10 BEST Web Security Scanners For 2024 [Review And Ratings]

Review and compare the top-rated Web Security Scanners to select the best option for the most secure websites, servers and web applications:

For all of its limitless merits, the internet can be an egregious source of invasions that is trying to tear down the security of your system’s IT infrastructure.

Successful attacks in the past have been responsible for taking down giant corporations. Malicious attackers are always on the lookout for vulnerabilities to exploit in order to gain unauthorized access to critical information.

Hence, it is crucial to regularly scan your websites, servers, and web applications to ensure that they aren’t harboring a weakness that can serve as an unintentional invitation to attackers online. The best way to detect these vulnerabilities is by employing a reputed and advanced web security scanner.

Web Security Scanners are known to conduct automated continuous scans that keep security teams informed about vulnerabilities that can result in a potential security breach.

Most Popular Website Security Scanners

Today, there is no shortage of software that can not only detect vulnerabilities beforehand but also provide actionable insights to fix them.

But… how do you know which web security scanner will best suit your specific needs and requirements? To answer that question, we decided to recommend 16 tools that we believe serve their intended purpose well.

Hence, based on our own experience and popular reception, this tutorial will recommend you a list of 16 web security scanners that are undeniably some of the best of their kind today.

List of the Best Web Security Scanners

Here is a list of the most popular Web Security Scanners available:

1. Indusface WAS
2. Invicti (formerly Netsparker)
3. Acunetix
4. Intruder
5. ManageEngine Browser Security Plus
6. Blacksight
7. Sucuri Sitecheck
8. Rapid7 InsightAppSec
9. Qualsys SSL Server Test
10. Mozilla Observatory
11. Burp Suite
12. HCL AppScan
13. Qualys Web Application Scanner
14. Tenable Nessus
15. Grabber
16. Vega
17. Quttera
18. GFI Languard
19. Frontline VM
20. W3AF
21. Criminal IP

Comparing the Top Web Application Security Scanners

#1) Indusface WAS

Best for 24/7 AppSec support, zero false positive assurance and remediation guidance.

With Indusface WAS, you get a web security scanner that offers your company the broadest coverage possible to detect security threats on web, mobile and API applications. Together with a combination of automated scans and manual pen-testing, the software can efficiently detect a wide range of vulnerabilities, malware, and other forms of security threats.

In addition, the software also provides developers with comprehensive remediation reports to ensure that zero false positives are detected. This gives developers the leeway they need to quickly fix vulnerabilities before they aggravate them. The software also shines with regard to blacklisting tracking, thus helping companies protect their customers from visiting hacked or infected apps.

Features:

• Zero false positive guarantee with unlimited manual validation of vulnerabilities found in the DAST scan report.
• 24X7 support to discuss remediation guidelines and proofs of vulnerabilities.
• Penetration testing for web, mobile and API apps.
• Free trial with a comprehensive single scan and no credit card required.
• Integration with Indusface AppTrana WAF to provide instant virtual patching with a zero false positive guarantee.
• Graybox scanning support with the ability to add credentials and then perform scans.
• Single dashboard for DAST scan and pen testing reports.
• Ability to automatically expand crawl coverage based on actual traffic data from the WAF system (in case AppTrana WAF is subscribed and used).
• Check for Malware infection, the reputation of the links in the website, defacement and broken links.

Verdict: Indusface WAS performs both automated tests and manual scans to ensure that even the most well-hidden threats are detected and quickly fixed. The software can detect all types of threats from business logic to OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities and malware. This one is definitely worth a try.

Price: Free plan available, $49/app/month for the advanced plan, $199/app/month for the premium plan billed yearly. A 14-day free trial is also available.

#2) Invicti (formerly Netsparker)

Best for  Combined DAST+IAST Scanning Approach.

Invicti is a powerful web security scanner that can accurately detect potential vulnerabilities in your web applications.

It essentially allows you to build security automation into every step of SDLC. With its visual dashboard, the platform gives you a holistic snapshot of all your websites, applications, and detected vulnerabilities on a single screen.

Its advanced crawling and combined DAST+IAST scanning approach allow it to scan every corner of your web asset to detect vulnerabilities accurately.

