Preface

Network scanning is the process of building an inventory of IT infrastructure assets by identifying an active host on a network. Similar methods can be used by an attacker or network administrator to assess security. This procedure plays a vital role in risk assessment programs and the preparation of a security plan for your organization.
Practical Network Scanning starts with the concept of network scanning and how organizations can benefit from it. Then, going forward, we delve into the different steps involved in scanning, such as service detection, firewall detection, TCP/IP port detection, and OS detection. We also implement these concepts using a few of the most prominent tools on the market, such as Nessus and Nmap. In the concluding chapters, we prepare a complete vulnerability assessment plan for your organization. By the end of this book, you will have hands-on experience of performing network scanning using different tools and in choosing the best tools of your system.