Website vulnerability scanner tools are vital components of website security. These tools check vulnerabilities (website security weaknesses), which expose websites to external attacks. This is due to unauthorized access by black hackers:
The chart below shows the most notorious vulnerability attacks. This is according to Cenzic vulnerability report.
- A&A (Authentication and Authorization)
- S&M (Session Management)
- SQL Injection
- CSRF
- XSS (Cross site scripting)
- Site blacklisting
- Defacements
- Malwares
- Trojans and worms
- Other forms of unauthorized access such as brute force entry among others.
Basically, all internet platforms (websites, blogs, WordPress, and so on) are vulnerable to security threats. Hence, blog/website owners must secure their platforms. To achieve this, one of the basic things to do is to check vulnerabilities or weaknesses in the infrastructure of these platforms.
Actually, website security, today, is not only important but is arguably the most important aspect of website setup. Unfortunately, most people overlook the website security aspect but focus more on site content, design, and SEO. However, with the growing awareness of the activities of black hackers, website security and vulnerabilities are now being accorded its due attention.
Therefore, this article outlines the best website vulnerability scanner tools, commonly employed by web developers and website owners/operators, to check vulnerabilities. This action significantly enhances website security and ensures maximum protection against unauthorized access to their websites.
Evidently, there is a good number of traditional, as well as recently developed website vulnerability scanning tools. Below is a list of ten(10) of the best website vulnerability scanner tools.
10 Best Website Vulnerability Scanner Tools
- SUCURI
- OPENVAS
- ACUNETIX
- SITEGUARDING
- QUTTERA
- SCAN MY SERVER
- WEBSCARAB
- WEB INSPECTOR
- QUALYS FREESCAN
- DETECTIFY
Website Vulnerability Scanner Tools
SUCURI:
Sucuri is an online vulnerability scanner that is seen as one of the best website vulnerabilities scanner tools. It is designed to carry out the following website security tasks; protection against unauthorized access (hacks) and DDoS attacks; blacklist warning; and website performance enhancement. It also carries out swift security incident response; quick identification of security threats and around-the-clock monitoring of all website security issues. It offers the following paid vulnerability/website security scanning plans:
Basic (Affordable) Plan:
It offers a design with website security threat response time of 12-hours. This plan scans a website twice a day (every 12 hours). It encrypts a website with the SSL Certificate. The annual billing of this plan is US$200.
Professional plan:
This plan is the most popular online vulnerability scanner on the sucuri platform. It offers a response time of 6-hours, which scans a website for vulnerabilities, four times (4x) in a day, that is, every 6-hours). Like the basic plan, the professional plan encrypts a subscribed website with the SSL Certificate. The annual billing of this plan is US$300.
Business plan:
It offers premium packages such as advanced DDoS protection, half-hour blacklist notifications, 4-hours response time (daily scanning interval) and 24-hours instant customer service feedback(s). The Sucuri business plan is available for US$500 per year.
Sucuri online vulnerability scanner supports the following internet platforms; WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, Magento, Microsoft.Net and phpBB.
OPENVAS:
OpenVas is arguably the most prominent open source vulnerability scanner which is also seen by many as one of the best available. The term OpenVAS is a framework of software/tools, which stands for Open-Vulnerability-Assessment-System. This open source vulnerability scanner is developed by Greenborne Networks (GmbH) and it licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL).
Furthermore, this online vulnerability scanner remotely runs operations to check vulnerabilities (website security weak links) on a target’s website. This is done by inputting the target server’s IP address, host/domain name, or a host of IP addresses into the scanning host’s (OpenVAS) server. The vulnerabilities scanning is then processed on the OpenVAS platform and the scanning result is subsequently delivered to the scanned website registered email.
As an open-source vulnerability scanner, it supports platforms such as WordPress, Joomla, and Web Server among others, and it is available for free.
ACUNETIX:
Acunetix is a free online vulnerability scanner, which runs operations to comprehensively check vulnerabilities of website security and network infrastructures. It does this directly from Acunetix servers. It requires no download or installation. All vulnerability scans are performed remotely from Acunetix host servers.
This online vulnerability scanner also ranks amongst one of the best vulnerability scanner tools. It uses a set of algorithms to check the vulnerabilities of website security to external attacks. It subsequently delivers a comprehensive scan result. This is with the exception of the site’s host location to the registered email address of the website/domain owner. In the same vein, Acunetix scanners also check vulnerabilities on network infrastructures. It basically scans for SQL Injection, XSS, XXE, CSRF, and Host Header Injection among other common web/server vulnerabilities.
