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What is Vulnerability Scanning in Cyber Security?

What is Vulnerability Scanning in Cyber Security?

Definition:

  • Vulnerability scanning is an automated process that identifies security weaknesses and misconfigurations in systems, networks, and applications.

Purpose:

  • Its goal is to detect known vulnerabilities before attackers can exploit them.

Tools Used:

  • Popular tools include Nessus, OpenVAS, Qualys, Nexpose, etc.

How It Works:

  • The scanner compares the target system’s configurations and software versions against a database of known vulnerabilities (like CVE - Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures).


Types of Vulnerability Scans:

  • Internal Scan – Performed within the organization's network.
  • External Scan – Done from outside to simulate an external attack.
  • Authenticated Scan – Uses valid credentials to access deeper system details.
  • Unauthenticated Scan – Tests without login credentials, like a hacker would.


Benefits:

  • Early detection of security flaws
  • Helps in maintaining compliance (e.g., PCI-DSS, ISO 27001)
  • Reduces risk of cyber-attacks
  • Supports regular security assessments


Limitations:

  • Cannot detect unknown (zero-day) vulnerabilities
  • May generate false positives or miss complex logic flaws
  • Does not exploit vulnerabilities (unlike penetration testing)


Best Practices:

  • Scan regularly and after any system changes
  • Combine with manual testing and penetration testing
  • Keep the vulnerability database up to date
  • Act quickly on scan results with patching and remediation


Output:

  • The scan typically generates a report showing vulnerabilities ranked by severity (e.g., low, medium, high, critical).


Real-World Use Case:

  • Companies use vulnerability scans to check their firewalls, servers, web apps, and employee endpoints for known flaws.

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