The Best Network Security Auditing Tools

• Undetected vulnerabilities: Unidentified misconfigurations, unpatched systems, and weak controls that attackers can exploit.
• Delayed threat detection: Lack of visibility into abnormal network behavior, lateral movement, or policy violations.
• Manual, error-prone audits: Time-consuming spreadsheet-based reviews that increase human error and reduce audit accuracy.
• Poor network visibility: Incomplete understanding of network assets, traffic flows, access paths, and shadow IT.
• Configuration drift: Gradual deviation from approved security baselines across firewalls, routers, switches, and cloud resources.
• Excessive access and privilege creep: Over-permissive firewall rules, unused accounts, and weak segmentation are increasing attack impact.
• Audit fatigue and high costs: Repeated external audit findings, remediation rework, and increased operational overhead.

We’ve taken a close look at this topic, moving past vendor claims to see how these tools actually perform in real use. Based on that, we have compiled a list of top network security auditing tools you can rely on. We have done the hard work, so you can focus on selecting the tools that best fit your needs.

Here’s our list of the best commercial and open-source network security auditing tools: 

1. N-able N-sight EDITOR’S CHOICE Used in network security auditing to provide continuous visibility into endpoints and networks. Start a 14-day free trial.
2. ManageEngine Vulnerability Manager Plus (FREE TRIAL) Enables auditors to systematically identify, prioritize, remediate, and re-validate vulnerabilities and misconfigurations across endpoints and servers. Start a 30-day free trial.
3. Atera (FREE TRIAL) Functions as a lightweight network security auditing platform by maintaining asset inventories, tracking patch and vulnerability status, and generating audit-ready reports. Tracks network device configurations over time, flags changes, checks compliance against baselines, and keeps historical records for audits. Start a 30-day free trial.
4. ManageEngine Log360 (FREE TRIAL) Collects and correlates network logs to show who did what, when, and from where. Start a 30-day free trial. Start a 30-day free trial.
5. Site24x7 Network Configuration Manager (FREE TRIAL) Tracks network device configurations, detects changes, checks compliance against baselines, and keeps historical records for audits. Start a 30-day free trial.
6. Intruder Supports network security auditing through continuous vulnerability scanning and attack surface monitoring.
7. Nmap Host discovery, port scanning, OS detection, NSE scripts for auditing.
8. Wireshark Packet capture and deep traffic inspection for forensic auditing.
9. OpenVAS Full vulnerability scanner with a large CVE database.
10. Nessus Comprehensive vulnerability scanning and auditing.
11. NSAuditor A lightweight all-in-one tool for scanning, monitoring, and compliance.
12. ManageEngine NCM Config change auditing and compliance enforcement.
13. Datadog Network Monitoring Cloud-native auditing with logs, APM, compliance dashboards.

It can also provide you with a high-order overview of the network which can be useful when trying to solve specific problems. Security audits can also give you an understanding of how protected your organization is against known security threats.

In this article, we take a look at the best network security auditing tools including port scanners, vulnerability scanners, patch managers, and more to help you audit your network for security concerns and stop security breaches.

If you need to know more, explore our vendor highlight section just below, or skip to our detailed vendor reviews. 

Βest network security auditing tools highlights

Key points to consider before purchasing a network security auditing tool

• Visibility: Good tools uncover misconfigurations, weak encryption, and policy gaps, with both dashboards and detailed data when needed.
• Accuracy: Too many false alerts make a tool useless. Choose ones known for reliable detection and tuning options.
• Integration: A tool must fit your setup. It should work with SIEMs, firewalls, cloud, and endpoints without adding blind spots.
• Compliance: If you need reports for ISO, PCI, HIPAA, or NIST, the tool should generate them without extra work.
• Scalability: Networks grow. Tools must handle hundreds or thousands of devices without slowing down.
• Ease of use: Some tools are powerful but complex, others are simple but limited. Pick what matches your team’s skills.
• Cost: Open-source solutions can cover most needs if you have the necessary expertise. Paid tools add value through support, automation, and compliance features.

To dive deeper into how we incorporate these into our research and review methodology, skip to our detailed methodology section.

The Best Network Security Auditing Tools

1. N‑able N‑sight (FREE TRIAL)

Best For: MSPs and security teams that need automated vulnerability and risk assessment

Price: Exact costs are available upon contacting N-able

N‑able N‑sight is a cloud‑based RMM platform. IT teams and MSPs use it to monitor, secure, and manage IT environments from a single web‑based console. Although N‑sight’s primary focus is remote monitoring and management, it can perform aspects of network security auditing.

N‑sight can scan for vulnerabilities and assess risks. It also generates reports that show risks and detect sensitive data or unsafe permissions. N‑able N‑sight provides cyber resilience as part of the N‑able Ecoverse platform. These features enable ongoing vulnerability assessment and visibility into security posture across managed endpoints, which supports network security auditing efforts.

N‑able N‑sight Key Features:

• Vulnerability Scanning and Risk Assessment: Continuously discover and prioritize security vulnerabilities across devices and operating systems, with smart risk scoring to focus on critical issues first.
• Patch Management: Automates patching across Windows, macOS, Linux, and third-party applications to reduce exposure windows.
• Real-time Monitoring & Layered Security: Detect suspicious behavior with built-in malware protection, endpoint detection and response (EDR), web protection, and layered defenses.
• Automation & Scripting: Use pre-built automation scripts or custom workflows to streamline routine tasks and responses.
• Asset Discovery & Inventory: Automatically discover network devices and maintain an up-to-date inventory for auditing and compliance.
• Integrated Reporting: Reports on vulnerabilities, patches, and policy compliance to support audits and security reviews.

Unique Buying Proposition

The unique buying proposition of N‑able N‑sight, a network security auditing tool, is its simplicity and flexibility, which set it apart from traditional security solutions. N‑sight consolidates endpoint management, security monitoring, and auditing into a single, intuitive platform. Its automation capabilities, from no-code to full-code workflows, allow organizations to streamline audits, enforce policies consistently, and manage risk proactively.

