Nmap, short for Network Mapper, is one of the most widely used open-source tools in the world of cybersecurity, network administration, and penetration testing.

Its main goal is to help discover active hosts, open ports, running services, and, in some cases, information about the remote operating system.

In a professional context, Nmap is used for audit activities, network inventory, verifying service exposure, and preliminary analysis of the attack surface.

With Nmap, it is possible to perform different types of scans: from simple detection of active hosts to identifying open ports, available services, and their versions.

It is important to remember that Nmap should only be used on your own systems, authorized networks, or lab environments. Unauthorized scanning can be considered intrusive and may cause legal or security issues.

Nmap is a powerful tool: when used correctly, it helps to better understand your network and improve security posture.