Top 5 Free & Paid Vulnerability Scanning Tools in 2024

Vulnerability scanning is no longer isolated specifically for the network layer. Organizations are distributing their workloads across multiple cloud platforms and SaaS-based applications, and vulnerability scanning needs to evolve to become embedded within their platforms. 

Organizations looking at developing a comprehensive vulnerability strategy do so to better understand which parts of their enterprise environments require more capital investment. These investments include additional security adaptive controls, security operations resources for incident response and remediation, and access to additional tools for automated compliance. 

Executing vulnerability scanning without a relevant and strategic plan for detection and response wastes human capital and financial resources. Organizations requiring additional resources for detection, response, and remediation should research the importance and value of a managed detection and response (MDR) engagement through global providers like ForeNova. 

The Science of Vulnerability Scanning Starts With Common Sense 

As cybercrimes worldwide continue to grow, the technology industry continues to move organizations from tactical and reactive to more proactive and automated. This reality holds regarding the overdue alignment between vulnerability, remediation, and automated incident response.  

Vulnerability scanners help identify, group, and prioritize specific vulnerabilities. Risk management, cybersecurity validation testing, and health checks of various adaptive controls are a few use cases. Automated incident response takes the filtered vulnerability assessment and applies the best remediation available.  

Addressing the Vulnerability Capability First 

Before selecting a vulnerability tool, organizations need to develop an enterprise-wide strategy to eliminate overlapping duplication, excessive operations and license costs, and underutilized solutions based on a lack of solution knowledge from in-house security operations and IT engineers. 

The first step in developing a vulnerability scanning strategy begins with aligning this capability with the organization’s current and future enterprise architecture. Each element of the enterprise environment, including: 

• Company-supported private cloud instances 

• Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) platforms  

• On-premises architectures  

• Hosted Eco-system portals  

• Local Network Segments 

• Zero trust architectures (SASE)  

• User Devices  

• Host-based Applications  

• Cloud and local storage instances  

After identifying the various elements within the enterprise architecture, the next step is to group them. 

Networking Resource Group 

• Local Network Segments 

• User Devices 

• On-premises architectures 

Cloud Resource Group  

• Cloud and local storage instances 

• Host-based Applications 

• Zero trust architectures (SASE) 

• Company-supported private cloud instances 

 Third-Party Resource Group  

• Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) platforms 

• Hosted Eco-system portals 

• Cloud and local storage instances 

When evaluating vulnerability scanning solutions, many industry-leading solutions come designed to support specific resource groups within the enterprise. However, some solutions offer turnkey solutions that covers the enterprise spectrum. 

What Are the Top Free Vulnerability Scanners Available Today? 

Open-source vulnerabilities are extremely common and offer the users the ability to create custom configurations and testing scripts that align with their specific environment. Free vulnerability scanners often exist as entry point into the paid versions.  

Here is a list of the top five free vulnerability scanners available today. 

OpenVAS

OpenVAS can be deployed either in the authenticated or non-authenticated mode. The tool supports a range of vulnerability scanning tests including web servers, operating systems, and host-based applications. Another value of OpenVAS extends to the scripting tool; allowing engineers to tune for specific scanning workflows. 

NMAP

Released in 1997, NMAP is used for port scanning and validating of firewall rules. NMAP offers several scripts including protocol scanning and checking services running on a web or application server. 

ZAP

Zed attack proxy is the most used free vulnerability tool used worldwide. The tool supports both a passive security testing along with active testing including more complex checks including cross-site scripting and SQL injection attacks. Security engineers also favor ZED because of the tools ability to execute automated and manual penetration testing.  

Nikto

Nikto is a web server scanning those checks over 6700 potential vulnerabilities, including outdated services. While Nikto is good at detecting server vulnerabilities, the actions executed by this open-source solution trigger alarms within IPS/IDS systems. 

