Question

An organization is concerned that its hosted web servers are not running the most updated version of software.

Which of the following would work BEST to help identify potential vulnerabilities?

A. hping3 -S -p 80
B. nc -v -p 80
C. nmap -p 80 -sV
D. nslookup -port=80

Answer 1

The 'nmap -p 80 -sV' command is best for identifying the software versions running on web servers to check for vulnerabilities, as it can map the network and detect service versions, which is crucial for cybersecurity.

Step-by-step explanation:

An organization concerned about the potential vulnerabilities of its hosted web servers and ensuring they run the most updated version of software would find nmap -p 80 -sV to be the best option from the listed choices. The Nmap (Network Mapper) is a security scanner used to discover hosts and services on a computer network, thus building a "map" of the network. Specifically, the '-sV' flag enables version detection, allowing administrators to identify what versions of services are running on a server.

Using nmap, administrators can check the versions of software running on their web servers and compare them against databases of known vulnerabilities. This information is crucial for maintaining cybersecurity as it helps in patch management and ensures that all software is up to date, reducing the risk of breaches and cyber-attacks.