▶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
▶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
▶Who This Book Is For
This book acts as a great resource for network administrators trying to identify their network security posture, beginners in information security who are looking to leap into their information security careers, and executives such as information security consultants and information security auditors.
▶What this book covers
⦁ Chapter 1, Introduction to Network Vulnerability Scanning, introduces basic network components and their architecture. It also explains the methods and methodologies of network vulnerability scanning and the complexities involved in it, and looks at mitigation planning for identified vulnerabilities.
⦁ Chapter 2, Understanding Network Scanning Tools, consists of recipes that will give you a basic understanding of the Nessus and Nmap tools, including the technical requirements to install these tools and the details of their workings. The chapter then dives into the installation and removal instructions for Nessus and Nmap.
⦁ Chapter 3, Port Scanning, consists of recipes on techniques for performing port scanning. It begins with instructions and details regarding host discovery, moving to open ports, scripts, and version scanning. It also gives insights into evading network protection systems while performing port scans.
⦁ Chapter 4, Vulnerability Scanning, consists of recipes on managing the features of Nessus, such as policies, settings, and user accounts. You will also get get to grips with the steps for performing a network vulnerability scan using Nessus before then managing the scan results.
⦁ Chapter 5, Configuration Audit, consists of recipes for performing configuration audits and gap analyses on multiple platforms using Nessus. It takes you through a step-by-step process for creating, selecting, and configuring policies to perform configuration audits on operating systems, databases, and web applications.
⦁ Chapter 6, Report Analysis and Confirmation, will teach you how to create effective reports by analyzing the results from Nmap and Nessus scans. The recipes in this chapter will give a detailed insight into the supported report types and the level of customization these tools allow. It also gives details on some techniques for confirming vulnerabilities reported by Nessus and Nmap using various tools.
⦁ Chapter 7, Understanding the Customization and Optimization of Nessus and Nmap, teaches you about the creation of custom scripts and audit files for Nmap and Nessus. These recipes provide step-by-step procedures for replicating the method for the customization of audit files.
⦁ Chapter 8, Network Scanning for IoT, SCADA, and ICS, consists of recipes for understanding the network scanning procedure for SCADA and ICS systems. The recipes outline methods for using Nmap and Nessus to perform port scanning and network vulnerability scanning by ensuring the high availability of these critical systems.
