1 Define your scan scope

Before you run a scan, you need to define your scan scope, which is the set of targets, ports, and protocols that you want to scan. A well-defined scan scope can help you avoid scanning unnecessary or irrelevant assets, reduce network congestion, and focus on your critical assets. You can use tools such as network discovery, asset inventory, and segmentation to help you identify and prioritize your scan scope. You can also exclude assets that are sensitive, fragile, or out of scope from your scan to avoid potential disruptions or damage.

2 Choose your scan type

Depending on your scan objectives, you can choose different scan types that vary in depth, speed, and impact. For example, you can use a credentialed scan, which uses valid login credentials to access the target system and perform a more thorough and accurate assessment of its vulnerabilities. A credentialed scan can reduce scan noise and false positives by eliminating the need for intrusive probes and guessing techniques. However, a credentialed scan can also take longer and require more resources than a non-credentialed scan, which only scans the target's network services and ports. You can also use a light scan, which uses fewer and less aggressive tests to minimize the impact on the target system and network. A light scan can be useful for scanning large or sensitive networks, but it can also miss some vulnerabilities or generate more false negatives.

3 Configure your scan settings

Another way to reduce scan noise and false positives is to configure your scan settings according to your scan scope, type, and environment. For example, you can adjust the scan frequency, timing, and duration to avoid peak hours, bandwidth limitations, or system maintenance. You can also tune the scan intensity, concurrency, and timeout to balance the speed and accuracy of your scan. You can also customize the scan policies, rules, and plugins to enable or disable specific tests, checks, or categories that are relevant or irrelevant to your scan objectives. By configuring your scan settings, you can optimize your scan performance and impact without sacrificing your scan coverage and quality.

4 Validate your scan results

After you run a scan, you need to validate your scan results to verify the accuracy and relevance of your findings. You can use tools such as vulnerability verification, false positive feedback, and scan comparison to help you validate your scan results. For example, you can use vulnerability verification to confirm the existence and exploitability of a vulnerability by performing a safe simulation or a manual check. You can also use false positive feedback to report and correct any errors or inaccuracies in your scan results. You can also use scan comparison to compare and analyze the differences between two or more scans to identify any changes, trends, or anomalies.

5 Review your scan reports

Finally, you need to review your scan reports to understand and communicate your scan results. You can use tools such as report templates, filters, and formats to help you review your scan reports. For example, you can use report templates to generate different types of reports for different audiences, such as executive summaries, technical details, or compliance status. You can also use filters to sort, group, or highlight your scan results based on various criteria, such as severity, asset, or vulnerability. You can also use formats to export or share your scan reports in various formats, such as PDF, HTML, or CSV.

Vulnerability scanning is a powerful and essential tool for improving your network security posture. However, it can also pose some challenges and limitations, such as scan noise and false positives. By following these tips, you can reduce scan noise and false positives without compromising coverage and quality. You can also enhance your scan performance and impact by using the right tools, techniques, and best practices for your vulnerability scanning needs.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?