8 BEST Web Vulnerability Scanning Tools

Vulnerability scanners, automated tools assessing software system security risks, pinpoint vulnerabilities. This curated list includes top scanning tools, highlighting key features, and providing website links. It encompasses both open-source (free) and commercial (paid) options for website vulnerability scanning.

Based on our research, here’s our list of BEST Web Vulnerability Scanning Tools?

1) Acunetix

2) Intruder

3) ManageEngine Vulnerability Manager Plus

4) Teramind

5) Security Event Manager

6) Paessler

7) Nessus Professional

8) SiteLock

1) Acunetix

Acunetix, developed by Invicti, is a user-friendly tool tailored for small to medium-sized enterprises, focusing on safeguarding web applications from potential data breaches. This software excels in identifying a broad spectrum of web security vulnerabilities, enabling prompt action by security and development teams. It features customizable scan scheduling options, including daily, weekly, monthly, and annual frequencies, and supports both external scans and web applications. Additionally, Acunetix offers the automated discovery of web assets, a vital function for detecting neglected or overlooked websites.

Features:

• Enhanced Vulnerability Detection: Acunetix stands out with its hybrid approach to security testing, blending interactive and dynamic techniques to identify vulnerabilities that others might miss. It not only detects but also provides evidence of exploitability for various vulnerabilities. Its proficiency extends to identifying over 7,000 web vulnerabilities, including critical ones like XSS and SQLi, aligned with OWASP's top 10 guidelines.
• Comprehensive Web Crawling: Acunetix excels in thoroughly scanning complex web applications, adeptly navigating through intricate multi-form and password-protected areas, ensuring no part of your web app remains unchecked.
• Robust Integrations: Offering seamless integration with major platforms like Azure DevOps, JIRA, GitHub, GitLab, Bugzilla, and Mantis, Acunetix enhances DevOps efficiency. It streamlines issue tracking and CI/CD processes through its integrations.
• Compliance Adherence: Acunetix aids in maintaining compliance with critical standards such as HIPAA, PCI DSS, ISO 27001, and GDPR, helping organizations meet various regulatory requirements.
• Additional Capabilities: This tool distinguishes itself with a high detection rate and minimal false positives. Alongside detecting web server configurations, Acunetix boasts a user-friendly interface, facilitates targeted rescans on updated website areas, and automatically identifies custom error pages.

Pros:

• Customizable Dashboard: Acunetix offers a highly customizable dashboard, enhancing the user experience and allowing for tailored vulnerability management.
• Integration with Popular Tools: It supports importing state files from other widely-used applications, promoting interoperability and ease of use.

Cons:

• Limited Endpoint Support: A notable limitation is its inability to handle multiple endpoints, which might restrict its applicability for larger, more complex network environments.

2) Intruder

Intruder, a robust vulnerability scanner, effectively identifies security flaws in various IT settings. It features top-tier security assessments, constant surveillance, and a user-friendly interface, safeguarding businesses of any size against cyber threats. With options for monthly scheduled scans, Intruder also conducts automatic assessments. Additionally, it integrates seamlessly with AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and CI/CD pipelines through its API.

Features:

• Comprehensive Scanning Capabilities: This tool is adept at identifying a range of security vulnerabilities, including configuration errors, unapplied patches, and application-specific issues such as SQL injections and XSS vulnerabilities. It also automatically analyzes and ranks the significance of scan findings.
• Extensive Security Assessments: With over 10,000 distinct security checks, Intruder stands out in its ability to track and defend against a wide array of threats. It is constantly updated to monitor for the most recent security vulnerabilities.
• Seamless Integration: Intruder is designed to integrate smoothly with a variety of platforms and tools, including Google Cloud Platform, various APIs, GitHub, ServiceNow, Atlassian Jira, Slack, and Microsoft Teams, enhancing its functionality and user experience.
• Compliance Support: The tool assists in adhering to key compliance standards like GDPR, PCI DSS, ISO 27001, and SOC 2, making it a valuable asset for organizations needing to meet these criteria.
• Diverse Scanning Options: It offers a wide range of scanning capabilities, including internal, external, network, cloud, and web application scans. Additional features include scanning for emerging threats, smart reconnaissance, noise reduction, and broad coverage.
• Reliable Customer Support: Intruder provides effective customer service through both chat and email channels, ensuring users can get help when they need it.

Pros:

• Comprehensive Attack Surface Analysis: Intruder delivers an accurate, real-time view of your potential attack surface, backed by continuous monitoring, which is essential for maintaining robust security.
• Ongoing Penetration Testing: The platform conducts continuous penetration tests, simulating real-world attacks to identify and address vulnerabilities proactively.

