Nmap (Network Mapper) is an open-source tool used for network discovery and security auditing. It helps network administrators and penetration testers to identify devices on a network, discover open ports, and detect vulnerabilities. Nmap is widely used due to its versatility and powerful features. 🌐

Key Features of Nmap

1. Host Discovery: Identify live hosts on a network. 🖥️
2. Port Scanning: Discover open ports and services running on a host. 🔍
3. Service Version Detection: Determine the version of services running on open ports. 📦
4. OS Detection: Identify the operating system of a host. 🛠️
5. Scriptable Interaction: Use the Nmap Scripting Engine (NSE) for advanced scanning and vulnerability detection. 📜

Example Code Snippets

Here are some example commands you can use with Nmap:

Example 1: Basic Host Discovery

# Ping scan to discover live hosts on a network
nmap -sn 192.168.1.0/24

Example 2: Port Scanning

# Scan for open ports on a specific host
nmap -p 1-65535 192.168.1.1

Example 3: Service Version Detection

# Detect service versions on open ports
nmap -sV 192.168.1.1

Example 4: OS Detection

# Perform OS detection on a host
nmap -O 192.168.1.1

Example 5: Using Nmap Scripting Engine (NSE)

# Use a script to check for vulnerabilities
nmap --script vuln 192.168.1.1

Learning Resources 📚

For more detailed guides and resources, you can visit the Nmap official documentation or check out tutorials on platforms like FreeCodeCamp¹.