Nmap

Testing network security controls and identifying vulnerabilities are essential components of an organization’s security strategy. Nmap (short for “Network Mapper”) is a free, open-source tool widely used for network discovery and security auditing. It helps security professionals and system administrators perform tasks such as network inventory, service upgrade management, and uptime monitoring. Nmap sends raw IP packets in creative ways to identify live hosts, detect services (including application names and versions), determine operating systems and versions, and analyze firewalls or packet filters in place. Although it’s designed to efficiently scan large networks, Nmap is equally effective when targeting individual hosts. It is compatible with all major operating systems, with official binaries available for Linux, Windows, and macOS.