Choosing Port Scanning Software

In this assignment, you will explain the purpose of port scanning and choose port scanning software to increase server security.

1.What is port scanning?

Port scanner is the software program created and designed to probe a server or host for open ports. This is often run and used by administrators to acknowledge security policies of their networks and for attackers to identify running services on a host with the view to compromise it.

2.What is the goal of port scanning?

Purpose of port scanning is to discover as much information as you can on the target in order to find out if there’s are known vulnerabilities or openings in the targets network.

3.Would you prefer an open source or proprietary port scanning software?

I definitely prefer Open Source. It’s easier to fix and debug open source rather than the proprietary software. In open source, bugs are usually submitted to an online issue tracking system, which is public to any user. For efficient and simple everyday support issues and errors there is not an extreme difference between open source support and proprietary software support.

4.What port scanning software would you recommend to your Senior Administrator?

Explain why. Nmap “Network Mapper” is a free and open source utility for network discovery and security auditing. Many systems and network administrators also find it useful for tasks such as network inventory, managing service upgrade schedules, and monitoring host or service uptime. Nmap uses raw IP packets to determine what hosts are available on the network, what services those hosts are offering, what operating systems they are running, what type of packet filters/firewalls are in use, and dozens of other characteristics.