What type of vulnerability scan is conducted from outside the network, particularly referring to the Internet?

The identification of an external scan as the type of vulnerability scan conducted from outside the network is based on its primary focus on assessing security from a remote perspective, particularly through the Internet. This scan type is designed to evaluate the organization's security posture against threats that could be introduced by malicious actors operating externally.

External scans monitor the elements accessible via the Internet, such as firewalls, web applications, and public IP addresses, to identify vulnerabilities that an attacker could exploit. This perspective is crucial for organizations to understand the weaknesses in their defenses that might be leveraged in an attempted breach.

The other types of scans have different scopes and purposes. Credentialed application vulnerability scans require access credentials and are conducted within the network to identify weaknesses that authenticated users could exploit. Infrastructure vulnerability scans typically focus on the internal network or specific systems’ configurations. Internal scans evaluate vulnerabilities from within the network, which could be different in nature compared to those identified through an external perspective.

Choosing external scans emphasizes the proactive approach organizations must take to safeguard themselves against threats coming from the wider Internet.