The platform also operates on a “Proof Based Scanning” i.e., it verifies a detected vulnerability in an open, read-only environment before finally reporting it. This ensures that developers aren’t wasting their time dealing with false positives.

Invicti also uses its dashboard intuitively, thereby presenting users with graphs that display threats with assigned threat levels. It conveys whether a detected vulnerability poses a high, moderate, or low-security threat, thereby allowing developers to prioritize their response accordingly.

Moreover, users can manage team permissions and assign particular tasks to the right security teams from the dashboard itself. Furthermore, Invicti is intuitive enough to automatically create and assign vulnerabilities to security teams.

It also assists developers with remediation efforts by providing detailed documentation on the identified vulnerability. As such, developers have the necessary actionable insights they need to patch vulnerabilities before an attacker can exploit them.

Features

• Proof Based Scanning
• Advanced Web Crawling
• Seamlessly Integrate with Current Systems.
• Detailed Report Generation on detected vulnerability.
• DAST+IAST Scanning approach

Verdict: Invicti is a great tool to automate continuous security checks throughout your SDLC 365 days a year and detect all types of vulnerabilities.

Regardless of what language or programs were used to build them, Invicti can scan all types of websites, applications, and APIs. Its combined signature and behavior-based scanning approach also makes it capable of detecting vulnerabilities quickly and accurately.

Price: Contact for quote.

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#3) Acunetix

Best for Fully Automated Security Scanners for APIs, Applications, and Websites.

Acunetix is a powerful web security scanner that can scan complex web pages, web apps, and applications for quick and accurate vulnerability detection.

The platform is known for its ability to accurately detect over 7000 vulnerabilities, the most common of which include SQL injections, XSS, misconfigurations, and more. Its “Advanced Macro Recording” feature allows you to scan sophisticated multi-level forms and password-protected pages without any hassle.

Acunetix also makes sure to verify a detected vulnerability before it is reported, thereby saving time that would have otherwise been wasted on handling false positives. It also allows you to schedule your scans so that you can initiate scans automatically at a specified date and time.

Moreover, the software integrates seamlessly with current tracking and vulnerability management systems like Jira, GitLab, and many others. Furthermore, Acunetix is capable of generating a wide range of reports which perfectly explain the nature of vulnerability and how it can be fixed.

Features

• Schedule and Prioritize Scans
• Advanced Macro Recording
• Scan New Builds Automatically
• Integrate seamlessly with current tracking systems.

Verdict: Acunetix is an easy-to-deploy tool that doesn’t bother you with lengthy setups.

It gets to work as soon as it is launched, initiating lightning fast scans that can detect over 7000 different types of vulnerabilities without overloading the server. This is a great web security scanner to detect vulnerabilities and plan an appropriate response to them.

Price: Contact for quote.

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#4) Intruder

Best for Ongoing attack surface monitoring and easy vulnerability management.

Intruder’s web application security scanner is a powerful vulnerability scanner that enables you to uncover and neutralise threats to your business’ digital home.

Intruder will hunt through a web application for missing patches and can also detect insecure versions of many thousands of software components and frameworks, from web servers to operating systems and network devices.

Intruder runs a continuous and robust check for vulnerabilities across an entire web application and the underlying infrastructure. Its security scanner checks for infrastructure weaknesses (such as unencrypted admin services, or exposed databases), web-layer security problems (such as SQL injection and cross-site scripting), and other security misconfigurations.

It will also notify you when SSL or TLS certificates are about to expire, helping you to maintain security and prevent downtime of your website or service. If you need more sophisticated scanning capabilities to identify weaknesses behind your login pages, Intruder also offers an authenticated scanning capability.

Features:

• Works seamlessly with your technical environment.
• Integrations include AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Slack, and Jira.
• Download PDF and CSV reports of the quality you’d expect from a manual pentest.
• Cyber Hygiene Score lets you keep track of how long it takes you to fix issues.

Verdict: Intruder is easy to use and works well as a web application scanner. You don’t need to be a security expert or proficient in coding to operate this tool. If your in-house team is constrained by time, skillset or headcount, Intruder is the sensible choice.

