As cyber threats become more common, the need for effective security measures has never been more critical. One crucial component of a comprehensive security strategy is vulnerability scanning. 

The practice of finding possible security gaps in a system or network is known as vulnerability scanning. This process is important in preventing cyber attacks, data breaches, and other security incidents.

A vulnerabilities scanner is a tool used to automate the process of vulnerability scanning. It helps identify vulnerabilities in operating systems, applications, and network devices. This article will discuss the ten best vulnerability scanning tools available.

What is a Vulnerability Scanner?

It is a tool used to identify potential security weaknesses in a system. It scans the system or network for vulnerabilities and provides a report detailing how to address them. Vulnerability scanners can scan servers, network devices, web applications, and databases.

Vulnerability scanners use a variety of techniques to identify vulnerabilities. They may perform network scans to determine open ports, attempt to exploit vulnerabilities to verify their existence, or compare installed software versions against known vulnerabilities.

Best Vulnerability Scanning Tools 

The following are the ten best vulnerability scanning tools available in the market.

Nessus

Widely used vulnerability scanners for scanning network infrastructure or systems and identifying vulnerabilities. It offers real-time vulnerability scanning, patch management integration, and compliance auditing.

• Real-time vulnerability scanning
• Patch management integration
• Compliance auditing
• Comprehensive reporting
• Consolidation with different security tools

OpenVAS

A free and one of the famous open-source network scanners that can pinpoint vulnerabilities in a design or network infrastructure. It offers a web-based interface.

• Free and open-source
• Web-based interface
• Large vulnerability database
• Integration with other security tools
• Extensive documentation

Qualys

A cloud-based vulnerability scanner that can specify vulnerabilities in a system or network infrastructure.

• Cloud-based
• Automated scanning
• Real-time reporting
• Integration with popular tools like SIEM and GRC
• Patch management integration

Burp Suite

A web application scanner that can identify vulnerabilities in web applications. It offers an intercepting proxy, automated scanning, and manual testing.

• Web application scanner
• Intercepting proxy
• Automated scanning
• Manual testing features
• Extensive reporting capabilities

Nikto

A web server scanner that can identify vulnerabilities in web servers. It offers a command-line interface, extensive checks, and database-driven scans.

• Web server scanner
• Command-line design
• Extensive checks
• Database-driven scans
• Integration with other security tools

Nmap

A network scanner that can identify vulnerabilities in a network infrastructure.

• Network scanner
• Port scanning
• Version detection
• Scripting
• Integration with other security tools

Metasploit

A penetration testing framework that can identify vulnerabilities in a system or network infrastructure.

• Penetration testing framework
• Exploit Database
• Automated testing
• Manual testing
• Integration with other security tools

Wireshark

A network protocol analyzer that catches and analyzes network traffic in real time. It is widely used for troubleshooting network issues and finding security vulnerabilities. Wireshark can identify and display protocols and their associated data, including HTTP, FTP, DNS, etc. 

• Network protocol analyzer
• Real-time traffic analysis
• User-friendly design
• Powerful filtering
• Support for a wide range of platforms
• Used for troubleshooting network issues and finding security vulnerabilities

Aircrack-ng

It can be used to monitor, analyze, and crack wireless networks. Aircrack-ng offers various benefits.

• A suite of tools for wireless network security assessment
• Packet sniffing, WEP and WPA/WPA2-PSK key cracking, and DoS attacks
• Compatible with various platforms, including Linux, Windows, and macOS
• Used for monitoring, analyzing, and cracking wireless networks

W3af

The design of this tool is easy to use and can be used by experienced and novice users. W3af offers various benefits.

• Open-source web application security scanner
• Easy to use
• Detection of SQL injection, XSS, and file inclusion vulnerabilities
• Includes a REST API, a web interface, and support for multiple platforms
• Used for identifying and exploiting vulnerabilities in web applications

Acunetix

A web application scanner that can identify vulnerabilities in web applications.

• Web application scanner
• Easy-to-use design
• Advanced scanning techniques
• Comprehensive reports
• Integration with other security tools

Rapid7

A vulnerability management tool that can identify vulnerabilities in a system or network infrastructure.

• Vulnerability management tool
• Asset discovery
• Automated scanning
• Remediation workflows
• Integration with other security tools

McAfee Vulnerability Manager

A vulnerability management tool that can identify vulnerabilities in a system or network infrastructure.

• Vulnerability management tool
• Real-time scanning
• Patch management integration
• Customizable reporting
• Integration with other security tools

Netsparker

A web application security scanner that automates the process of finding and testing security vulnerabilities in web applications. 

• Web application security scanner
• Identifies various types of vulnerabilities, including SQL injection, XSS, and RFI
• User-friendly interface, easy to use for both experienced and novice users
• Provides detailed reports and recommendations for fixing vulnerabilities

OWASP ZAP (Zed Attack Proxy)

An open-source web application security scanner that can identify various vulnerabilities in web applications. 

• Includes a powerful interception proxy
• Can modify and replay requests and responses between the client and server
• Offers various features, including automated scanner, active scanner, and brute force attack tool
• Highly extensible and has a large community of developers who supply to its development
• Valid for a wide range of web application security testing tasks

Conclusion

There are several practical vulnerability scanning tools available that can help organizations identify and remove security vulnerabilities in their systems. Each tool has its strengths and advantages, and the choice of scanner will depend on the organization’s specific needs and the system being scanned.

It’s crucial for organizations to take cybersecurity seriously and to scan their systems for vulnerabilities regularly. This can help prevent data leaks, financial losses, and other negative consequences of cyberattacks. NextDoorSec is one of the trustworthy cybersecurity firms that experts in helping organizations to identify and remove cybersecurity risks.