Top 5 Vulnerability Scanning Tools for Web Applications
In this day and age there are abundant web scanning tools that one can find on the internet. Choosing the right vulnerability scanning tool can be an overwhelming task for anyone who wants to simply run a test to find loopholes in their web application. Say if you’re an individual or a business who lacks the expertise in web security or doesn’t seem to have the necessary funds to secure your web application, then what to do if the website is compromised or who do you consult for solutions? That is why I have shortlisted the best web scanning tools in today’s market to save you the trouble. Here is a rundown of the top 5 vulnerability scanning tools that you can choose from to keep your web application and data safe, read away!
- Burp Suite (Proficient technical knowledge required)
A highly rated tool with great success stories, for scanning web apps and also APIs. Burp Suit is the go to tool if you have the security expertise. A reviewer also described the tool as “easy to use but difficult to master.” Yes, the tool requires some sort of technical knowledge from the user’s standpoint but gets the job done.
2. Acunetix (requires high income budget)
The most popular scanner in the market as an automated web scanning tool. I would say they are like the Apple company in the field of web security products. Not only is their software fast and easy to use but they too have great customer support. However having a world renowned market comes with a hefty price. Just like the big tech companies having a high end product at a high cost, similarly Acunetix’s subscription plan ranges from USD $4,500 to $7,000, which is not an ideal budget for any small/medium enterprises.
3. ReconwithMe (Basic tool for all Startups & SMEs)
This brand new robust SaaS scanner tool has just hit the market. Having an inbuilt bug tracker it automatically provides detailed web security reports and remedy steps for fixes in the user’s web application. Personally testing the product myself, I was stunned to see the fast results along with their subscription plans starting from USD $25 with any consultation for queries if needed. Clearly a cost effective vulnerability scanner tool having a simple and easy-to-use dashboard to webscan on the go!
4. WPScan (Scans WordPress sites)
About 30% percent of all websites in the world wide web are made from WordPress. Additionally they have their own recognized vulnerability scanner that provides deep-instant-automatic scans at affordable rates. However, having their scanner limited to only sites made by WordPress, it becomes the primary target for hackers and spammers to exploit these sites due to their popularity!
5. Insight VM by Rapid 7 (Proficient Technical knowledge required)
A cloud based web scanner tool well suited for large enterprises or having members in the team, who are proficient in coding and scripting. Apart from getting a decent scanning report, their user interface is not friendly nor easy to use which is not a useful tool to scan web applications for everyone.
Keeping in mind even big companies and their web applications are also not safe and are vulnerable to cyber attacks. As reported the social media giant Facebook found 533 million of its user’s personal data leaked by malicious hackers discovering a vulnerability in their system.
As one can tell a lot of businesses have transitioned from physical to online platforms; running their own website or application, paving the way for hackers to target these platforms and gain unauthorized access to sensitive data like clientele, bank details etc, which leads to a double big loss. Rectifying these vulnerabilities or loopholes in the website through pentesting additionally costs a vast sum of money. This is why it’s mandatory to monitor your web application using a web application vulnerability scanner as the ones mentioned above to keep your data safe and secure. Consequently ignoring your web security creates higher chances for hackers to gain unauthorized access to your data easily and exploit you.