What is a common method used for scanning network vulnerabilities?

Port scanning is a commonly used method for scanning network vulnerabilities due to its effectiveness in identifying open ports and services on devices within a network. By sending packets to specific ports and analyzing the responses, security professionals can determine which ports are active and what services are running. This information is crucial because open ports can indicate potential entry points for attackers if associated services have known vulnerabilities.

Port scanning can also help in understanding the network’s structure and can serve as the first step in a more comprehensive vulnerability assessment. Identifying open ports can lead to targeted scans of the services running on those ports, allowing for deeper vulnerability detection.

In contrast, file encryption and data encryption focus on protecting data rather than identifying vulnerabilities. Packet sniffing, while useful for monitoring traffic, does not inherently reveal vulnerabilities related to open ports or services on a network. Thus, port scanning stands out as a primary tool in vulnerability assessments.