Vulnerability scanner is a hardware or hardware/software solution used to find vulnerabilities in IT infrastructure. The scanner is capable of finding potential security breaches not only at the hardware level, but also at the software level. Search tools allow analyzing networks, operating systems, databases and individual applications. The scanner can monitor running processes, services, and control ports.
The main functions of the Vulnerability Scanner are:
- Searching and analyzing network vulnerabilities in real time.
- Analyzing IT infrastructure resources, checking hardware and connected peripherals.
- Monitoring of active processes and applications.
- Creating reports describing the vulnerabilities found.
The main modes of operation of the vulnerability scanner:
- Scanning. General scan of the system in fast mode. Used to detect obvious vulnerabilities and check the overall security of the system.
- Probing. A slower and more sophisticated mode that allows you to initiate attacks on the infrastructure and find potential weaknesses through monitoring. The results of the analysis are provided in the form of a report identifying potential issues and recommendations for remediation.
A vulnerability scanner for corporate and industrial systems is a relatively expensive network administration tool. It is not profitable to purchase it for one-time use.
Often commercial companies use an alternative option: they turn to service providers for the Remote hands service to perform security checks of their IT infrastructure.