Feature-In-Focus: Vulnerability Scanning and Risk Assessment

The main feature of N‑able N‑sight for network security auditing is its built-in vulnerability scanning and risk assessment. This feature helps IT teams find, prioritize, and fix security weaknesses across devices and networks. These features are highlighted in its RMM functionality.

Why do we recommend N‑able N‑sight?

We recommend N‑able N‑sight because of its multiple critical functions and easy-to-use platform. It provides real-time vulnerability scanning, risk assessment, and endpoint monitoring, which gives security teams a complete view of their environment.

Beyond identifying vulnerabilities, it automates remediation workflows, continuously monitors network and endpoint activity, and generates actionable insights that help you respond faster to threats.

Who is N‑able N‑sight recommended for?

We recommend N‑able N‑sight for mid-market IT and security teams, including MSPs and internal IT departments that need automated vulnerability scanning, risk assessment, and continuous monitoring across endpoints and networks.

N-sight is delivered as a cloud-based RMM solution accessible through a web-based console. Licensing uses a subscription model with pay-per-device pricing. N-able N-sight offers a free trial to enable you to evaluate it before buying. N-able does not list full official pricing on its website. Exact costs are available upon contacting N-able or a partner for a tailored quote.

2. ManageEngine Vulnerability Manager Plus (FREE TRIAL)

Best For: Security teams and SOCs that need to maintain a strong security posture across distributed environments

Price: Starts at approximately $695 per year

ManageEngine Vulnerability Manager Plus is a vulnerability management solution that continuously scans your IT environment, including endpoints, servers, applications, and network devices for known vulnerabilities and security misconfigurations. It comes with built-in patch management, so once a vulnerability is identified, you can deploy patches automatically or on a schedule.

ManageEngine Vulnerability Manager Plus is a powerful tool for network security auditing, as it continuously monitors your network and highlights the most critical security issues. It automatically finds all your systems and devices and checks for vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, risky software, open ports, and weak settings.

It also compares your setup against over 75 CIS compliance benchmarks, showing where it’s out of line and providing clear, actionable steps to fix it. The platform is suitable for hybrid environments that support multiple operating systems and third‑party applications.

ManageEngine Vulnerability Manager Plus Key Features:

• Vulnerability Assessment: Continuously identifies and prioritizes vulnerabilities based on exploitability, severity, age, affected assets, and availability of fixes.
• Compliance Management: Supports audits and compliance by assessing systems against 75+ CIS benchmarks, identifying violations, and providing remediation guidance.
• Integrated Patch Management: Automates patch deployment across Windows, macOS, Linux, and over 500 third-party applications from the same platform, with testing and scheduling capabilities.
• Security Configuration Management: Enforces secure configurations, including strong passwords, least-privilege access, and memory protection, in line with CIS and STIG standards.
• Web Server Hardening: Detects vulnerabilities in internet-facing web servers and provides insight into their causes, impact, and remediation steps.
• High-Risk Software Auditing: Identifies and removes unauthorized, end-of-life, or high-risk software such as peer-to-peer and remote access tools.
• Zero-Day Vulnerability Mitigation: Allows deployment of pre-built scripts to mitigate zero-day threats when patches are not yet available.
• Network Device Vulnerability Management: Discovers network devices, scans for firmware vulnerabilities, and supports efficient patching to reduce hidden network risks.

Unique Buying Proposition

The unique buying proposition of ManageEngine Vulnerability Manager Plus is its ability to deliver continuous vulnerability auditing, CIS compliance validation, and direct remediation.

Many tools offer vulnerability scanning, compliance checks, and even some remediation. What makes ManageEngine Vulnerability Manager Plus distinctive is how tightly and natively these capabilities are wired together and operationalized for audits, especially in mid-market environments. It empowers auditors to go beyond findings. They can verify, remediate, and revalidate issues from the same console.

Feature-In-Focus: Risk-based Vulnerability Remediation

ManageEngine Vulnerability Manager Plus identifies vulnerabilities and assesses their real-world risk based on exploitability and impact. It then enables immediate remediation through integrated patching, configuration hardening, and mitigation workflows.

Why do we recommend ManageEngine Vulnerability Manager Plus?

We recommend ManageEngine Vulnerability Manager Plus as a network security auditing tool, not because it replicates every function of a traditional audit scanner, but because it solves core audit needs in a way that many traditional tools do not when you’re managing real environments.

Traditional security audit tools such as Nessus, OpenVAS, and Qualys excel at point-in-time scanning and vulnerability enumeration. They identify weaknesses, but they often stop at detection.

In real operational and compliance contexts, auditors and IT teams need to continuously monitor the environment, prioritize risks meaningfully based on real threat and exploitability data, link findings to compliance baselines, and ensure that fixes are applied and verified. ManageEngine Vulnerability Manager Plus addresses these needs in a single platform.

Who is ManageEngine Vulnerability Manager Plus recommended for?

We recommend ManageEngine Vulnerability Manager Plus for medium to large enterprises, IT security teams, and SOCs that need to maintain a strong security posture across complex, distributed environments.

Its capabilities are valuable for hybrid or multi-cloud environments where endpoint diversity and third-party software introduce operational blind spots.

ManageEngine Vulnerability Manager Plus is traditionally offered as an on-premises deployment. It offers flexible licensing and trial options to help you evaluate and adopt it for cybersecurity risk management.

Licensing is generally structured as an annual subscription. There are options for perpetual licensing with annual maintenance if required. Pricing and licensing are based on the number of workstations, servers, or technician licenses you need. A Free edition is available at no cost and is usable indefinitely for small environments.

Paid plans start at approximately $695 per year for the Professional edition and around $1,195 per year for the Enterprise edition. For larger deployments, custom quotes are available.

