Network scanning for ethical hacking is essential as it helps identify potential vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and weaknesses in a network or system. This information allows Ethical Hackers to assess the security posture, identify potential attack vectors, and implement appropriate security measures to enhance the network's overall security, protecting it against potential cyber threats. This blog gives you a general overview of network scanning and its types used in ethical hacking.

What is network scanning?

Network scanning is the process of systematically probing a network to identify and gather precise information about open ports, services, and vulnerabilities to assess the security posture of the network. It is commonly used in ethical hacking to identify potential vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and weaknesses in a target network or system that could be exploited.

Types of network scanning for ethical hacking

Network scanning for ethical hacking purposes can generally be categorized into two main types: port scanning and vulnerability scanning.

Port scanning: Port scanning involves scanning a target system or network for open ports, which are points of entry for network communication. Ethical Hackers can use port scanning to identify open ports and determine what services or applications are running on those ports. It can help identify potential vulnerabilities or misconfigurations that could be exploited.

There are several types of port scanning techniques used in ethical hacking to identify open, closed, or filtered ports on a target system or network, such as:

1. TCP scanning: It involves scanning a target network for open TCP ports by sending TCP connection requests to target ports to identify services or applications running on those ports.
2. SYN scanning: Also known as half-open scanning. It involves sending SYN packets to a target system and analyzing the response to identify open or closed ports commonly used for stealthy scanning.
3. UDP scanning: It involves scanning for open UDP ports to identify potential vulnerabilities in UDP-based services or applications.
4. ACK scanning: It involves sending ACK packets to target systems to determine if a port is filtered or unfiltered, often used for bypassing firewall rules.
5. Window scanning: It involves analyzing the TCP window field in responses to determine open or closed ports useful for evading Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS).
6. FIN scanning: It involves sending TCP packets with only the FIN (Finish) flag set to target ports to determine if a port is closed or filtered.

Vulnerability scanning: Vulnerability scanning involves scanning a target network for known vulnerabilities in software, applications, or systems. It can help identify potential weaknesses and vulnerabilities that can be exploited to get unauthorized access or perform other malicious activities. It is typically performed using specialized vulnerability scanning tools or software to scan a network for known vulnerabilities and misconfigurations automatically.

How can InfosecTrain help?

If you intend to pursue a successful career in ethical hacking or cybersecurity, check out InfosecTrain's Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH v12) and other Cyber Security certification courses. The CEH v12 training program validates your ability to identify weaknesses in the organization's network infrastructure and helps you defend against cyberattacks successfully.