Browse Definitions :
Definition

Shodan

Shodan (Sentient Hyper-Optimised Data Access Network) is a search engine designed to map and gather information about internet-connected devices and systems. Shodan is sometimes referred to as a search engine for the internet of things (IoT).  Applications of the software include market research, vulnerability analysis and penetration testing, as well as hacking.

Shodan makes it possible to detect devices that are connected to the internet at any given time, the locations of those devices and their current users. Such devices could be in almost any type of system, including business networks, surveillance cameras, industrial control systems (ICS) and smart homes. Shodan attempts to grab the system’s banner directly, gathering the data by way of the associated server’s ports. Banner grabbing is a key step for penetration testing as it helps identify vulnerable systems. Shodan also searches corresponding exploits in the search platform’s exploit section.

Shodan supports Boolean operators and provides filters to improve the efficiency of searching. The search engine provides 50 results for free and offers paid subscriptions for more extensive results.

John Matherly came up with the idea of searching Internet-connected devices in 2003 and launched Shodan in 2009. It quickly became apparent that hackers could use the tool to find vulnerable systems and that, furthermore, many systems all over the world were readily accessible and inadequately protected from hardware attacks, industrial espionage and sabotage.

Shodan is named for a character from a video game series called System Shock.

This was last updated in August 2016

Continue Reading About Shodan

Networking
  • CSU/DSU (Channel Service Unit/Data Service Unit)

    A CSU/DSU (Channel Service Unit/Data Service Unit) is a hardware device about the size of a modem. It converts a digital data ...

  • data streaming

    Data streaming is the continuous transfer of data from one or more sources at a steady, high speed for processing into specific ...

  • secure access service edge (SASE)

    Secure access service edge, also known as SASE and pronounced sassy, is a cloud architecture model that bundles network and ...

Security
  • application blacklisting (application blocklisting)

    Application blacklisting --increasingly called application blocklisting -- is a network or computer administration practice used ...

  • juice jacking

    Juice jacking is a security exploit in which an infected USB charging station is used to compromise devices that connect to it.

  • hypervisor security

    Hypervisor security is the process of ensuring the hypervisor -- the software that enables virtualization -- is secure throughout...

CIO
HRSoftware
  • recruitment process outsourcing (RPO)

    Recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) is when an employer turns the responsibility of finding potential job candidates over to a ...

  • human resources (HR) generalist

    A human resources generalist is an HR professional who handles the daily responsibilities of talent management, employee ...

  • employee lifecycle

    The employee lifecycle is a human resources model that identifies the different stages a worker advances through in an ...

Customer Experience
  • Adobe Experience Platform

    Adobe Experience Platform is a suite of customer experience management (CXM) solutions from Adobe.

  • virtual assistant (AI assistant)

    A virtual assistant, also called an AI assistant or digital assistant, is an application program that understands natural ...

  • inbound marketing

    Inbound marketing is a strategy that focuses on attracting customers, or leads, via company-created internet content, thereby ...

Close