Its automated web app security scanning features can be easily integrated with third-party tools like Slack and Jira plus all your cloud apps, so you can detect emerging threats as soon as they’re published with actionable insights to handle and fix them effectively.

Price: Free 14-day trial for Pro plan, see website for prices, monthly or annual billing available.

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#5) ManageEngine Browser Security Plus

Best for easily enforcing security configurations.

Browser Security Plus is an enterprise browser software that can protect business-sensitive data from all sorts of browser-based threats. It fortifies your browsing experience by basically acting as a shield against threats like ransomware, viruses, Trojans, etc. The software is excellent at getting you total visibility over your browser usage and components.

It is also very easy to configure and enforce security policies on computers in order to protect them from the above-mentioned online threats. You’ll have the control to revoke or provide access to web applications, lock down the enterprise browser, and employ web isolation tactics to handle both enterprise and non-enterprise sites.

Features:

• Gain complete visibilities over browser usage trends
• Enforce security configurations
• Enforce protocols to control browser plugins and components
• Comprehensive report generation.

Verdict: Browser Security Plus is an excellent enterprise browser security tool that’ll help IT admins protect their network from all sorts of browser-based threats. It is a great tool for regulating access to browser-based applications and components on enterprise networks.

Price: A free edition is available. You’ll have to contact ManageEngine to get a quote for the professional plan.

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#6) Blacksight

Best for Free web-based vulnerability scanner.

Blacksight is one of the best web-based vulnerability scanners we’ve had the privilege of using. The software, in its free version alone, features impressive vulnerability scanning capabilities. You simply enter the URL of your target website and hit the “Start Scanning” button. 

Blacksight will present you with a comprehensive report that suggests tips and tricks help you take care of detected issues for good. The scanner itself is highly customizable. You can configure the scanner to expand its coverage. You can also conveniently schedule recurring scans. By subscribing to its premium plans, you’ll be able to perform unlimited instant and recurring scans. 

Features:

• Run instant scans to quickly check your website for vulnerabilities after a major change. 
• Monitor your attack surface round-the-clock with recurring scans. 
• A highly configurable scanner. 
• Expand the coverage of your domain by also incorporating sub-domains in your scans. 
• Get detailed reports with data-driven insights and analytics to mitigate vulnerabilities. 
• Invite collaborators to assist with the mitigation of detected issues. 

Verdict: As far as simplicity goes, Blacksight is perhaps the finest web security scanner on this list. It is affordable, highly configurable, and arms you with data-driven insights to effectively mitigate issues. 

Price: Blacksight’s scanner is free to use. Its premium plans with extended capabilities are as follows:

• Plus: $29/month
• Pro: $89/month
• Custom Enterprise plan

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#7) Sucuri Sitecheck

Best for Free and Quick Security Scanning.

Sucuri Sitecheck is a web-based security scanner that gets the job done in a few easy steps. The platform’s homepage features a text box, wherein you are required to paste the site that you would like to scan for vulnerabilities.

Simply paste the link and click on the “Scan Website”. This scanner will monitor your website for malware, viruses, and other security threats. It can also be used to learn whether your website has been blacklisted by website security authorities.

It also checks your site for anomalies, configuration issues, and security recommendations that can potentially patch up detected vulnerabilities.

Features

• Free to Use
• Check website blacklist status.
• Find out-of-date plug-ins and software.
• Detect all major types of vulnerabilities.

Verdict: Sucuri Sitecheck is a remote scanner. As such, it has limited access and might not guarantee results all the time.

However, it is free to use and helps you to keep your website clean and adequately protected against threats by detecting potentially harmful vulnerabilities. This is a tool you can often employ to quickly scan your website.

Price: Free

Website: Sucuri Sitecheck

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#8) Rapid7 InsightAppSec

Best for Automatically Crawl and Assess Web Applications.

Rapid7 utilizes dynamic application security testing to handle the most complex issues faced by the modern web today. The solution automatically crawls through every corner of the application upon launch to detect vulnerabilities. It also verifies them before reporting the detected weaknesses to weed out false positives.

