Product manual

GFI LanGuard 5 Scanning Your Network | 64
5 Scanning Your Network
This chapter provides you with information about the different scanning profiles that ship with GFI
LanGuard, as well as how to trigger immediate or scheduled manual scans. Select the most suitable
scanning profile and scanning mode (such as using Agent-less versus Agent-based scans), depending on
the availability and location of your scan targets.
Topics in this chapter:
5.1 About Scanning Profiles 64
5.2 Available Scanning Profiles 64
5.3 Manual scans 66
5.4 Enabling security audit policies 69
5.5 Scheduled scans 70
5.6 Agent scheduled scans 80
5.1 About Scanning Profiles
GFI LanGuard enables you to scan your IT infrastructure for particular vulnerabilities using pre–
configured sets of checks known as scanning profiles. Scanning profiles enable you to scan your
network targets and enumerate only specific information. For example, you may want to use a
scanning profile that is set to be used when scanning the computers in your DMZ as opposed to your
internal network.
In practice, scanning profiles enable you to focus your vulnerability scanning efforts on to a specific
area of your IT infrastructure, such as identifying only missing security updates. The benefit is that
you have less scan results data to analyze; tightening up the scope of your investigation and help you
quickly locate the information that you require, more easily.
Through multiple scanning profiles, you can perform various network security audits without having to
go through a reconfiguration process for every type of security scan required.
5.2 Available Scanning Profiles
GFI LanGuard ships with the default scanning profiles described in the sections below. To create your
own custom scanning profiles, refer to Creating a new Scanning Profile. Use the information provided
in the following sections to understand what each scanning profile detects on your scan targets:
Complete/Combination Scans profiles
Vulnerability Assessment profiles
Network and Software Audit profiles