Network Scanning Cookbook

Discover network vulnerabilities and threats to design effective network security strategies

Key Features

• Plunge into scanning techniques using the most popular tools
• Effective vulnerability assessment techniques to safeguard network infrastructure
• Explore the Nmap Scripting Engine (NSE) and the features used for port and vulnerability scanning

Book Description

Network scanning is a discipline of network security that identifies active hosts on networks and determining whether there are any vulnerabilities that could be exploited. Nessus and Nmap are among the top tools that enable you to scan your network for vulnerabilities and open ports, which can be used as back doors into a network.

Network Scanning Cookbook contains recipes for configuring these tools in your infrastructure that get you started with scanning ports, services, and devices in your network. As you progress through the chapters, you will learn how to carry out various key scanning tasks, such as firewall detection, OS detection, and access management, and will look at problems related to vulnerability scanning and exploitation in the network. The book also contains recipes for assessing remote services and the security risks that they bring to a network infrastructure.

By the end of the book, you will be familiar with industry-grade tools for network scanning, and techniques for vulnerability scanning and network protection.

What you will learn

• Install and configure Nmap and Nessus in your network infrastructure
• Perform host discovery to identify network devices
• Explore best practices for vulnerability scanning and risk assessment
• Understand network enumeration with Nessus and Nmap
• Carry out configuration audit using Nessus for various platforms
• Write custom Nessus and Nmap scripts on your own

Who this book is for

If you're a network engineer or information security professional wanting to protect your networks and perform advanced scanning and remediation for your network infrastructure, this book is for you.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction to Network Vulnerability Scanning
2. Understanding Network Scanning Tools
3. Port Scanning
4. Vulnerability Scanning
5. Configuration Audits
6. Report Analysis and Confirmation
7. Understanding the Customization and Optimization of Nessus and Nmap
8. Network Scanning for IOT, SCADA/ICS

Sairam Jetty has more than 5 years of hands-on experience in many verticals of penetration testing, compliance, digital forensics, and malware research, and is currently working with Paladion Networks, Abu Dhabi, as a senior analyst and team lead. He has been assisting and associated with various financial, telecom, and industrial institutions with regard to testing and securing their applications and environments. Sairam has industry-standard certifications, such as OSCP, Digital Forensic Analyst, Digital Forensic Investigator, and Mobile Security Expert. He also specializes in source code review and mobile application security. He has acquired a great deal of knowledge of SCADA/ICS and nuclear security from his corporate experience and self-learning.