An Overview of Free Network Scanning Tools - SuperScan
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One of the first port scanning applications you must look at isSuperScan. If you choose this tool, you’re in good company because many system administrators use this tool to analyze their network’s security. Unfortunately, this is one of tools that are also widely used by hackers. They will use SuperScan scan for open ports. Then, they can infiltrate your network. Hackers can then initiate a denial-of-service attack or gather information about your remote host.
SuperScan, aimed at identifying open TCP and UDP ports on a target computer, is packed with powerful features you’ll find very useful for your network. For one, not only can you perform port scans, but ping scans as well. You can either use an IP range or create a text file, listing the IP addresses, you want it to scan. SuperScan then pulls that list of IP addresses into its application and begins scanning them.
Foundstone, which is a division of McAfee, created SuperScan. This port scanning tool comes with capabilities, such as traceroute, WHOIS, HEAD, ping, and HTTP. It determines what services are running on what ports. Then, SuperScan performs queries on those protocols that were just previously listed. As a fast and versatile network scanning application, SuperScan uses multi-threading and asynchronous methods.
You’ll also love the fact that SuperScan can produce reports in HTML format. It comes with pre-built port description data and banner grabbing functions. For those of you who have a Windows host, and need information, SuperScan offers Windows enumeration capability. It shows essential information, including trusted domains, network shares, user and group accounts, and NetBIOS.
If you want more detailed information, such as how to download, install, and configure SuperScan, you’ll want to go toTechRepublic’s website. The article written by Brian Posey shows you how to use SuperScan. Posey provides screen shots of SuperScan’s Tools tabs. He then explains what each one does.
For example, by clicking on the Scan tab, you’ll get detailed information about a particular host. All you have to do is insert either the IP address or host name in the text box, along with the defaulted WHOIS server. Then, you click on the button that pertains to the information you want. You can then perform an HTTP request or ping a server.
Consider using SuperScan. You can learn what kind of information hackers are collecting. Then you can begin to develop strategies to combat their attacks.
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