Rapid7 is also highly scalable, thereby allowing you to manage the security assessment task of your web application’s entire portfolio, regardless of its size. Furthermore, it generates reports with actionable insights that help in effectively remediating vulnerabilities in no time.

Features

• Fast Threat Detection
• Verifies Vulnerabilities before reporting.
• Generates comprehensive reports for quick remediation.
• Features integration with other capable vulnerability tracking systems.

Verdict: Rapid7 InsightAppSec’s DAST approach to threat assessment makes it successful in accurately tracking all types of vulnerabilities in a web application quickly. It leverages integration and comprehensive reporting to initiate fast-track fixes, thereby patching vulnerabilities before they are found by attackers.

Price: Contact for quote.

Website: Rapid7 InsightAppSec

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#9) Qualsys SSL Server Test

Best for Free Deep Scan of SSL webserver.

At first glance, Qualsys may look just like another generic remote scanner. However, this is arguably one of the most effective SSL server scanners online that is also free to use. This free online service by Qualsys, allows you to perform a deep scan of configurations on any SSL server available on the internet.

Qualsys SSL Server Test will assess the hostname you feed it in less than a minute, after which it will report the results of a scan by assigning a grade that gives you a hint about the site’s health. For instance, if it assigns an A+ grade to the site it just analyzed, then it is an indication that the site doesn’t harbor any vulnerability.

Features

• Web-Based
• Free-To-Use
• Grade based assessment
• Simple UI

Verdict: Qualsys SSL server test comes in handy if you want to quickly assess the security of your SSL web server. It will perform a deep scan and hint about the server’s health by assigning it a grade. We don’t recommend it to users who want comprehensive reports that provide detailed documentation on revealed vulnerabilities.

Price: Free

Website: Qualsys SSL Server Test

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#10) Mozilla Observatory

Best for Free Remote Site-Scanner.

Similar to Qualsys and Sucuri Sitecheck, Mozilla Observatory is a free remote scanner that will test your website for security issues. To initiate a scan, you are simply required to feed the Mozilla Observatory text box with a site URL to test. Mozilla will test the site and assign a grade which will tell you whether the site is secure or not.

Mozilla Observatory tests sites for preventive measures against weaknesses such as XSS, cross-domain information leakage, cookie compromise, improperly issued network, content delivery network compromise, and man-in-the-middle attacks.

Features

• Simple and Free to Use.
• Grade based test result reporting.
• Set preferences to enhance testing.

Verdict: Mozilla Observatory is an ideal platform for developers or security professionals who want to configure their sites in a safe and secure manner. Although it may not be suitable to test for all types of vulnerabilities, it can still test sites for some of the most commonly reported vulnerabilities affecting websites today.

Price: Free

Website: Mozilla Observatory

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#11) Burp Suite

Best for Automated Web Vulnerability Scanning.

Burp Suite enables you to build a fully automated web security scanning system across your entire portfolio. It runs continuous scans that keep an eye out for vulnerabilities that may serve as an invitation for attackers.

The software allows you to schedule scans at a specified date and time. It also assists in prioritizing your response by assigning threat levels to detect vulnerabilities.

It seamlessly integrates with CI/CD tracking systems to detect weaknesses in a fast and accurate manner. Remediation of threats is also very simple with Burp Suite due to the detailed reports it generates on how to remediate an identified vulnerability.

Features

• Fully Automated
• Schedule and Prioritize Scan
• Generate Comprehensive reports with actionable insights.
• CI/CD Integrations.

Verdict: If you seek an easy to deploy, fully automated continuous web security scanner, then you will find plenty to admire in the Burp Suite. It is accurate and fast when it comes to vulnerability detection. It is also extremely competent when remediating them due to their comprehensive reporting capabilities.

Price: Contact for quote.

Website: Burp Suite

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#12) HCL AppScan

Best for Fast and Accurate Security Testing.

HCL AppScan features a security testing system that can accurately pinpoint the location of vulnerability and suggest suitable actions to remediate them. This is a security system that utilizes static application security testing to identify vulnerabilities early in its development lifecycle, thus allowing you to patch it up before it’s too late.

