Top 5 Search Engines for Internet Connected Devices and Services | WeLiveSecurity

Internet security is a constant concern for technology and information security professionals. With the ever-increasing number of devices and services online, it’s important to have a clear and accurate view of the online presence of these devices and services to protect them and your data from online threats. Some search engines for Internet-connected devices, such as Shodan, Censys, Zoomeye, Fofa and BinaryEdge, play a crucial role in this task.

They enable cybersecurity professionals and other technology professionals to have a complete and accurate view of the online presence of their devices and services. Each offers detailed information about each device and service, including IP address, operating system, software, and open ports. Additionally, they offer unique features that set them apart from other Internet search engines.

By monitoring these devices and services, cybersecurity professionals can take steps to protect them from online threats, including automatic port scanning, malware spreading, and vulnerability scanning. Additionally, these search engines can also be useful for other tech professionals who want to monitor their brands’ online presence and protect their online reputation.

In this blogpost, we’ll look at five of these tools, namely Shodan, Censys, Zoomeye, Fofa, and BinaryEdge, and discuss their unique features, their applications, and their importance to digital security.

Shodan

Shodan lets you find internet-connected devices, including web servers, IP cameras, routers, and more. Shodan is unique in that it focuses on researching these devices and provides detailed information about each device, including IP address, operating system, software, and open ports. It is an invaluable tool for information security professionals looking to identify devices and services that may be exposed to potential security vulnerabilities.

census

Censys is another search engine that focuses on finding internet-connected devices. Like Shodan, Censys provides detailed information about each device, including IP address, operating system, software, and open ports. However, unlike Shodan, Censys also focuses on device security and provides insight into known vulnerabilities and SSL certificates. This information is invaluable for monitoring and securing online devices and services.

Zoomeye

Zoomeye is another popular search platform for Internet-connected devices and services. It allows you to search and monitor online devices and services and receive real-time alerts on changes in search results. Zoomeye focuses on identifying online devices and services and provides detailed information about each device.

Fofa

Fofa provides detailed information about each device and service, while also highlighting brand information. An interesting feature is the ability to use a search syntax with different filters, which makes it possible to use your own scripts and perform more specific searches.

Binary Edge

Finally, BinaryEdge is a safe search engine that allows users to receive real-time alerts about changes in their search results. Similar to Shodan or Censys, the information BinaryEdge collects includes open ports and services with potential associated vulnerabilities, as well as data about accessible remote desktops, invalid SSL certificates, and network shares with configurations that could lead to security breaches. You can also check if any email accounts are involved in a data leak.

Bonus: GreyNoise

GreyNoise is a computer security tool that allows users to monitor and analyze unwanted Internet traffic. GreyNoise uses machine learning algorithms to identify and categorize network activity that is considered noisy or could be considered harmful. The GreyNoise platform is constantly updated to reflect the latest cybersecurity threats and trends.

Unlike the other search engines mentioned above, GreyNoise focuses on identifying and categorizing network activity that is considered noise, such as automatic port scanning, malware spreading, and vulnerability scanning. GreyNoise also offers an API that allows cybersecurity professionals to integrate the information provided by GreyNoise into their existing tools and systems.

Conclusion

These search engines offer unique and valuable features for cybersecurity and other technology professionals who want to monitor and protect their online devices and services; especially for those companies that need to scale up their threat intelligence efforts. When considering which of these scanners is right for your needs, it’s important to consider the specific features and capabilities of each and how they can be used to meet your specific needs.