NMap stands for “Network MAPper” and is an open source network scanner. NMap was originally made as a port scanner for Linux systems. Nowadays, NMap can no longer be ignored in the arsenal of hackers and security researches.
NMap is so much more than a regular port scanner. NMap can be used on many systems and is mainly used for inventorying computer systems over a network.
NMap has been around since 1997 and was written for Gordon Lyon. Besides the fact that NMap now runs under multiple operating systems such as Windows, Linux and Mac, there is also a GUI. This GUI was originally called NMapFE (NMap Front End) but was later renamed the well-known ZenMap.
Nmap is often used for:
- Identifying open ports
- Network inventory and network mapping
- Security testing of network devices such as firewalls
- Identifying new servers
- Finding vulnerabilities in the network