Exploring Network Reconnaissance: Using NMAP for Security Assessments

How do security professionals uncover hidden devices and services on a network? In this episode of Security Unlocked, Cisco Technical Advocates Kyle Winters and Alexander Stevenson sit down for a practical walkthrough of NMAP—the essential tool for network discovery and assessment.

Watch as we explore how NMAP helps identify hosts, detect open ports, fingerprint services, and automate scans with powerful scripting features. Whether you’re preparing for the CCNA, learning ethical hacking, or just want to level up your network security skills, this demo-packed episode is for you.

Learn how to safely use NMAP, interpret its results, and integrate it into your cybersecurity toolkit. Plus, discover key tips for reporting, avoiding false positives, and leveraging free resources from Cisco Networking Academy.

Chapters:
0:00 Why Network Reconnaissance Matters
0:36 What is Network Reconnaissance?
1:22 Why NMAP is an Essential Security Tool
3:18 Getting Started with NMAP and Documentation
5:09 Gathering IP Addresses for Scanning
6:21 Host Discovery vs. Full Port Scans
8:01 Live Demo: List Scan and Ping Sweep
9:36 Focusing Scans and Identifying Hosts
10:46 Performing a SYN Scan (-sS)
12:12 Increasing Scan Detail with Verbosity
13:12 Service Version Detection and Fingerprinting
14:22 Aggressive Scans: Combining Techniques
15:46 Scripting with NMAP: Automation and Customization
16:39 Adjusting Scan Timing and Speed
18:33 Exporting and Reporting Scan Results
19:41 Integrating NMAP Into Your Skills and CCNA Prep
21:20 Resources for Learning NMAP and Ethical Hacking

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