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Related post: Network Configuration Management Software

3. Atera (FREE TRIAL)

Best For: SMBs and MSPs that need efficient security monitoring and auditing capabilities.

Price: Professional edition starts at $149/month

Atera is a cloud‑based RMM platform used by IT teams and MSPs to monitor, manage, and secure endpoints, networks, and devices. It provides real‑time performance and health monitoring, automated patch management, network device tracking, asset inventory, remote access, and alerting through a unified dashboard.

Atera supports auditing through network discovery, vulnerability detection, and inventory insights. Its Network Discovery feature automatically scans and catalogs devices on the network, identifies open ports and potential Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs), and alerts administrators when new or unmonitored devices appear.

Based on our own testing and experience, Atera works best for lean or fast-growing IT teams and security departments that value efficiency and simplicity in auditing over deep customization. If you are running a small to mid-sized organization and need a modern, AI-enhanced tool that quickly provides network visibility, device inventory, vulnerability alerts, and audit-ready reporting, Atera is a strong choice for supporting streamlined, ongoing network security audits.

Atera Key Features:

• Network Discovery & Asset Inventory: Atera automatically discovers devices on the network, tracks hardware and software inventory, and identifies endpoints to include in audits.
• Device and Port Visibility: It identifies open ports, active network services, and connected devices, and gives auditors basic insight into network exposure.
• Patch Management: Automated patch checks and deployments help keep systems up to date and reduce audit findings related to missing security updates.
• Monitoring and Alerting: Real‑time alerts for system issues, configuration changes, or unplanned device behavior provide auditors with audit trails and event context.
• Reporting & Documentation: Built‑in dashboards and reports help generate summaries of asset status, vulnerabilities, and remediation actions useful for audit reporting.

Unique Buying Proposition

Based on hands-on testing, product documentation, and verified user experience reports, Atera’s unique selling point as a network security auditing tool is that it brings together network visibility, asset tracking, vulnerability checks, patch management, and audit reporting in a single, easy-to-use cloud platform. SMBs and MSPs can easily set up audits, maintain continuous oversight, and manage fixes efficiently without needing multiple tools.

Feature-In-Focus: Network Visibility, Asset Monitoring, Automated Patch, and Vulnerability Tracking

This feature allows auditors to discover all devices on a network, track their configuration and software status, detect missing patches or exposed vulnerabilities, and generate audit-ready reports. In other words, it provides continuous oversight of the network’s security posture.

Why do we recommend Atera?

We recommend Atera as a network security auditing tool because it makes the auditing process practical and manageable for SMBs and MSPs. Beyond its all-in-one platform, it provides real-time alerts, continuous device discovery, and automatic patch and vulnerability checks, which help you stay on top of changes across your network. Its reporting and logging capabilities give you clear, actionable insights that simplify audit documentation and compliance tracking.

Who is Atera recommended for?

We recommend Atera for SMBs and MSPs that need efficient, easy‑to‑deploy security monitoring and auditing capabilities.

It is also well-suited for organizations that require continuous device discovery, patch and vulnerability tracking, basic risk visibility, and centralized reporting.

Atera is a cloud‑based RMM platform delivered exclusively as software‑as‑a‑service via a web console. It does not offer an on‑premises install option. It uses a subscription licensing model charged per technician. Atera offers four pricing tiers designed to match your team’s size and needs. You can begin with a free trial and test its capabilities against your existing workflow.

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4. ManageEngine Log360 (FREE TRIAL)

Best For: Mid-market to large enterprises that need continuous monitoring, compliance reporting, and audit-ready evidence

Price: Starts at $120 per year

ManageEngine Log360 is a unified SIEM platform that centralizes log collection, analysis, threat detection, and automated response to help organizations understand and reduce their cybersecurity risk.

Log360 aggregates and correlates logs from network devices, servers, endpoints, firewalls, VPNs, and Active Directory, then applies real-time correlation rules and UEBA to detect suspicious behavior, policy violations, and misuse of privileges. The platform also maintains tamper-resistant log retention, supports forensic investigations, and generates audit-ready compliance reports that demonstrate continuous monitoring.

The software is available both as a traditional on‑premises SIEM solution that you install and run within your own infrastructure and as a cloud‑based SIEM offering called Log360 Cloud.

ManageEngine Log360 Key Features:

• Threat Detection & Intelligence: Detects malicious activity using real-time event correlation, ML-based UEBA, MITRE ATT&CK mapping, and continuously updated threat intelligence feeds (STIX/TAXII).
• Threat Hunting & Advanced Analytics: Enables proactive threat hunting to uncover hidden attacks that bypass initial defenses, supported by advanced analytics and contextual investigation tools.
• Internal & External Threat Mitigation: Detects and blocks malicious traffic from blacklisted IPs, domains, and URLs, with recommended remediation actions and automated workflows.
• Vigil IQ (TDIR Engine): Provides unified threat detection, investigation, and response using real-time correlation, UEBA, MITRE ATT&CK alignment, security analytics, and SOAR.
• Cloud Security & CASB: Monitors cloud accounts, detects shadow IT, regulates cloud app usage, and protects cloud-based data from unauthorized access.
• SOAR & Incident Management: Automates incident response with predefined workflows, orchestration, ticketing integrations, and centralized incident handling to reduce MTTD and MTTR.
• UEBA & Insider Threat Detection: Uses machine learning, behavior analytics, entity risk scoring, and anomaly detection to identify insider threats and account compromise.

Unique Buying Proposition

The unique buying proposition of ManageEngine Log360 as a network security auditing tool is its ability to provide clear, forensic-level evidence of what actually happened on the network. It shows who did what, when, from where, and whether those actions violated security or compliance policies.

The platform brings together real-time analytics, UEBA, SOAR, and AI-driven insights in one place. This helps security teams better understand risk, respond faster, and scale security operations without relying on multiple disconnected tools. We know this based on its documented capabilities and how the platform is positioned and used in practice.

