The Best Network Vulnerability Scanning Software

All businesses require a method to detect network vulnerabilities. This is especially true for larger companies and those dealing with sensitive data.

Banking, government, finance, law, health care, and education are all industries where network data and infrastructure security is critical and need the maximum level of protection.

Smaller businesses, on the other hand, must ensure the security of their data without devoting all of their IT time, money, and resources. Here's where automated vulnerability management (VM) tools come in handy.

Vulnerability scanners can aid in the automation of security auditing and play an important role in IT security. They can scan your network and websites for thousands of different security risks, producing a prioritized list of those you should patch, describing the vulnerabilities and providing instructions on how to fix them. Some even have the ability to automate the patching process.

Here is our list of the top network vulnerability scanning software:

1. SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager

This is one of the most comprehensive network vulnerability scanning software. It is a business solution that allows for configuration management, compliance management, lifecycle management, vulnerability assessment, and other functions.

NCM includes a vulnerability scanner and features that make network security more manageable at scale. It also offers the most important benefit of vulnerability scanners -- it connects to the National Vulnerability Database and the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures database, allowing you to see which Cisco firmware vulnerabilities are a high security priority.

Key Features:

• Network compliance
• Network automation
• Configuration backup
• Vulnerability assessment
• Network Insight for Cisco and Palo Alto
• Integration with Network Performance Monitor

Pros

• Offers robust reporting features for effective vulnerability management
• Gain a full network inventory, accounting of configuration changes, insight into present compliance status, and other reports.
• Runs remediation scripts automatically
• Roll out standardized configurations to hundreds of clients

Cons

• The price is the only con of this software, especially for small businesses; it’s expensive, though it offers a 30-day, full-featured, no-obligation free trial.

2. Intruder Vulnerability Scanner

This cloud-based vulnerability scanner simplifies risk detection. Intruder examines configurations, detects bugs in web applications, detects missing patches, and attempts to reduce false positives.

It is a cloud-based subscription vulnerability scanning service. Monthly scans, on-demand scans, and human penetration testing are all included in the plans. Pricing starts at $108 per month, and there’s a free trial available.

Key Features:

• IT managers can use the enterprise-grade scanning tool to perform comprehensive checks using a process similar to that used by corporations and governments.
• Intruder allows users to filter information and generate context-based results using the perimeter scanning tool.
• The continuous monitoring functionality performs automated assessments and assists teams in resolving issues prior to an attack.
• Companies can generate regular reports and share them with customers to demonstrate that they have data security measures in place.

Pros

• The user interface is clean and intuitive.
• Great integration with Slack.
• New features are being added constantly.
• Actively scanning for new threats all the time.

Cons

• There should be more flexible plans.
• The reporting feature could be improved.

3. Nessus

Nessus provides comprehensive scanning tools that look for vulnerabilities based on a well-maintained list of definitions as well as open ports. The reporting features in Nessus make it easier to understand the results and recommended actions, and the ability to save scan configurations adds to the ease of use.

Nessus also reduces the complexity of getting started by providing a number of built-in scan templates. The templates assist you in selecting scans that are tailored to specific scenarios, such as Internal PCI Network Scan, Mobile Device Scan, Credentialed Patch Audit, and PCI Quarterly External Scan, among others.

Key Features:

• Flexible reporting and monitoring
• Accurate, high-speed asset discovery

Pros

• Easy and flexible reporting
• Has multiple profiles/policies to perform different types of scans such as scans oriented for PCI-DSS, malware scans, web application scans, bad shell shock detection scan, and so on.

Cons

• Scans can take a long time to complete.
• The free version does not allow you to perform internal/external PCI scan policies or configure audits.
• It is not cost-friendly to everyone, especially SMBs.

4. ImmuniWeb

ImmuniWeb is an AI-powered platform that provides several vulnerability scanning tools, including ImmuniWeb Continuous, which performs penetration testing to detect security threats, and ImmuniWeb Discovery, which detects and provides hackability scores based on your assets.

It employs machine learning capabilities to detect risks quickly and ostensibly with no false positives. The tool also includes a human intelligence component—human pen testers are working behind the scenes to ensure accuracy. ImmuniWeb may be an option for some DevOps teams, despite being too expensive and specific for most organizations.

Key Features:

• Advanced asset search and discovery
• New DevSecOps integrations for penetration testing products
• OWASP ASVS mapping for penetration testing products
• Major software composition analysis updates for ImmuniWeb Discovery

Pros

• Clear instructions for fixing issues
• Straightforward and easy to use
• Affordable

Cons

• Doesn't consider business or website elements in context
• Doesn't perform advanced pen tests or brute-force tests

5. Nmap

Nmap is a powerful CLI (Command Line Interface) -based port scanning utility that is used frequently by security professionals and penetration testers. Nmap provides a wide range of switches and options for performing basic and advanced network scans, and it is frequently used as part of other security applications.

The Network Scripting Engine (NSE) is a unique feature of Nmap that makes it a useful vulnerability scanner.

Key Features:

• Flexible; it supports dozens of advanced techniques for mapping out networks filled with IP filters, firewalls, routers, and other obstacles.
• It’s portable. Most operating systems are supported such as Linux, Microsoft Windows, Amiga, and so on.
• Well supported by developers and users.

Pros

• Nmap is fast and flexible.
• It provides crucial OS information.
• Adaptable and configurable; you can specify exactly what you want to scan for, such as port ranges, protocols, IP addresses, and so on.
• Comprehensive port scanning of TCP and UDP ports.

Cons

• There could be more built-in tools.
• There’s a bit of a learning curve.

Last Words

Vulnerability management scanning software is a proactive approach to network security you should have because it reduces the likelihood that flaws in code or design will compromise an endpoint's or network's security. This software can help you and your business in the automation of the process of tracking security flaws and providing remediation. But, it is more than just a never-ending cycle of scanning and patching your systems. When implemented correctly, VM provides the best and only foundation for a continuous, data-driven cycle of security program improvement.

Learn more about software management here.

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