The platform is also capable of large-scale, multi-app, multi-user dynamic application security testing to accurately detect, understand and patch vulnerabilities accurately. HCL AppScan also facilitates cloud-based security testing on web, mobile, and desktop applications due to its utilization of static, dynamic, interactive, and open-source analysis.

Features

• Powerful Cloud-Based Security Testing
• Streamline collaboration between security teams.
• Quick Vulnerability Detection and Fix.
• Presents intuitive reports and analysis on detected vulnerability.

Verdict: HCL ApScan’s agile and powerful security testing system can be built into every phase of your software’s development lifecycle. Its combined static, dynamic, and interactive approach to scanning allows HCP AppScan to detect vulnerabilities accurately and suggest remediation actions without wasting any time.

Price: Contact for quote.

Website: HCL AppScan

Further Reading => Explore the TOP Browser Security Solutions in the Market

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#13) Qualsys Web Application Scanner

Best for Cloud-Based Web Application Security Scanner.

Qualsys is a powerful cloud-based security scanner that can detect all types of assets on massive hybrid infrastructure. It can be deployed to continuously and automatically detect vulnerabilities in your network. It provides you with real-time insights on detected zero-day vulnerabilities, network irregularities, and compromised assets.

Regardless of the threat detected, Qualsys will automatically deploy a patch that can quickly remediate the detected vulnerability. Qualsys also allows you to quarantine a suspicious asset until you have further information on it.

Features

• Gain Full Visibility for the entire hybrid IT infrastructure.
• Continuous and Automatic Scanning for Vulnerability.
• Quarantine suspicious assets
• Automatically deploy patches to fix issues.

Verdict: Qualsys leverages the latest Intel and powerful machine learning to identify the most severe vulnerabilities affecting assets critical to you or your business. It can rapidly patch identified issues and even quarantine assets that appear suspicious to you.

Price: Free

Website: Qualsys Web Application Scanner

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#14) Tenable

Best for Risk-Based Vulnerability Management.

Tenable employs risk-based vulnerability management to address weaknesses identified within your web application. The platform intuitively categorizes vulnerabilities according to their threat level. As such, developers can decide which vulnerabilities to prioritize and which issues are unlikely to be attacked in the future.

Tenable allows you to gain visibility of your entire attack surface to weed out even the most difficult to detect vulnerabilities. Moreover, Tenable utilizes machine learning automation to continuously analyze your assets for over 20 trillion vulnerabilities.

Features

• Categorize vulnerabilities according to threat level.
• Continuous automated scanning
• Full visibility of the entire network infrastructure.
• Generate detailed reports on identified vulnerability.

Verdict: Tenable Nessus takes a risk-based approach to vulnerability management. It is an ideal tool for developers who do not want to waste time addressing issues that might not pose an urgent threat to your system’s security. Its employment of machine learning automation also makes it one of the best web security scanners we have today.

Price: Contact for Pricing.

Website: Tenable Nessus

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Other Great Web Security Scanners

#15) Grabber

Best for Web Vulnerability Scanning.

Grabber is a platform ideal for small-scale web vulnerability scanning. Unlike the above-mentioned tools, it can only detect a limited number of vulnerabilities. It is designed to test small websites and not big applications.

As of today, it can detect vulnerabilities like SQL injections and cross-site scripting. It can also handle AJAX checks, backup files checks, and file inclusion.

Price: Free

Website: Grabber

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#16) Vega Scanner

Best for Open Source Web Scanner.

Vega is a free and open-source web security scanner that can accurately detect vulnerabilities like SQL injections, XSS, and more. It features an automated scanner, which allows it to perform tests quickly.

Written entirely in Java, the platform can run smoothly on devices operating on Windows, OSX, and Linux. Vega is also known to probe for SSL and TSL security settings. It does so to identify opportunities that can strengthen the security of TLS servers.

Price: Free

Website: Vega Scanner

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#17) Quterra

Best for Quick Web-Based Site Security Testing.

Quterra is first and foremost, an anti-malware platform that also offers you the opportunity to quickly scan websites for vulnerabilities.