Feature-In-Focus: Log Collection and Analysis with Real-time Correlation

Log360’s centralized log collection and analysis, with its real-time correlation feature, gathers log data from across your IT environment into a single, unified console. Once collected, the logs are analyzed in real time, and correlation rules are applied to link related events, detect anomalies, and flag potential security incidents.

These capabilities allow auditors to verify compliance, investigate incidents, and maintain an auditable trail of all critical events. It is valuable for audits that require evidence of actual activity rather than just configuration or vulnerability status.

Why do we recommend ManageEngine Log360?

We recommend ManageEngine Log360 as a network security auditing tool because it addresses a critical gap in traditional audit workflows. The critical gap it addresses in traditional audit workflows is the ability to verify and document what actually happens on the network in real time.

Log360 fills this gap by centralizing log collection from endpoints, servers, network devices, and cloud services, and by enabling real-time correlation and behavior analytics. Auditors can reconstruct user activity, track privilege changes, detect unauthorized access, and continuously monitor policy violations.

Who is ManageEngine Log360 recommended for?

Log360 is aimed at mid-market to large enterprises that need continuous monitoring, compliance reporting, and audit-ready evidence across IT environments. Security teams, internal auditors, and IT operations departments benefit from its ability to track user activity, detect policy violations, and maintain tamper-proof logs.

ManageEngine Log360 offers flexible deployment and licensing options. Cloud plans start with a free tier that provides 50 GB of search storage and 150 GB of archival storage. A full 30‑day free trial of the broader Log360 SIEM solution is also available, so that you can test its features before committing to a subscription.

Paid cloud subscriptions are billed annually and include tiers such as the Basic plan at $120 per year, the Standard plan at $540 per year, and the Professional plan at $840 per year, each with the same base storage but increasing retention, alert profiles, and correlation rules included.

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5. Site24x7 Network Configuration Manager (FREE TRIAL)

Best For: Organizations that manage multiple network devices

Price: Starts at $9/month for all-in-one monitoring

Site24x7 Network Configuration Manager (NCM) is a cloud-based network management component within the Site24x7 monitoring platform. It focuses on tracking, backing up, and managing configuration changes across network devices.

Site24x7 acts as a trusted system of record for how network devices are configured and how those configurations change over time. It continuously captures and stores configuration versions for network devices. Auditors can review both current and past settings as concrete evidence during audits.

Every configuration change made to a device is continuously tracked and stored by NCM. This satisfies audit requirements for traceability and historical evidence of configuration management. These features provide an audit-ready source of configuration history, policy compliance evidence, and device and rule-level reporting that auditors can rely on for both internal and external audits.

However, Site24x7 NCM may not scan for vulnerabilities, detect exploitable software flaws, assess missing patches, or analyze user/network behavior. It mostly tracks configurations and compliance. Therefore, you may need to pair with other security audit tools to get a more complete audit picture.

Site24x7 Network Configuration Manager Key Features:

• Continuous Configuration Backup: Automatically saves full configurations of routers, switches, firewalls, and other network devices to maintain historical records.
• Real-Time Change Tracking and Alerts: Monitors device configurations continuously and alerts on unauthorized or risky changes.
• Baseline and Compliance Validation: Compares device settings against approved baselines or standards to identify configuration drift.
• Change Accountability and Traceability: Logs who made changes and when, providing clear audit trails for compliance and forensic review.
• Audit-Ready Reporting: Generates reports summarizing configuration history, policy deviations, and compliance status to support structured audits.
• Device Discovery and Inventory: Identifies all devices on the network to ensure no unmanaged or hidden devices are missed during audits.

Unique Buying Proposition

The unique buying proposition of Site24x7 NCM, as a network security auditing tool, is its ability to provide continuous, real-time monitoring and historical visibility into network device configurations. As an auditor, NCM shows you a reliable, traceable record of what was actually configured, changed, and maintained across the network.

Feature-In-Focus: Continuous Configuration Tracking and Compliance Monitoring

Site24x7 NCM continuous configuration tracking and compliance monitoring is the process of automatically capturing the full configuration of network devices (routers, switches, firewalls, etc.), recording every change over time, and checking those configurations against predefined policies or compliance standards.

In network security auditing, this feature helps auditors verify device settings, identify risky changes, document updates, and generate reports to make audits easier and more reliable.

Why do we recommend Site24x7 Network Configuration Manager?

We recommend Site24x7 NCM as a network security auditing tool because it simplifies the ongoing management of network device configurations. It continuously tracks changes, preserving historical configurations and generating audit-ready reports.

Even without performing vulnerability scans, NCM ensures that auditors have clear, actionable evidence of compliance and configuration integrity, which is essential for both internal reviews and external regulatory audits.

Who is Site24x7 Network Configuration Manager recommended for?

The target market for Site24x7 NCM, as a network security audit tool, is organizations that manage multiple network devices. It is also suited for organizations that need continuous configuration tracking, compliance monitoring, and audit-ready reporting across compliance-driven environments.

8. Wireshark

Best For: Enterprise networks where detailed traffic analysis and auditing are needed

Price: Free and open-source

Wireshark is a free and open-source packet analyzer. It is, in fact, the industry’s go-to packet analyzer, and for good reason. It captures raw network traffic and enables you to drill into the exact packets moving across your network.

You can use Wireshark to confirm if sensitive data is transmitted in clear text, evaluate encryption strength, and detect traffic patterns that fall outside defined security policies. It also proves highly effective at uncovering misconfigurations that might otherwise go unnoticed. In production environments, auditors often pair it with other scanning tools: scanners tell you what’s there, but Wireshark shows you how it behaves. That combination is valuable when you need to validate audit findings with detailed packet-level data.

Wireshark is a cross-platform application. It is available on Linux, macOS, BSD, Solaris, other Unix-like systems, and Windows. It also offers a non-GUI version called TShark for command-line use.

