{"id":18517,"date":"2022-03-28T13:32:43","date_gmt":"2022-03-28T08:02:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.getastra.com\/blog\/?p=18517"},"modified":"2025-10-22T13:11:46","modified_gmt":"2025-10-22T07:41:46","slug":"vulnerability-scanning-types","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.getastra.com\/blog\/dast\/vulnerability-scanning-types\/","title":{"rendered":"What are Types of Vulnerability Scanning?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Vulnerability scanning is a critical security practice that identifies and assesses potential vulnerabilities in computer systems, networks, and applications to help organizations reduce their risk of cyberattacks and protect sensitive data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are several types of vulnerability scanners, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. We shall discuss five different vulnerability scanning types and try to understand how each can help us evaluate security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Automate your security checks with AI-driven Vulnerability Scanning Services<\/a><\/strong> for continuous monitoring and compliance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/span>Five Types of Vulnerability Scanning <\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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  1. Host-based vulnerability scanning<\/a><\/strong> is the scanning of network hosts to find vulnerabilities.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Network vulnerability scanning<\/a><\/strong> is vital to an organization’s network infrastructure to find any vulnerabilities.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Database vulnerability scanning<\/a><\/strong> refers to scanning databases where all confidential and application-related data is stored to detect security risks.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Cloud vulnerability scanning<\/a><\/strong> refers to scanning cloud deployments to find flaws.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Application vulnerability scanning<\/a><\/strong> involves scanning web and mobile applications to identify security vulnerabilities.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    <\/span>External vs Internal Scanners<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
    Feature<\/th>External Scanners<\/th>Internal Scanners<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
    Scope<\/td>Primarily assess the external attack surface, identifying vulnerabilities exposed to the public.<\/td>Scan internal systems and networks, providing deeper insights into vulnerabilities.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Accuracy<\/td>Limited accuracy as they cannot access internal systems or protected resources.<\/td>More accurate in identifying vulnerabilities as they can access privileged information.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Coverage<\/td>Can identify vulnerabilities exposed externally, such as open ports and services.<\/td>Can detect vulnerabilities hidden behind firewalls or other security measures.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Risk<\/td>Lower risk as they don't require privileged access.<\/td>Higher risk as they require access to privileged accounts, increasing the potential for unauthorized access.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Use Cases<\/td>Suitable for external penetration testing, identifying publicly exposed vulnerabilities, and assessing external attack surfaces.<\/td>Ideal for internal network assessments, compliance audits, and risk management.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n