Which tool can be used for vulnerability scanning?

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We are in an era of internet connectivity where each person has an online identity. Businesses and companies are availing this opportunity to expand the reach of their businesses worldwide.

If you don't want your or your company's data to be accessible to malicious actors or be available on the dark web, the best practice is to proactively find and secure the entry points in your IT infrastructure before the bad guys do.

Here, we'll discuss the vulnerability scanners that are easy to use and will save you a lot of time and effort.

The Importance of Vulnerability Scanning

Vulnerability analysis is the process of recognizing, assessing, mitigating, and reporting security loopholes in the organization's infrastructure and software. Manual search for detecting and fixing the vulnerabilities might be a cumbersome task that takes much time and effort. Hence, vulnerability scanners help organizations check for ambiguities in the applications or running operating systems and other hardware.

Using scanners for these purposes allow users to work on focus areas by detecting such loopholes quickly and accurately, which otherwise will take long. It also helps an organization with its scalability and compliance with common information security standards.

Identifying the Right Vulnerability Scanning Tool for Organizations

As all businesses and organizations are not alike, the same is with vulnerability scanners; you can't find one fit for all. However, while searching for available options, you can look for measures like accuracy, scalability, reporting, and reliability as per your requirement. Many options are available with unique features. Below is the list of ten best tools to help you decide which fits your criteria:

1. OpenVAS

Maintained by Greenbone Network, Open Vulnerability Assessment System(OpenVAS) is a free and open-source vulnerability scanner that offers several vulnerability management services. It runs and gathers intelligence from over 100,000 feeds of vulnerability tests, updated daily through a community feed.

Although OpenVAS includes the continuous development of tests—for newly discovered vulnerabilities based on CVEs—it only supports Linux operating system. It also has a paid version with constant support and regular updates by Greenbone enterprise.

2. Nikto

Nikto is a free CLI-based tool that scans a website/servers for known vulnerabilities and misconfigurations. It supports SSL (in Mac, Windows, and Linux) and full HTTP proxy. Since it performs several tests, it can be a go-to tool for many administrators. However, it can return false positives due to these extensive security tests.

3. Nessus

Nessus is among the most popular open-source vulnerability scanners. It provides extensive coverage by scanning for more than 65000 CVEs with up-to-date information. It also gives flexibility by providing scripting language(NASL) to write specific tests for the system. Also, it comes with patching assistance which helps in suggesting the best possible way to mitigate the vulnerabilities found.

Network overload can be a problem using Nessus, but its ability to provide the most accurate results (0.32 defects per million scans) counters it.

4. Burpsuite

Another well renowned and widely used tool is Burp Suite by PortSwigger. It is a complete set of tools for pen-testing of web apps. It includes a website vulnerability scanner, which gives the user a lot of manual control by allowing custom modifications with automated tasks. With its advanced algorithm, BurpSuite can crawl through web apps and could find a range of vulnerabilities in less time with a low rate of false positives.

5. FrontLine VM

Frontline VM is a SaaS security platform provided by Digital Defense that allows users to scan the network for vulnerabilities without maintaining additional infrastructure, saving time and a lot of effort. It has patented network scanning technology, is quick in scanning, has a user-friendly GUI, and is easily deployable. It provides many integration options—with vulnerability prioritization, Network access control, SIEM, etc.—covering many use cases. All in all, it is a good vulnerability and threat management VM solution.

6. Acunetix

Acunetix by Invicti is an automated website security testing tool. It generates quick and accurate results and is user-friendly. Its multi-threaded crawler can scan thousands of pages rapidly with fewer false positives. It scans your web app for over 7000 vulnerabilities like SQL Injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), local file inclusion (LFI), etc. It can handle complex web apps using HTML5 and JavaScript.

Acunetix also has the feature of a login sequence recorder that allows users for automatic crawling and scanning of password-protected websites. If you are specifically searching for a website vulnerability scanner, Acunetix can be your go-to solution.

7. Nexpose

Rapid7's Nexpose is a real-time vulnerability scanner that covers the entire vulnerability management lifecycle. It can automatically scan physical, cloud, and virtual infrastructures for vulnerabilities and prioritize risk based on vulnerability's age, public exploits, and malware kits that use it. The scoring of risks is done uniquely on a scale of 1-1000, giving users more insights into the results.

It can automatically detect and scan for the new devices providing resistance against threats they are bringing into the system. Nexpose Community Edition is free, while other versions require a payment.

8. Netsparker

Netsparker is another web app vulnerability scanner by Invicti. It is user-friendly and quickly provides results. It features a proprietary proof-based scanning technique that excludes false positives and gives accurate results. It can be integrated with third-party tools or other management systems easily.

9. Alibaba Cloud Managed Security Service

It is a SaaS-based solution that provides a complete security solution for your web apps, system, and network infrastructure. The system performs model-based analysis for the accurate detection of content risks. It scans all source code, text, and images for web vulnerabilities or backdoors. Users don't have to install it, and it doesn't require any manual upgrades.

10. IBM Security QRadar

IBM Security QRadar is a comprehensive suite of tools for extended threat detection and response. This suite includes QRadar Vulnerability Manager, which scans different applications, systems, and devices on a network for vulnerabilities. It minimizes false positives using a rule-based approach and prioritizes the results by security intelligence. It can also scan data collected from other scanners. Results are provided in a single prioritized view giving complete visibility across dynamic, multi-layered networks.

Move Forward to a Secure Future

The growing threats of eavesdropping and data breaches require organizations to meet the regulatory standards of HIPAA, PCI-DSS, and GLBA. The mitigation or avoidance of such risks begins with scanning, identifying, and patching the existing weaknesses.

The use of vulnerability scanners can help you stay ahead of attackers in securing your websites and network. At least one of these ten tools can help you begin with the process of vulnerability management for a safe and secure future.

Which is the best vulnerability scanner?

11 Best Vulnerability Scanners: Features, Pros, And Cons.
Astra Pentest. Astra Pentest provides a world-class comprehensive vulnerability scanner with the following features: ... .
Qualys. ... .
Rapid7. ... .
Intruder. ... .
Nessus. ... .
Nmap. ... .
BurpSuite. ... .
Detectify..

What is a vulnerability tool?

Vulnerability assessment tools are designed to automatically scan for new and existing threats that can target your application. Types of tools include: Web application scanners that test for and simulate known attack patterns. Protocol scanners that search for vulnerable protocols, ports and network services.