In a nutshell, Wireshark is a mature, well-supported, and freely available tool that delivers exceptional value in network security auditing. In comparison to Nmap, Wireshark is designed for forensic-level validation and traffic analysis. However, it is most effective when used to complement broader auditing and monitoring solutions within the security stack.

Wireshark Key Features:

• Packet Capture and Analysis: Records live or stored network traffic for deep inspection.
• Protocol Dissectors: Supports thousands of protocols, decoding them into human-readable fields.
• Display Filters: Allows precise querying of packets to focus on specific hosts, services, or anomalies.
• Decryption Support: It can analyze encrypted protocols such as SSL/TL, and WPA/WPA2 with the right keys.
• Cross-platform Availability: It runs on Windows, Linux, macOS, BSD, Solaris, and others.
• Command-line interface (TShark): Enables automation and integration into scripts or pipelines.
• Extensibility: Custom dissectors and plugins extend its functionality for specialized use cases.

Unique Buying Proposition

Wireshark’s unique selling point as a security auditing tool is its deep packet inspection capability. You can analyze protocols at every layer, trace sessions end-to-end, and identify issues such as unencrypted credentials, weak handshakes, policy violations, or suspicious traffic patterns with forensic-level detail.

That packet-level visibility is what makes it unique. This level of granularity is critical for verifying controls, investigating anomalies, and producing evidence-based audit reports that stand up to scrutiny.

Feature-In-Focus: Deep Packet Inspection and Protocol Analysis

Wireshark captures and decodes network traffic at the packet level. Auditors use that info to see exactly how data moves across the network, which protocols are used, and whether communications follow security and policy requirements.

Why do we recommend Wireshark?

We recommend Wireshark as a top auditing tool because it goes beyond packet capture. It is the industry standard for verifying actual network behavior during assessments.

Another reason we recommend it is because of its accessibility. It is open source, runs on almost every major operating system, and has an enormous knowledge base built up over decades. Engineers and auditors can lean on that community support, detailed documentation, and a wealth of prebuilt filters and dissectors to accelerate their work.

Who is Wireshark recommended for?

Wireshark is best suited for environments where detailed traffic analysis is needed. Examples include enterprise networks, security operations centers (SOCs), and audit teams that need forensic-level visibility.

Smaller teams can benefit too, but the real value comes when organizations have skilled staff capable of interpreting packet data.

Wireshark is a free and open-source software that you can download and use. The version available from the official site is the full release with no feature limits or trial restrictions. It is released under the GNU General Public License version 2.

Wireshark can be run on your own machines across platforms such as Windows, macOS, Linux, and other Unix-like systems. Support is provided via community resources, mailing lists, documentation, and forums. However, some training and certification (separate from the software) may be available for a fee.

9. OpenVAS

Best For: Businesses that need structured vulnerability and compliance-focused auditing

Price: Free and open-source

OpenVAS (Open Vulnerability Assessment System) is an open-source vulnerability scanner used to identify security issues in networks, servers, and applications. OpenVAS is part of the Greenbone Vulnerability Management (GVM) framework. It runs authenticated or unauthenticated scans to find misconfigurations, missing patches, and known vulnerabilities.

OpenVAS can be used for network security auditing, but in a manner different from tools like Nmap or Wireshark. It audits a network by running structured vulnerability tests against devices and services. It checks for unpatched software, weak configurations, outdated protocols, and known CVEs.

You can use OpenVAS to generate reports that highlight where the network fails to meet policy or compliance requirements. It is highly effective at answering the question: “Are our systems exposed to known risks, and where are the weak spots?”

Based on our research and assessment, OpenVAS makes the most sense for organizations that need structured vulnerability and compliance auditing. If you need repeatable, report-ready results tied to known vulnerabilities and standards, OpenVAS has a clear advantage.

The trade-offs are that it is slower and more resource-intensive than tools like Nmap, and it takes some expertise to configure and interpret correctly. It also won’t give the same packet-level detail you’d get from Wireshark.

OpenVAS Key Features:

• Comprehensive vulnerability scanning: Uses a vast library of Network Vulnerability Tests (NVTs) to detect misconfigurations, weak services, and known vulnerabilities.
• Regularly updated feeds: Greenbone community and commercial feeds provide continuous updates to keep detection current with emerging threats.
• Compliance auditing: Built-in checks for common standards like PCI-DSS, HIPAA, ISO 27001, and more.
• Flexible scan configuration: Supports targeted scans (single host) or broad network sweeps with fine-grained tuning.
• Detailed reporting: Generates reports in multiple formats (HTML, PDF, XML, TXT) tailored for both engineers and compliance teams.
• Open-source foundation: Fully free under GPL/NPSL with community-driven contributions, and commercial options for extended support.
• Centralized management: Can be integrated with Greenbone Security Assistant for managing multiple scans and results via a web interface.

Unique Buying Proposition

OpenVAS’s unique selling point is its comprehensive vulnerability testing framework. OpenVAS audits networks by running thousands of prebuilt, regularly updated vulnerability tests against hosts and services.

The Greenbone community and commercial feeds provide continuously updated test scripts. This automated, standardized knowledge base is what makes OpenVAS distinct as a network security auditing tool.

Feature-In-Focus: Automated Vulnerability Scanning

OpenVAS actively scans systems, networks, and applications to identify known security weaknesses, misconfigurations, and missing patches. Auditors can quickly and accurately detect potential entry points for attackers, prioritize risks, and generate actionable reports that support remediation and compliance efforts.

Why do we recommend OpenVAS?

We recommend OpenVAS because it does something the other tools don’t: it gives structure to your audits. Tools like Nmap and Wireshark are excellent for discovery and packet analysis, but they don’t tell you how risky those findings are or how they map to real vulnerabilities.

OpenVAS ranks exposures, links them to CVEs, and generates reports you can share with management or auditors. It’s open-source but still powerful enough for enterprise use. Sure, it takes some tuning to get the most out of it, but the trade-off is flexibility and transparency.

