Difference Between Online & On-Premise Web Vulnerability Scanner
One of the main differences is that On-Premise installations can cover internal networks as well but are more expensive. Whereas online or cloud-based web vulnerability scanners are only capable of reaching external services that you host but scan your web assets at a much cheaper rate.
In this article, we will cover a few advantages and drawbacks of both.
Advantages of a Cloud-based or Online Web Vulnerability Scanner:
Cloud-based web vulnerability scanners can help you quickly find any potential threats to your company. Scanning from a dedicated public IP to bypass any restrictions is also configurable.
And since all the scans are ran on the cloud, compute resources are used more effectively and the cost per scan is also much lower.
The software also comes as a ready-to-use package, meaning little to no time is spent in installation & configuration (no need to host your own internal API to integrate it into your current CI/CD flow for example).
Drawbacks of a Cloud-based or Online Web Vulnerability Scanner:
One potential disadvantage is some companies may be hesitant to use an external solution due to internal company policies that prohibit any unauthorized third-party services to hold or store sensitive data (like scanning data).
With BLACKBIRD Security Scanner, we provide you the possibility to encrypt your data using your own private key pair. BLACKBIRD Security Scanner already encrypts all your data by default at rest (AES) and in-transit (TLS).
As mentioned before, scanning of internal assets is also not as straightforward as all scans are ran on the cloud on external networks. This may reduce the coverage in your vulnerability scans.
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On-premise installations are deployed internally and can of course reach internal components and increase coverage significantly.
Furthermore, you are in full control of everything, including your data. You can decide where and how to save any output in compliance with company policies.
Drawbacks of an On-Premise Web Vulnerability Scanner:
On-Premise installations are often quite complex and can allocate some of your time before you've got everything set up.
Additionally, on-premise installations are also more expensive compared to a cloud-based or online solution.
Should I Go With an On-Premise or Online Web Vulnerability Scanner?
It totally depends on your needs.
If you have a lot of internal components and your security budget allows it, it is best to deploy an on-premise solution and scan all your internal assets.
If all your assets are on the cloud, it'd be recommended to go for an online web vulnerability scanner.