Cons:

• Report Detailing: While Intruder is effective in many areas, there is room for improvement in the detail level of its reporting, which could be more comprehensive to provide deeper insights into security findings.

3) ManageEngine Vulnerability Manager Plus

ManageEngine Vulnerability Manager Plus, a comprehensive threat and vulnerability management solution, seamlessly integrates patch management for enhanced security. Designed to audit critical aspects like end-of-life software, insecure remote desktop sharing, and active network ports, it offers flexible scheduling options for scans, ranging from daily to monthly. This versatile tool supports various platforms, including Windows, Mac, and Linux, and facilitates the automation and customization of patches across these systems. Prospective users can explore its capabilities with a 30-day free trial, and pricing details are available upon request from the sales team.

Features:

• Advanced Vulnerability Assessment: This tool efficiently evaluates and ranks exploitable vulnerabilities based on risk level. It's particularly adept at spotting zero-day vulnerabilities and suggesting temporary solutions until permanent fixes are available.
• Proactive Security Configuration: Continuously monitors for vulnerabilities, offering remediation strategies for misconfigurations. It provides robust security guidelines to configure servers against various attack types.
• Extensive Integration Capabilities: Offers smooth integration with a wide range of services, including Zoho, Site24x7, various ServiceDesk Plus platforms, ServiceNow, Zendesk, Jira, Freshservice, ADSelfService Plus, PAM360, Syslog, and Splunk.
• Compliance Assurance: Adheres to several key compliance standards, including SOX, HIPAA, PCI, GDPR, GLBA, and FISMA, ensuring your system's compliance with these regulations.
• Comprehensive Security Features: Includes an array of tools such as network scanning, patch management, security configuration, web server fortification, audits of high-risk software, and measures to counteract zero-day vulnerabilities.
• Dedicated Support System: Offers a robust support network through multiple channels like live chat, email, and telephone.

Pros:

• Effective Anti-Virus Audits: Efficiently identifies the status of anti-virus software, pinpointing those that are outdated, inactive, or missing.
• Superior Web Application Scanning: Stands out as a top-tier web application scanner, delivering comprehensive reports filled with actionable insights.

Cons:

• Manual Patch Approval: There's a need for manual intervention as patches are not automatically approved, requiring additional oversight.

4) Teramind

Teramind offers a robust platform designed for mitigating insider threats and monitoring employee activities. This tool integrates behavioral analytics with effective data loss prevention strategies, bolstering security and compliance adherence. Tailored to meet diverse organizational demands, Teramind delivers valuable insights for enhancing productivity and maintaining data security.

Features:

• Insider Risk Mitigation: Employs advanced detection methods to identify and mitigate actions by users that pose risks to internal data security.
• Operational Process Enhancement: Leverages analytical insights derived from user behavior to streamline and enhance business processes.
• Workforce Efficiency Tracking: Keeps tabs on employee productivity, security adherence, and compliance, ensuring a balanced and efficient work environment.
• Compliance Regulation Assistance: Provides a versatile solution adept at aiding compliance for a range of organizations, from small businesses to large corporations and government entities.
• Incident Investigation Support: Supplies crucial data to bolster responses to security incidents, enhancing both investigations and threat intelligence development.
• Data Leakage Prevention: Actively monitors for and safeguards against unauthorized access or sharing of sensitive information.
• Employee Activity Oversight: Features robust tools for monitoring and assessing employee performance and workplace activities.
• Behavioral Data Analysis: Delivers in-depth insights by analyzing detailed user interactions within applications.
• Tailored Monitoring Options: Offers the flexibility to customize monitoring parameters to fit specific organizational needs or to apply established protocols.

Pros:

• Incontestable Incident Data: The platform's ability to gather comprehensive data serves as undeniable evidence for post-incident analysis and legal proceedings.
• Versatile Cloud-Based Deployment: Teramind’s cloud option presents a flexible, infrastructure-light solution, facilitating remote monitoring without extensive physical setup.

Cons:

• Privacy Balancing Act: The depth of employee monitoring capabilities presents potential privacy challenges, necessitating a careful balance between organizational security and respecting individual privacy rights.

5) Security Event Manager

Security Event Manager, enhancing security and compliance seamlessly, features centralized log collection and file integrity monitoring. Rapid, customizable scans, automated incident responses, and real-time log analysis elevate its efficiency. Its intuitive dashboard facilitates both internal and external scans, ensuring comprehensive vulnerability management in a user-friendly interface.