Who is OpenVAS recommended for?

OpenVAS is best suited for organizations that need structured vulnerability and compliance-focused auditing rather than just raw discovery or packet analysis.

It is not always the right fit for small organizations or environments with very limited security expertise. It uses more resources and time than tools like Nmap, and it needs setup, tuning, and ongoing maintenance to keep results accurate and useful.

But if your environment involves compliance requirements, a large attack surface, or the need to prioritize remediation based on real vulnerabilities, then OpenVAS is one of the best open-source choices you’ll find.

OpenVAS is offered in a free, open‑source Community edition that you can download and run on your own on‑premises systems (Windows/Linux/macOS via appliance) at no cost.

Greenbone also provides paid annual subscriptions for OPENVAS BASIC and OPENVAS SCAN. OPENVAS BASIC is priced at approximately €2,524 per year, and includes a 14-day free trial. Pricing for OPENVAS SCAN is provided via a custom quote on request.

10. Tenable Nessus

Best For: Mid-sized to large enterprises, managed service providers, and regulated industries

Price: Starts at $393.27/Month for Tenable Nessus Professional

Tenable Nessus is a commercial vulnerability scanner developed by Tenable. It’s one of the most widely used tools for identifying security weaknesses, misconfigurations, missing patches, and compliance gaps across networks, servers, and applications. Originally released as an open-source project in 1998, Nessus transitioned to a closed-source, commercial product in 2005. It was Named a Leader in the 2025 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Exposure Assessment Platforms.

Nessus can perform Network Security Auditing, and it does so in a structured, vulnerability-focused way. It discovers live hosts and open ports, probes the services behind them, and uses a constantly updated plugin library to detect vulnerabilities, missing patches, weak configurations, and outdated software. Findings are ranked by severity with clear remediation guidance.

No doubt, Nessus is one of the most mature and widely trusted vulnerability scanners in the industry, and for good reason. It brings structure and consistency to network security auditing in a way that open-source tools often can’t match. From my experience using this tool, running large or frequent scans without tuning can put unnecessary strain on your network.

Tenable Nessus Key Features:

• Host and port discovery: Identifies live hosts and services, probing deeper than simple scans.
• Vulnerability scanning: Uses an extensive plugin library (updated daily by Tenable) to detect CVEs, misconfigurations, weak passwords, and missing patches.
• Credentialed and non-credentialed scans: Provides flexibility between deep, authenticated checks or lighter, external-style scans.
• Compliance auditing: Benchmarks systems against standards like PCI DSS, HIPAA, CIS, ISO, and more.
• Reporting and prioritization: Generates reports ranked by severity with remediation guidance.
• Automation and scheduling: Allows recurring scans for continuous auditing.
• Broad platform support: Scans across diverse OSes, applications, databases, and network devices.
• Integration support: Connects with SIEMs, ticketing systems, and enterprise workflows.

Unique Buying Proposition

What sets Nessus apart from other auditing tools is the scale and maturity of its vulnerability knowledge base. Tenable has built and maintained one of the largest, continuously updated libraries of security checks in the industry. We’re talking over a hundred thousand plugins, updated daily, that cover everything from fresh CVEs to obscure misconfigurations that most scanners wouldn’t even look for.

Another thing I’ve seen in practice is how polished the reporting and remediation workflows are. Although other scanners like OpenVAS, Qualys, and Rapid7 also provide reporting and compliance templates. The difference is in execution and maturity. Nessus has been around since 1998 and has had years of refinement, so its workflows tend to be more polished and practical out of the box.

Reports are formatted in a way that both technical teams and auditors can use directly, without extra cleanup. Compliance templates in Nessus are also broader and more frequently updated compared to what you’d typically get with open-source tools.

Feature-In-Focus: Vulnerability Scanning and Risk Assessment

Nessus scans systems, networks, and applications to identify vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and missing patches. It provides auditors with detailed risk ratings and remediation guidance to enable them prioritize threats.

Why do we recommend Tenable Nessus?

We recommend Nessus because it fills a gap that other tools simply don’t address well: structured, vulnerability-centric auditing at scale. Nmap is excellent for discovery and initial reconnaissance. Wireshark gives you packet-level truth. OpenVAS offers depth with community-driven feeds. But Nessus ties those pieces into a workflow that organizations can actually operationalize. That’s the big difference.

Who is Tenable Nessus recommended for?

We recommend Nessus for organizations that need a reliable and repeatable approach to managing vulnerabilities at scale.

It is most suitable for mid-sized to large enterprises, managed service providers, and regulated industries where reporting, accountability, and fast turnaround on vulnerabilities are critical. Smaller organizations can certainly benefit, but they may find it overkill unless they’re dealing with compliance frameworks.

Tenable Nessus offers professional and expert tools for identifying and fixing security gaps. Nessus Professional provides real-time updates, unlimited scanning, and pre-built configuration and compliance policies. It also offers vulnerability scoring, configurable reports, and flexible deployment for $393.27 per month.

Nessus Expert adds advanced features such as web application scanning and external attack surface discovery for $572.44 per month. Multi-year licenses are available for savings, and both editions support annual renewal. A free trial available for both editions.

11. NSAuditor

Best For: Small to mid-sized IT teams or organizations without dedicated security teams.

Price: $69

NSAuditor is a commercial network security auditing and monitoring tool developed by Nsasoft. It runs on Windows OS, though it can audit Linux/Unix machines remotely. It can discover and map devices and open ports on a network, check for common misconfigurations and vulnerabilities, test for weak passwords, and monitor traffic or bandwidth usage. It also generates management-ready reports for auditing and compliance.

NSAuditor is a Windows-based application that runs on modern Windows versions, including Windows 7, 8, 10, 11, and Windows Server editions. It’s installed locally on a workstation or server, and from there, it can scan and audit both local and remote networks.

