A vulnerability scanner is an automated tool that identifies and creates an inventory of all IT assets (including servers, desktops, laptops, virtual machines, containers, firewalls, switches, and printers) connected to a network. For each asset, it also attempts to identify operational details such as the operating system it runs and the software installed on it, along with other attributes such as open ports and user accounts. A vulnerability scanner enables organizations to monitor their networks, systems, and applications for security vulnerabilities.