The Scanning phase of the Hacking Process requires technical scans of computer systems and networks to gather specific system information.
Nmap is an open-source command-line tool that scans computer system IP addresses and ports to map networks and detect installed applications.
Nmap has many different scanning capabilities. This makes Nmap very versatile for modern network and computing complexities.
Cybersecurity professionals can use Nmap to scan computer systems and network devices to identify open/closed ports, map/enumerate network devices, identify installed applications, identify vulnerabilities, and more.
Nmap is primarily used for vulnerability assessments and network mapping.
Malicious actors would use Nmap to scan and enumerate target systems/networks in preparation for an intrusion/penetration.