This online vulnerability scanner, just like the above mention open source vulnerability scanner (OpenVas), is available to domain website owners for free. However, unlike the open source vulnerability scanner, Acunetix offers free website security checks only on a 14-days trial period.
SITEGUARDING:
SiteGuarding is an online vulnerability scanner, which runs a set of tools that check vulnerabilities of website security to hacks. The platform offers free vulnerability scanning to website owners on a 14 –day trial period. This online tool, just like OpenVas, is efficient in enhancing website security of any server, hosting varieties of platforms. These platforms include Websites, WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, etc. This site encrypts a target site with SSQ Certificate and also offers a durable website firewall, to beef up a website’s security. It scans target domains for web blacklisting, injected spams, malware among others.
QUTTERA:
QUTTERA is an online tool used to check vulnerabilities of websites to external threats and attacks. It scans for and removes malware, site blacklist checking, DNS attacks scanning among others. This tool requires no download or installation.
Also, in terms of performance and ease of use, Quttera constitutes one of the most durable online website vulnerability scanning tools.
More website vulnerability scanner tools:
SCANMYSERVER:
ScanMyServer is an online vulnerability scanner, which offers free vulnerabilities scanning services to domain/website owners. It checks vulnerabilities (weak links or spots) of websites to SQL Injection, source disclosure, cross site scripting among others. In the instance of an attack or hack, ScanMyServer detects point(s) of entry of the attacker/hacker, used in gaining unauthorized access to the site.
ScanMyServer, after a comprehensive scanning, delivers scan results to the target website’s registered email address.
However, It should be noted that ScanMyServer charges for subsequent vulnerability scanning after the first free trial.
So, if you are looking to enhance your website security, ScanMyServer offers a very good option.
WEBSCARAB:
WebScarab is an open source web vulnerability scanner. It is developed in JAVA codes by OWASP – Open Web Application Security Project. As a result of the unique JAVA design of WebScarab, it is able to work efficiently on several operating systems.
Also, this open source vulnerability scanner basically allows modifications of HTTP and HTTPS, before they get to the server or browser. It also performs a wide range of website security functions, which include detecting and exposing website vulnerabilities such as SQL Injection and XSS. However, WebScarab is only make modifications to websites developed in JAVA.
WEB INSPECTOR:
Web Inspector is a cloud–based online vulnerability scanner, which uses a host of cloud-based programs to check vulnerabilities. It provides protection against website blacklisting, malware attacks, Trojans, and worms. It also provides unusual redirects, DDoS attacks, SQL Injection and XSS (cross-site scripting) among others. This cloud-based online vulnerability scanner basically scans for all forms of website security vulnerabilities, which expose the site to hackers’ intrusion.
QUALYS FREESCAN & SSL Labs:
Freescan is a free online vulnerability scanner that runs a set of programmed tools to check vulnerabilities of network infrastructures. It also scans for top Open-Web-Application-Security-Project (OWASP) threats and malware attacks among others.
On the other hand, SSL Labs is one of the best website vulnerabilities scanner tools for SSL servers. It performs a comprehensive analytical scan of a target web server. SSL Labs tests a secured website’s URL (https), expiry date, version of SSL/TLS Certificate, overall rating among others. SSL Labs basically checks vulnerabilities of secured websites/web servers.
DETECTIFY:
Detectify conducts automated scans and detects a host of website vulnerabilities. These scans range from SQL Injection, XSS, malware infection etc. In fact, this online vulnerability scanner, checks for over a thousand website vulnerabilities, which are updated frequently.
Detectify is designed by a group of ethical hackers, to enhance website security. It is also used to protect web servers against unauthorized access by black hackers. This scanning platform offers a free trial of 14 days to website owners.
Other notable Website vulnerability scanner tools:
- Comodo cWatch
- Word Press Security Scans
- Asafa Web
- Netsparker Cloud
- UpGuard web Scan
Website vulnerability scanner tools: Conclusion
Today, over 90% of websites and other internet platforms are vulnerable one way or another to external attacks/hacks. These attacks often result in cyber such as theft, impersonation, information loss, data/information manipulation, website blacklisting among others. Hence, it is highly important to subject all websites and other internet platforms to regular vulnerability scans. This is so as to check vulnerabilities within the website and/or network infrastructure. By so doing, one can detect and identify where there is a necessary repair of the detected vulnerabilities.
