TryHackMe — Vulnerability Scanner Overview | Cyber Security 101 (THM)

Vulnerability Scanning

Vulnerability scanning inspects digital systems to find weaknesses. Organizations must regularly scan their systems for vulnerabilities, as attackers can exploit these weaknesses, leading to significant losses. It’s also a compliance requirement for many regulatory bodies, with recommendations for scanning quarterly or annually.

Conducting vulnerability scans manually can be tedious and may overlook significant issues, especially in larger networks. Automated vulnerability scanners simplify this process by requiring only an IP address or network range to begin scanning and provide easy-to-read reports detailing found vulnerabilities.

After identifying vulnerabilities, organizations fix them through patches.

Types of Vulnerability Scans:

1. Authenticated vs. Unauthenticated Scans

• Authenticated Scans: Require credentials, providing a detailed view of vulnerabilities exploitable by those with access to the host.
• Unauthenticated Scans: Conducted without credentials, identifying vulnerabilities from an external perspective.

Internal vs. External Scans

• Internal Scans: Conducted from within the network, focusing…