Features:

• Comprehensive Network Security Monitoring: Our Security Event Manager provides robust vulnerability management capabilities, ensuring the detection of threats across all environments. It identifies suspicious behavior, incorporates real-time threat intelligence data into logs and events, and offers detailed threat information during security incidents.
• Efficient Security Log Management: Our versatile web security scanning tool empowers users to efficiently manage a wide array of security audits from a centralized platform. It offers real-time threat response and facilitates compliance improvement. With security log management, you can receive instant alerts to thwart potential threats and ensure seamless compliance reporting for auditors.
• Seamless Integrations: The Security Event Manager offers seamless integrations with key platforms and tools, including Orion, Jira, Zapier, MS Teams, Apache, Cassandra, Consul, and Zendesk. Additionally, it boasts integrated tools that streamline compliance reporting, making your security operations more efficient and effective.
• Broad Compliance Support: Our Security Event Manager is fully compliant with various industry standards, including FISMA, PCI DSS, HIPAA, SOX, and GDPR, ensuring that your organization adheres to regulatory requirements without a hitch. Rest easy knowing your security measures align with the necessary standards.
• Comprehensive Feature Set: In addition to its core functions, our solution provides a comprehensive feature set to bolster your security posture. Enjoy supplementary features such as user activity monitoring, file integrity monitoring, Microsoft IIS log analysis, network security tools, firewall security management, and Snort IDS log analysis, all in one integrated package.

Pros:

• Inclusive Maintenance and Support: The Security Event Manager's licensing model includes Maintenance and support throughout the term, ensuring continuous assistance and updates for a worry-free experience.
• Port Usage Insights: Users can easily identify the most frequently visited ports on their routers, helping to optimize network performance and security.

Cons:

• Lack of Monthly Subscription Option: One potential drawback is the absence of a monthly subscription plan, which may limit flexibility for organizations seeking shorter-term commitments or budgetary flexibility.

Link: https://www.solarwinds.com/security-event-manager

6) Paessler

Paessler's security vulnerability assessment tool boasts advanced infrastructure management capabilities. Leveraging technologies such as SNMP, WMI, Sniffing, REST APIs, SQL, and more, it diligently monitors IT infrastructure. Paessler seamlessly integrates with ServiceNow and PRTG, facilitating compliance with standards like GDPR. Offering multiple user interfaces and network visualization through maps, it also excels in automated failover handling. With customizable scanning schedules, it ensures comprehensive network assessment on a daily, weekly, and hourly basis.

Features:

• Comprehensive Network Monitoring: Paessler excels at monitoring a wide range of network elements, including jFlow, sFlow, IP SLA, Firewall, IP, LAN, Wi-Fi, Jitter, and IPFIX. It also supports monitoring networks in diverse geographical locations, providing real-time data, statistics, and graphical representations of the monitored parameters.
• Alerting Capabilities: Paessler offers robust alerting options to keep you informed of network issues. It allows you to configure alerts via email notifications, sound alarms, or triggering HTTP requests, ensuring you stay on top of critical network events.
• Full Administrative Control: This software operates directly within your IT infrastructure on dedicated servers, granting you unparalleled control over upgrades, Maintenance, and backups. It also ensures complete access to your data and configurations, enhancing flexibility and security.
• Multi-Platform Compatibility: Paessler is compatible with various operating systems, including Windows, Mac, and Linux, making it suitable for a wide range of IT environments.
• Customizable Pricing: Rather than fixed pricing, Paessler offers a personalized approach. You can request a quote from their sales team to tailor the solution to your specific needs.
• Free Trial Period: Paessler provides a generous 30-day free trial period, allowing users to explore its capabilities before committing to a purchase.

Pros:

• Vendor-Specific Templates: Paessler simplifies setup with preconfigured monitoring and device templates for well-known vendors. This feature saves time and ensures accurate monitoring from the start.
• One-Year Maintenance Included: The license for Paessler includes one year of Maintenance, guaranteeing access to updates and support during the critical initial phase of implementation.
• Versatile Alerting: Paessler offers flexible alerting options to suit your needs. It supports multiple user interfaces, cluster failover solutions, and customizable maps and dashboards. This flexibility ensures you can adapt the system to your unique requirements.
• Distributed Monitoring: With Paessler, you can implement distributed monitoring across your network infrastructure, enhancing scalability and coverage.

