Network Scanner

By Fortra's Digital Defense

Let's face it. Today's businesses can't function without IT infrastructure. Computers, laptops, phones, and other IT devices are essential for storing and sharing important files and data.

With such an essential function, businesses, both big and small, need a professional IT team to maintain and improve their network security. If you think your company is too small for criminals to notice, think again. Results from Verizon's 2019 Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR) show that an average of 43% of small businesses become targets of cyberattacks.

Hackers will constantly look for weaknesses in your network to procure sensitive information, steal network shares, and even alter hard-coded processes. The solution? An automated network scanner.

 

Pain Points of Manual Network Scanning and Management

Why make the switch to a modern network scanner tool when you already have a dedicated team that manually scans your IT system?

If you think that manual network management is the cost-effective choice, think again. Using an outdated process can have several pitfalls, including:

Inaccurate Data

Manually scanning and recording every new network event is subject to human error. Even if you have the most experienced cybersecurity staff, they won't be able to perform at top efficiency if they have to use outdated spreadsheets. 

While these errors might seem inconsequential at first, they all add up in the long run and make your system more vulnerable to costly security breaches.

Limited Visibility

Having less information makes it difficult to spot vulnerabilities within a system. Without the right software, it can be challenging to assess many crucial network components like:

  • Subnet Hierarchies that divide a network's broadcast domains to improve the performance of your computers.
  • DHCP Server Configurations that automatically assign default gateways, IP addresses, and many other network parameters to specific assets.

No Real-Time Tracking and Reporting

With manual tracking, your security team will have to switch ports and address the whole network space. Both of these tasks are time-consuming and labor-intensive, especially if you have networks that use complex IP allocations and subnet hierarchies.

A network scan tool can provide real-time updates of your network resources, including IP utilization and port availability. Having the latest scan results won't just make the scanning process more efficient. It also cuts down time spent searching for vulnerabilities and developing potential solutions.

Inefficient Data Management

Without a universal source of information for your networks and network resources, companies might have a harder time checking the right components and finding the data they need. 

Your security team also has the choice of using our network scanning software across several computers and other devices. Networks will also get automatic updates after completing a scan so everyone has the same data.

 

An Advanced Network Scanner for Enterprise Networks

Digital Defense's advanced IP scanner effectively removes every pain point associated with manual scanning. With a program that allows for automatic scanning, you get streamlined and cost-effective IT security management.

We have a free trial to conduct a network scan that can help you find basic vulnerabilities in your network's command-line interface. If you want in-depth reporting and useful features like comparative graphing and mapping, we recommend our comprehensive network scanner tools.

 

Network Scanning Tool Key Features

Know your network vulnerabilities before cyber criminals can exploit them

Automate Network IP Address Scanning

Our network scanner program can act as an IP address manager by automatically detecting and reporting many important components of IT security, including:

  • MAC addresses (including MAC addresses from hardware)
  • Internal and external IP addresses
  • Response time
  • Ping status
  • DNS status
  • OS type

With a fully automated IP-scanning process, you can get real-time status updates for every kind of IP address (like IPv4 and IPv6). The scanner also comes with other useful features like Wake on LAN, a standard that uses a simple LAN to turn on your computers.

Manage Subnets with Subnetwork Scanning

Unlike manual scanning, where you don't have an easy way of switching between several IP subnets (like IPv4 and IPv6 subnets, for example), our network device scanner lets you manage them easily without switching windows. You even have the choice to use multi-threaded scanning that gets you faster results if you have powerful computers.

Scan End-to-End Network Device Connectivity

Digital Defense's network scanner has a broad IP range that allows more connections. It can also provide extra visibility for device connectivity and the switch ports of your network computers, making exports much easier to process.

Our scan comes with other key features like the port scan function that gives you the choice of finding, tracking, and mapping devices, ports, and switches with each other.

Streamline Network Scanning to Detect Rogue Devices and Enhance Network Security

Our advanced IP scanner is easy to use because you don't have to keep track of scan schedules anymore. This network scanner can also send automatic alerts whenever it discovers potential vulnerabilities in all networks and network computers in your system.

Set Role-Based Access Management

With our role-based management features, each member of your workforce has varying levels of access to the network scanner enhanced security. You have the choice of assigning roles like service manager, network administrators, and technician to your team members under one network scanner file system. 

Since every network shares this hierarchy, users have to go through an authentication process before they can use the system regardless of the network devices they use.

 

How Does the Network Scanner Work?

Network scanning software involves two procedures: port scanning and vulnerability scanning.

  • For port scans, users send data packets to specific ports over computers or other network devices. This program gives users system information that helps users identify available services on a specific network for troubleshooting.
  • Vulnerability scanning lets an advanced IP scanner look for vulnerabilities in IP addresses and other areas in a network. The scan results produced by this network scanner can help identify weak points in your system across numerous file formats.

A network scanner can only properly perform with both components. To put it simply, it gathers relevant data from a network and exports the results across several computers.

 

Getting Started with Digital Defense Network Scanner Software

If you want a network scanner that is easy-to-use and comes with all key features necessary for a comprehensive assessment, you're in the right place. Digital Defense's program might just check all of your boxes, regardless of whether you need a network scanner for personal or business use.

You can get started with our free trial that helps users like yourself gauge the quality of our IP scanner. Don't be afraid to experiment with our free network features, as even this starter line-up can significantly improve the security of your computers.

About Digital Defense

Our SaaS platform supports Fortra Vulnerability Management, Web Application Scanning, and Active Threat Sweep that together provide:

  • Asset discovery and tracking
  • OS and web application risk assessment
  • Targeted malware threat assessment
  • Machine learning features that leverage threat intelligence
  • Agentless & agent-based scanning
  • Penetration testing for networks, mobile applications, and web applications
  • Compliance management. One of the world’s longest tenured PCI-Approved Scanning Vendors

Our SaaS platform virtually eliminates false-positives associated with legacy vulnerability management solutions, while also automating the tracking of dynamic and transient assets and prioritizing results based on business criticality.

About the Author

Mieng Lim, Vice President, Product Management has served as a security expert for Digital Defense, Inc. since 2001. Mieng takes a consultative approach to security having held prior roles in Operations, Quality Assurance and Sales Engineering. Mieng seamlessly blends technical expertise with real world scenarios to provide an entertaining and educational cyber security perspective. Mieng serves a mentor and STEM advocate encouraging young women to pursue careers in security and technology and volunteers with BSides San Antonio as a staff member. Mieng holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science with Minor in Sociology from Trinity University. 

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