New version of network scanning tool arp-scan released
Arp-scan 1.8 - a discovery and fingerprinting tool that uses the address resolution protocol (ARP) to find systems and determine Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and hosts on the local network - has been updated to incorporate the latest IP and MAC address information, added support for Apple Mac OS X to now include Tiger, Leopard and Snow Leopard, new ARP decoding and display, and minor bug fixing.
Arp-scan, which is released under open source GNU General Public License (GPLv3), was developed five years ago by security and penetration testing expert Roy Hills, founder of IT security company NTA Monitor.
Roy Hills said "I have developed and released a new version of arp-scan to incorporate the latest vendor information, keep up-to-date with network and operating system developments and provide additional support and detail to testers.
"Arp-scan is widely-used throughout the industry and is an effective system discovery and fingerprinting tool for identifying IP addresses and hosts where testers may have to scan large address spaces.
"Using arp-scan is an essential first-step in auditing an organisation's network, allowing testers or network managers to quickly map the systems and identify any potential security issues that may need resolving on a local network."
Today, arp-scan has become an important part of the on-site penetration tester's toolkit. It is also valuable for network managers wanting to monitor and keep track of their organisation's systems information.
Since its launch in 2006, arp-scan has been accessed thousands of times - in the last year alone, arp-scan has been downloaded more than 12,000 times.
To download arp-scan, visit http://www.nta-monitor.com/tools/arp-scan/index.html. Further information about arp-scan can be found at www.nta-monitor.com/wiki/index.php/Main_Page.
Roy Hills also developed ike-scan - a popular open source tool that discovers, fingerprints and tests IPsec VPN servers.
For further information on NTA Monitor email marketing@nta-monitor.com or call 01634 721855.
This article was first released on: 15th March 2011