Port scanning response | Information Systems homework help

Provide (2) 150 words response with a minimum of 1 APA references for RESPONSES 1 AND 2 below. Response provided should further discuss the subject or provide more insight. To further understand the response, below is the discussion post that’s discusses the responses. 100% original work and not plagiarized. Must meet deadline.

RESPONSE 1:

There are several port scanning tools available to users that allow for the scanning and/or mapping of a network.  Such tools include Nmap, Unicornscan or Angry IP Scanner, but for the sake of providing different information, I will discuss Unicornscan. 

Unicornscan is another port scanning tool that utilizes distributed TCP scanning.  Unlike Nmap, Unicornscan has its own TCP/IP stack, which doesn’t use the host’s operating system, and allows for faster network scans (Unicornscan, 2018).  This concept becomes more important as the size of a network increases, and any time saved when performing scans that keep a network safe can make a world of difference.  Unicornscan is also capable of performing OS fingerprinting, so that a user can identify what operating systems are active on a network, and the program allows for the scanning of the packets related to the operating systems that are in use (Unicornscan, 2018). 

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find a specific cyber-attack using Unicornscan, but I did take this opportunity to at least research the role port scanning plays in a cyber-attack.  Similar to the reasons why a security professional would use a port scanning tool to identify active/inactive ports on a network, a hacker would also do the same to identify points of entry to a network.  It is also important to recognize that some of the port scanning tools are capable of identifying an OS on the network, for a hacker, this can help further identify potential targets.

Thank you for reading, and I hope everyone has a wonderful week!

-Sam

Sources:

Unicornscan. (2018, March 27). Retrieved July 15, 2020, from https://tools.kali.org/information-gathering/unicornscan

RESPONSE 2:

This week we are asked to search the internet for a tool used to conduct port scanning. I chose to talk about Nmap after doing some research as it seems to be the most commonly used tool. On the Nmap website, the program is described as “is a free and open source utility for network discovery and security auditing” (Nmap, 2020). While this is what the program was intended for and widely used as, it has also been a long time favorite of hackers to scan potential targets. I found several websites claiming that it is very user-intuitive, easy to use, and most importantly very effective with regular updates. Others however claim that it has a steep learning curve if the user is new to this kind of tool and that unless special care is taken the server being scanned can see the scanner’s IP address.  

Even though I searched pretty hard (all the way to page 4 of google!) I could not find a specific attack from a creditable source that specifically mentioned Nmap. I am assuming this is because most people write their own code to run with Nmap mixed with the fact that in hacking instances the authorities don’t like to release the methods used. I did however find numerous forums and websites claiming that they had successfully carried out attacks using Nmap including the group AnonSec claiming to hack NASA drones using Nmap. I could not find this information from a credible source however it is posted on the AnonSec website that Ill link below.

Nmap has also been seen in several big Hollywood films that have attempted to showcase hacking correctly. Movies such as The Matrix, Oceans 8, Snowden, Elysium, Fantastic Four, and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo all showed Nmap being used to exploit vulnerabilities (Namp, 2020). While the Nmap websites specifically state that their tool is used to help companies find vulnerabilities so they can increase their security they seem really proud of being used by black hat hackers in movies.  

Best Wishes,

Jacob

Nmap. (2020). Nmap. Retrieved July 15, 2020, from https://nmap.org/

Tiobe. (2015, January 28). AnonSec Hacked Drone. Retrieved July 15, 2020, from https://anonhq.com/anonsec-hacked-drone/