NSAuditor is not in the same league as Nmap, Wireshark, Nessus, or OpenVAS when it comes to raw depth, flexibility, or community validation. Its strength is convenience. It packages network scanning, monitoring, and auditing into one GUI-driven solution. The software is great for quick outcomes, easy reporting, and centralized visibility. However, if you are an enterprise with compliance deadlines and high risk exposure, you’ll want a more advanced solution in your stack.

NSAuditor Key Features:

• Network discovery & inventory: Maps hosts, devices, and open ports across local and remote networks.
• Vulnerability checks: Scans for common misconfigurations, missing patches, and known weaknesses.
• Password auditing: Tests weak credentials across network services and can recover passwords.
• Traffic monitoring: Provides packet-level visibility and bandwidth usage analysis.
• Reporting & compliance: Generates management-ready reports for audits and internal review.
• Windows-based deployment: GUI-driven interface for easy setup and operation on Windows systems.

Unique Buying Proposition

NSAuditor is not in the same league as Nmap, Wireshark, Nessus, or OpenVAS when it comes to raw depth, flexibility, or community validation. Its biggest strength is convenience, not maximum coverage. It bundles network discovery, vulnerability checks, password auditing, traffic monitoring, and reporting into a single interface.

Feature-In-Focus: Credential-based Network Auditing and User Activity Monitoring

NSAuditor’s credential-based network auditing and user activity monitoring examines user accounts, shared resources, and authentication mechanisms across a network to determine who can access what and how securely that access is configured. Security auditors need this feature to identify insecure account practices, excessive privileges, and policy violations that increase the risk of compromise.

Why do we recommend NSAuditor?

We recommend NSAuditor not because it’s the most sophisticated tool out there, but because it bridges the gap between IT administration and security auditing in a way few other tools do.

Who is NSAuditor recommended for?

NSAuditor works best for teams that value ease of use, quick deployment, and integrated reporting over the deep, highly configurable scanning of enterprise-grade tools like Nessus or OpenVAS.

Nsauditor Network Security Auditor is sold as a Windows-based on-premises network security auditing tool. Pricing is based on the number of licensed users or machines, and starts at $69 for a single-user license. Higher-tier multi-user licenses are available for larger deployments.

A 15-day free trial is offered so you can evaluate the full software before purchasing. Licenses are one-time purchases with free lifetime upgrades and 24/7 email support.

12. ManageEngine NCM

Best For: Organizations with large or complex network infrastructures where compliance is non-negotiable

Price: starts at US$238

ManageEngine NCM ManageEngine Network Configuration Manager (NCM) is a network configuration and change management tool. It is designed to help IT teams automate, control, and audit the configuration of routers, switches, firewalls, and other network devices. NCM is mainly used by network administrators and IT operations teams to strengthen security, maintain compliance, and reduce downtime caused by misconfigurations.

A complete network security audit has to confirm that configurations are secure and compliant. That’s where ManageEngine NCM comes in. Most breaches start with a misconfigured firewall, weak SNMP string, or outdated router ACL. NCM’s strength is the ability to audit device configs against policy and compliance standards and maintain an immutable log of every change. That is critical evidence in any audit.

However, NCM does not replace tools that perform vulnerability detection, packet analysis, or penetration-style audits. Its main job is to ensure the devices that run the network itself (switches, routers, firewalls) are secure, compliant, and properly documented.

ManageEngine NCM Key Features:

• Automated Configuration Auditing: Continuously checks device configurations against internal policies and external compliance standards (PCI DSS, HIPAA, SOX, ISO).
• Real-Time Change Tracking: Monitors every configuration change, logs who made it, when, and what was changed.
• Compliance Reporting: Generates detailed, audit-ready compliance reports with pass/fail checks and evidence trails.
• Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): Restricts who can view, modify, or push configurations, supporting least-privilege access models.
• Version Control & Rollback: Maintains an archive of past configurations and allows instant rollback to a known-good state.

Unique Buying Proposition

The unique value of NCM is configuration auditing and control at scale. NCM’s ability to automatically back up configs, detect unauthorized changes, and enforce baselines is something the traditional scanners just don’t do.

Although Nessus, Nmap, or OpenVAS dig into vulnerabilities, NCM covers the other half of the auditing equation. It proves that your network is configured securely and actually behaves that way in real time.

Feature-In-Focus: Configuration Compliance Auditing and Change Tracking

NCM’s configuration compliance auditing and change tracking feature evaluates network device configurations against defined security policies and compliance standards. Security auditors need this feature to spot misconfigurations and unauthorized changes and clearly demonstrate compliance during audits. It also helps them understand what went wrong after incidents and ensure approved configurations remain in place across the network.

Why do we recommend ManageEngine NCM?

We recommend ManageEngine NCM because it delivers the configuration assurance and accountability that other scanning tools simply don’t cover. It specifically addresses one of the biggest root causes of breaches: misconfigurations.

Firewalls, switches, and routers are often the first line of defense, and NCM provides a structured way to audit their configurations against policy and compliance standards. It highlights weak SNMP strings, outdated ACLs, and also keeps an immutable log of every change.

Who is ManageEngine NCM recommended for?

ManageEngine NCM is most suitable for organizations with large or complex network infrastructures, such as enterprises, service providers, or regulated industries, where compliance is non-negotiable.

If you have compliance frameworks like PCI DSS, HIPAA, SOX, or ISO to answer to, NCM saves time by automating policy checks and maintaining tamper-proof change logs. Smaller organizations with only a handful of devices may find it too resource-intensive than necessary, but for mid-to-large environments, it is a strong fit.

ManageEngine NCM is available as a standalone product or as an add-on to ManageEngine OpManager. A 20% discount is offered when purchased as an OpManager add-on. ManageEngine offers flexible device-based pricing. Pricing is based on the number of devices you actually need to manage, rather than fixed bundles. Custom pricing is also available through sales.