Quterra’s home page features a textbox, wherein you are required to paste the website URL you want to scan. The platform will scan the site and let you know if the site is secure. If vulnerabilities are found, Quterra provides you with actionable insights coming straight from security experts.

Price: Free, $10/month basic plan, $179/year premium security, $249/year emergency plan.

Website: Quterra

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#18) GFI Languard

Best for Automated and Continuous Scans.

GFI Languard is a vulnerability management solution that can be deployed for automated, continuous scanning to detect vulnerabilities across a network’s entire portfolio. Not only can it detect vulnerabilities, but it can also automatically deploy patches to fix them.

The software can identify non-patch vulnerabilities by referring to a constantly updating list that currently features over 60000 known issues. GFI Languard also allows you to easily assign vulnerabilities to specific security teams for management.

Price: Contact for quote.

Website: GFI Languard

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#19) Frontline VM

Best for SaaS Vulnerability Management.

Frontline VM is an easy-to-use and comprehensive SaaS vulnerability management solution. It performs deep scans to accurately find vulnerabilities that might attract attackers. It presents the vulnerabilities it detects in a categorized fashion, wherein the detected vulnerabilities are ranked based on how high or low their threat level is.

It also suggests appropriate remediation actions to patch vulnerabilities. You can track the status of your detected vulnerability in real-time with Frontline VM.

Price: Contact for quote.

Website: Frontline VM

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#20) W3AF

Best for Fast and Extensive Vulnerability Scanner.

W3AF is an open-source vulnerability scanner that will scan your entire system for vulnerabilities in just a few clicks. As of today, the platform can detect and suggest actionable insights for over 200 vulnerabilities. You can build an entire attack and audit framework with W3AF, which effectively detects and remediates vulnerabilities effortlessly.

Price: Free

Website: W3AF

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#21) Criminal IP

Best for checking website stability and managing vulnerabilities through real-time URL scans.

Criminal IP is a powerful URL Scanner that utilizes AI machine learning technology. It operates just like search engines like Google or Bing, allowing users to enter a website and then provide real-time scan results for that website.

The scan results are presented in a user-friendly and easy-to-read report, allowing users to access information about potential threats, such as the technology used, malicious scripts, sub-domains, the presence of malignant files, CVE vulnerabilities, exposed personal information, and other basic details.

Criminal IP provides a risk rating system with five levels and can detect fake favicons and phishing sites. Furthermore, Criminal IP scans websites and provides information regarding security vulnerabilities, including connected addresses, CVE vulnerabilities, and expired certificate information.

Features:

• Offers free and paid monthly subscription plans
• Provides a web-based search engine with a simple interface
• Implements a five-level risk scoring system based on Ai machine learning
• Provides risk data, including information on used technology and scripts, related CVE vulnerabilities, and risk data such as abuse records and fake favicons
• Effective for managing threat surface, conducting penetration testing, and analyzing malware
• Offers API integration: Enables integration of existing data with workflows and products

Verdict: Criminal IP is a CTI search engine that excels as a website security scanner, delivering exceptional performance. It features a user-friendly interface and is highly specialized in detecting vulnerabilities and identifying potential threats for security professionals. This is a great tool for conducting thorough website assessments and taking proactive measures against potential threats.

Pricing: A variety of plans are available, ranging from a free membership plan that offers free credits to paid plans, depending on users’ needs.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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Conclusion

An unaddressed vulnerability on your website, server, or application serves as an open invitation for attackers. These malicious players online are constantly scanning every nook and cranny of the internet to find weaknesses to exploit. Web Security Scanners allow you to scan and detect these weaknesses before an attacker can.

Good Web Security Scanners will automate and perform continuous scans to identify potential security threats and generate detailed reports on their discovery. The reports can then be used to patch vulnerabilities once and for all.

As per our recommendation, if you are looking for a web security scanner that combines dynamic and interactive scanning for accurate and fast results then look no further than Invicti. You can also try the scalable and powerful Acunetix to strengthen the security of websites and applications, as well.

Research Process

• Time Taken To Research And Write This Article: 15 Hours
• Total Web Security Scanners Researched: 30
• Total Web Security Scanners Shortlisted: 16