Cons:

• Linux Compatibility Issues: Some users may encounter challenges when using Paessler on Linux systems. It's important to ensure compatibility with your specific Linux distribution and version to address potential issues effectively.

7) Nessus Professional

Nessus Professional, an indispensable vulnerability assessment solution, streamlines compliance checks, sensitive data detection, and IP and website scanning. Its user-friendly design simplifies vulnerability assessment, supporting internal, external, cloud, and web app scans. Customize scan schedules - daily, weekly, or monthly. Enjoy robust customer support via contact form, chat, email, and phone. Available on Windows, Mac, and Linux, Nessus Professional offers a 7-day free trial; pricing information is available upon request from sales.

Features:

• Comprehensive Vulnerability Scanning: Nessus Professional delivers exhaustive vulnerability scans, offering limitless assessments for safeguarding website security. This cutting-edge website vulnerability scanner excels in identifying SQL injection attacks and employs advanced detection technology to enhance overall website security.
• Precise Network Visibility: Providing pinpoint accuracy, Nessus Professional offers an in-depth view of your computer network. Instantly pinpointing vulnerabilities in order of severity facilitates efficient remediation prioritization.
• Seamless Integrations: Nessus Professional seamlessly integrates with an array of essential platforms, including AWS, BeyondTrust, CyberArk, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), HCL BigFix, IBM Security, Microsoft, ServiceNow, Siemens, and Splunk, enhancing its versatility and compatibility.
• Compliance Support: This web vulnerability scanner ensures compliance with industry standards like PCI and ISO/IEC 27001, making it a reliable choice for organizations aiming to meet regulatory requirements.
• Diverse Features: Beyond vulnerability scanning, Nessus Professional offers a range of features encompassing application security, cloud security, IT/OT, legacy vs. risk-based VM, ransomware detection, vulnerability assessment, and comprehensive vulnerability management.

Pros:

• Smooth Transition: Nessus Professional stands out as an excellent web security scanner that facilitates a safe transition to Tenable Solutions, ensuring minimal disruption to existing operations.
• Timely Protection: The inclusion of plugins ensures that users receive timely protection against emerging threats, bolstering overall security posture.

Cons:

• Reporting Complexity: Improvement in custom reporting is warranted to simplify the process, enhancing the user experience in generating tailored reports to meet specific needs.

8) SiteLock

SiteLock is a comprehensive cybersecurity tool dedicated to safeguarding businesses and their websites. It offers robust protection for both your website and its visitors, including a secure VPN option for organizational security. SiteLock's array of scanning capabilities covers internal, external, cloud, SSL, spam, SQL injection, and cross-site scripting scans, with flexible scheduling options. Additionally, it seamlessly integrates with SSL for enhanced security. SiteLock is compatible with both Windows and Mac platforms, with pricing starting at just $14 per month and a generous 11% discount for yearly subscriptions. You can also explore its features risk-free with a 30-day free trial.

Features:

• Comprehensive Website Scanning: SiteLock boasts a continuous website malware scanner that operates discreetly in the background. This vigilant scanner not only detects malware but also conducts thorough spam, application, SSL, XSS, and SQL injection scans to ensure your website's security.
• Vulnerability Patching: With SiteLock's robust patch management system, you can easily identify and rectify vulnerabilities in your website. This includes data remediation for database-driven sites, patching for content management systems (CMS), and e-commerce platforms.
• Compliance Support: SiteLock is aligned with industry compliance standards such as PCI and GDPR, helping you maintain regulatory compliance effortlessly.
• Additional Features: In addition to its core functions, SiteLock offers a range of valuable features, including malware removal, website backup solutions, a web application firewall (WAF) for enhanced security, and access to a content delivery network (CDN) for improved website performance.
• Outstanding Customer Support: SiteLock provides multiple avenues for customer support, including live chat, email, and phone support, ensuring that assistance is readily available whenever you need it.

Pros:

• Automated Email Alerts: SiteLock offers automated email notifications, keeping you informed about any security threats or issues detected on your website in real-time.
• Google Blacklist Monitoring: SiteLock's monitoring extends to Google's blacklist, helping you stay informed if your website is flagged or blacklisted by one of the most widely used search engines.
• Web App and Plugin Scanning: SiteLock's versatility extends to web applications and plugins, allowing you to scan and secure these crucial elements of your website's functionality.

Cons:

• Not Impervious to Hackers: While SiteLock provides robust security measures, it's essential to remember that no security solution is entirely immune to determined hackers. Continuous vigilance and proactive security measures are still necessary to protect your website effectively.

Link: https://www.sitelock.com/