NCM supports both annual subscription and perpetual licensing models. The Professional Edition starts at US$238 for a 10-device pack with 2 users. The Enterprise Edition starts at US$3,358 for a 250-device pack with 2 users. Cost scales based on device count and edition.

13. Datadog

Best For: Medium to large organizations with distributed or cloud-heavy environments.

Price: Starts at about $15 per infra host per month

Datadog is a cloud-native observability platform that focuses on giving visibility into network performance, dependencies, and traffic flows across on-prem, cloud, and hybrid environments. Because it is SaaS-based, Datadog integrates well into modern DevOps pipelines and cloud-native infrastructures.

From a network security auditing perspective, its strength lies in visibility and anomaly detection rather than vulnerability enumeration. For example, it helps answer questions such as:

• Are services communicating only with approved endpoints, or is there shadow/rogue traffic?
• Are there sudden traffic spikes that could indicate data exfiltration or a DDoS attempt?
• Do internal policies about segmentation (such as development shouldn’t talk directly to production) actually hold up in practice?

An effective network security audit must validate that network traffic complies with defined policies and normal usage baselines. Datadog validates not just what is configured, but how the network is actually being used.

Datadog Key Features:

• Flow and Dependency Mapping: It visualizes communication between hosts, containers, and services.
• Policy validation: You can use it to confirm that segmentation, zero trust, and firewall rules are being enforced in real time.
• Anomaly detection: Uses baselines and analytics to highlight unusual traffic patterns or suspicious flows.
• Cloud-native visibility: Integrates with AWS, Azure, GCP, and Kubernetes to monitor ephemeral and dynamic environments.
• Real-time dashboards & reporting: Provides customizable dashboards and exportable reports to back up audit findings.
• Alerting & integrations: Connects with SIEMs, ticketing systems, and collaboration tools to operationalize findings.

Unique Buying Proposition

Datadog’s unique value is real-time visibility into network behavior in dynamic, cloud-heavy environments. Nessus or Nmap might tell you what’s exposed, but they are snapshots in time.

Datadog continuously watches flows and dependencies, so you can audit what should be allowed as well as what is actually happening across hybrid and multi-cloud networks. That’s a perspective most other “auditing” tools lack.

Feature-In-Focus: Real-time, Centralized Log Collection, Correlation, and Analytics

Datadog’s real-time, centralized log collection, correlation, and analytics refers to the platform’s ability to collect logs from multiple sources into a single, unified system. Once collected, logs are indexed, correlated, and analyzed in real time. Datadog enables auditors to reconstruct activity, identify suspicious behavior, support compliance investigations, and generate audit‑ready reports.

Why do we recommend Datadog?

We recommend Datadog because it shows you how your network is actually behaving minute to minute. Examples include who’s talking to whom, whether sensitive systems are isolated, and whether policies like segmentation are actually enforced in practice.

Datadog closes the gap between configuration intent and operational reality. Auditors and engineers can back up claims with live traffic data, not just configs or scan results.

Who is Datadog recommended for?

Datadog is most suitable for medium to large organizations with distributed or cloud-heavy environments. If you are running microservices, multi-cloud, or hybrid networks where dependencies shift daily, Datadog is a natural fit. Datadog thrives in environments where continuous, real-time validation is necessary.

Datadog uses unit-based pricing, charged per infra host, container, or service, and spans multiple modules such as infrastructure monitoring, logs, APM, and security. Because it is delivered entirely as a cloud service, there is no on-premises server to deploy.

Paid plans start at about US $15 per host per month (billed annually) for Infrastructure Pro, Enterprise plans begin around US $23 per host per month (also billed annually), and include more advanced features and support. All plans can also be billed on demand, but at higher rates. There is a free tier that you can use to monitor up to 5 hosts with 1-day metric retention. A 14-day free trial of the full platform is also available with no credit card required.

Choosing a network security audit tool

Auditing your network, managing your IT inventory, and checking for vulnerabilities is something that every company needs to do. Conducting simple tasks like maintaining an inventory of devices and regularly searching for configuration issues ensures that your network is prepared for the future. If you don’t regularly monitor your network infrastructure there’s no way you can manage new vulnerabilities effectively.

Our Methodology for choosing the Best network security auditing tools

• Real-world performance: We evaluated how each tool performs in practical network security auditing scenarios, not just in controlled demos or feature lists.
• Open-source vs. commercial balance: We compared open-source tools backed by active communities with commercial platforms that justify their cost through automation, compliance reporting, and vendor support.
• Fit for different organizations: Instead of favoring one category, we assessed how well each tool serves different environments, team sizes, and regulatory needs.
• Deployment and scalability: We examined how tools handle real deployment challenges, including network growth, scalability, and integration with existing systems such as SIEMs.
• Usability and integration: Ease of use, compatibility with current infrastructure, and operational overhead were weighed alongside technical capabilities.
• Audit-focused value: Priority was given to tools that consistently support real audit workflows and deliver long-term value rather than one-time assessments.

Broader B2B Software Selection Methodology

We evaluate B2B software using a consistent, objective framework that focuses on how well a product solves meaningful business problems at a justified cost. This includes assessing overall performance, scalability, stability, and user experience quality. We examine real-world feedback from practitioners to understand how the software behaves outside of controlled demos. We also review vendor transparency, roadmap clarity, support responsiveness, and the pace at which meaningful improvements are released. We follow this approach to ensure each of our recommendations is grounded in practical value, long-term viability, and operational impact, not in marketing claims.

Check out our detailed B2B software methodology page to learn more.

Why Trust Us?

Our work is produced by a team of IT and business software professionals with extensive hands-on experience evaluating, deploying, and managing enterprise technology. We analyze software independently, using evidence-based methods and industry best practices to ensure our assessments remain unbiased and technically sound. Our goal is to provide you with clear, reliable insights that help reduce risk, shorten evaluation cycles, and support confident decision-making when selecting complex business technology.

Network Security Auditing FAQs