, port scanning, and OS fingerprinting.

Best Use Case:

• For network administrators.

• For ethical hackers.

• For network scanning and assessment.

Con:

• It’s not beginner-friendly

• Angry IP Scanner:

Angry IP Scanner is a cross-platform IP address scanner. 

• It scans IP addresses belonging to any range and can be copied anywhere.

• It quickly detects open ports, live hosts, and the various services that run parallel to them.

• This tool works by pinging every IP address to check if it is alive.

• Users can also export the scan results to other formats such as CSV, TXT, XML, or IP-Port list files.

Best Use Case:

• For medium-sized businesses.

• For home users.

Con:

• Many advanced features are missing in the Angry IP Scanner.

• Wireshark:

Wireshark intercepts and dissects the data packets sent over a network so that users can examine protocols at length.

• It is a free, open-source software.

• It offers live capture and visualization of network data so that users get real-time knowledge about network traffic.

• Wireshark is compatible with hundreds of protocols.

• The utility has a graphical interface that makes it simpler for users to scroll through captured information and examine it.

• Filters can be applied by users to concentrate on certain types of traffic or conversations, making the analysis process more efficient.

• Data captured can be exported in different formats (e.g., CSV, XML) for additional analysis or reporting.

Best Use Case:

• Used for troubleshooting network issues, such as identifying performance bottlenecks.

• Detecting unauthorized access.

Con:

Requires a deep understanding of networking protocols to effectively analyze the captured data and interpret the results.

• Burp Suite

Burp Suite is a powerful tool that offers various scanning capabilities, including active and passive scanning.

• It allows users to identify vulnerabilities in web applications.

• The tool features an intuitive interface that makes it accessible for both beginners and experienced security professionals.

• It supports numerous extensions through its BApp Store.

• The tool provides real-time analysis of web application traffic. This helps security testers understand vulnerabilities as they interact with the application.

Best Use Case:

• Best for penetration testing of web applications.

• It can identify security flaws such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and more.

Con:

It is expensive, which may limit access for smaller organizations or individual testers.

• Acunetix

Like Burp Suite, it is also a web application vulnerability scanner.

• It takes things one step further as it also identifies and prioritizes security shortcomings in APIs as well as web applications.

• You can scan HTML5, JavaScript, and single-page applications with this tool.

• Cybersecurity engineers can detect prevalent vulnerabilities such as Cross-Site Scripting (XSS), SQL injection, and security misconfigurations.

• You can get detailed reports and also get remediation guidelines.

• It can scan up to 1,000 websites within 24 hours.

Best Use Case:

• It can be used by businesses and developers to secure web applications and APIs.

Con:

• It is on the expensive side

Metasploit

Created by Rapid7, it is one of the most powerful exploit tools in cybersecurity.

• You can either access the free version for individual use or the paid version, which is the commercial version.

• It is a remote machine where ethical hackers can test scripts for their strengths and efficiencies.

• It can be used either with Web UI or a command prompt.

• You can also perform basic penetration tests on small networks, such as a LAN.

• It is user-friendly.

• You can create payloads with Metasploit. Payloads are code that runs on the target machine after a successful exploit, enabling actions like creating a reverse shell, executing commands, or establishing a session. 

• Users can customize payloads for specific targets, making Metasploit a powerful tool for ethical hacking and security assessments.

Best Use Case:

• Metasploit is widely used by security professionals for penetration testing. 

• It provides a framework to identify vulnerabilities in systems and applications, allowing testers to simulate attacks in a controlled environment. 

Con:

It can be abused by malicious attackers to perform illegal activities.

FAQs:

1. What is the purpose of scanning in cybersecurity?

   Scanning helps identify weaknesses and vulnerabilities in networks, systems, or applications to protect them from potential attacks.

2. What are the different types of scanning methodologies in cybersecurity?

   The main types include port scanning, vulnerability scanning, network scanning, and application scanning.

3. Why do organizations need scanning tools?

   Organizations use scanning tools to proactively identify vulnerabilities, conduct risk assessments, eliminate vulnerabilities, and ensure compliance with regulations.

4. What are some widely recognized scanning tools in cybersecurity?

   Notable tools include Nmap for network mapping, Wireshark for traffic analysis, Burp Suite for web app testing, Acunetix for web vulnerabilities, and Metasploit for penetration testing.

5. Are there any limitations to using scanning tools?

   Limitations include complexity for beginners, the need for deep networking knowledge, and high costs for some tools, like Burp Suite and Acunetix