A number of network scanners exist. For example, the Infiltrator Network Security Scanner tool reveals and catalogues a number of important security features, such as installed software, Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) information, and open ports. It can audit password and security policies and conduct a registry audit, and it includes 18 network utilities for footprinting, scanning, and gaining access to computers via a ping sweep, email tracking, whois lookups, and so on.
Also, the port scanner (formerly known as port probe) is a tool for determining the daemons or open ports running on a targeted computer. This tool supports these kinds of scans: TCP Full Connect (the most accurate way to detect open ports); UDP ICMP Port Unreachable Connect; TCP Full/UDP ICMP Combined; TCP SYN Half Open (only for Windows 2003/XP/2000); and TCP Other (only for Windows 2003/XP/2000).
The de facto standard in the security industry is a public domain tool called nmap, which is considered to be the “Swiss Army knife” of port scanners because of its versatility.
See Also: Network; Ping or Packet Internet Groper; Port and Port Numbers; Scanner; Whois.