Nuclei

Nuclei is an open-source network scanner. Engineers favor this tool because it is easy to use, customizable, and helps application developers’ identity bugs in their code. 

What Are The Top Paid Vulnerability Scanners Available in 2024? 

Top Network Vulnerability Scanner  

Foratra Vulnerability Management Suite  

Foratra VM is a virtual machine-based network vulnerability scanner that can scan local network segments and web applications. Embedded in the tool is the most up-to-date threat assessment intelligence, specifically designed to detect the latest network threat vector attack schemes. 

Tenable Nessus  

Tenable Nessus network scanner is one of the most popular tools, with close to two million downloads globally. The tool comes with over 59,000 Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs), making it one of the most comprehensive network scanners in the marketplace. This solution also supports the ability to identify and patch vulnerabilities and fix system misconfiguration.  

NextPose  

Nexpose is a real-time tool for monitoring and assessing risks in big companies. It’s an on-premises scanner that fits large IT setups, gathering and prioritizing vulnerability data, while offering advice on fixing risks. 

“The tools tag risk-based events by associating them with the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) risk score from 1 to 10 and their own scoring up to 1000 for better threat risk analysis.”  

Nexpose helps businesses quickly find, prioritize, and respond to threats by integrating with incident response tools.  

Top Cloud Vulnerability Scanner 

Qualys Guard 

Qualys Guard is a cloud-based scanner that can monitor, detect, and remediate vulnerabilities across multi-cloud instances. This tool’s ability to scan and remediate helps organizations reduce their overall security operations cost and meet several important compliance mandates. Additionally, this tool’s ability to generate near real-time reporting and data analytics helps organizations with internal and external communications regarding possible material breaches.  

Microsoft Azure Security Center  

Organizations with a large presence in Azure have access to this integrated vulnerability assessment tool, which is capable of threat hunting and policy management functionality. 

Intruder  

Intruder is a cloud-based solution designed for organizations looking for a continuous vulnerability assessment and penetration tool embedded with easy-to-work with workflows. Small-to-medium businesses favor this solution because of the low entry cost and additional compliance checking and notification capabilities.  

Top Third-Party Hosted Platform Vulnerability Scanners 

Accunetix 

Accunetix is a common tool used by organizations to test third-party and SaaS-based applications. This tool leverages a built-in crawler designed to search every type of web page, even if it is password protected. 

UpGuard Vendor Risk 

UpGuard vendor risk is a complete suite of vulnerability and risk management tools capable of scanning for third-party vulnerabilities, hosted web content, open communication ports, and virtual applications within cloud instances.  

This solution also integrates with other scanners with apis, including Zapier. 

*Free 30–day trial version available  

Qualys Web Application Scanner  

Qualys Web Application scanner capabilities extend well beyond corporate-owned web applications. This tool also detects unknown applications hosted in the cloud and associates a risk score against each discovered vulnerability.  

*Free 30-day trial version available  

Standalone Free Scanning Tools or Enterprise Offerings? Which Is Better?  

Organizations have many options when considering developing their vulnerability scanning strategy, depending on their size, budget, respective attack surface, and internal teams’ ability to best leverage this functionality.  

Choosing a tool specific to the resources supporting the network, cloud, or third-party would be categorized as a tactical and immediate strategy. Organizations needing to scan specific hosts and network components for PCI-DSS for credit card processing would benefit significantly by selecting tools within their respective resource groups.  

Organizations looking for more enterprise-wide vulnerability, risk assessment, and remediation functionality should ideally move into comprehensive solutions, such as Tenable, Invicti, and ConnectSecure. 

What Role Does a Managed Detection and Response (MDR) Provider Play Regarding Vulnerability Scanning? 

MDR providers like ForeNova play a critical role in supporting their clients’ need for vulnerability scanning and management. Many MDR clients align with various compliance and privacy mandates that require vulnerability scanning and risk management. 

Vulnerability scanning, through a standalone free version, paid, or enterprise-wide solution, is important to an