Insecure.Org
Insecure.Org operates the Nmap Security Scanner project, a free open-source network discovery and security auditing tool serving network security professionals, system administrators, and penetration testers globally. Revenue is generated through OEM licensing of Nmap technology to commercial vendors and web advertising.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1997
- HeadquartersPalo Alto, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Insecure.Org does
Insecure.Org is the operating entity behind the Nmap Security Scanner, a free and open-source network discovery and security auditing tool first released in September 1997 by founder Gordon "Fyodor" Lyon. The company, formally Nmap Software LLC and based in Palo Alto, California, develops and maintains a suite of network security tools targeted at network security professionals, system administrators, and penetration testers who need to discover hosts, identify running services and operating systems, and detect vulnerabilities across their infrastructure.
The core product is the Nmap Security Scanner, written in C/C++, which performs port scanning, OS fingerprinting, service/version detection, and scriptable interaction via the Lua-based Nmap Scripting Engine (NSE), which as of Nmap 7.99 ships with 612 scripts. Supporting tools include Zenmap (cross-platform GUI), Ncat (network Swiss Army knife for TCP/UDP/SSL), Nping (packet generation and response analysis), Ndiff (scan comparison), and Npcap (Windows packet capture driver required for Nmap on Windows). Nmap 7.95 integrates over 6,036 IPv4 OS fingerprints and 12,089 service/version signatures covering 1,246 protocols — a data corpus built over 25+ years through community contributions. The project also publishes an official Nmap Network Scanning book and offers an OEM licensing program that allows proprietary software and appliance vendors to embed Nmap and Npcap technology into commercial products.
Insecure.Org generates revenue through two streams: licensing fees from commercial vendors integrating Nmap technology into proprietary products and appliances (explicitly compared to the MySQL, Trolltech Qt, and Berkeley DB licensing models), and Google AdWords advertising across the company's network of security-focused websites (Nmap.Org, SecLists.Org, SecTools.Org, Insecure.Org, SecWiki.Org). The end-user Nmap product is distributed free of charge with no commercial sales force; growth is driven by community adoption, word-of-mouth, and ongoing technical releases. The business is privately held, founder-controlled, and has operated continuously since 1997 without institutional investment.
Insecure.Org firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Insecure.Org
- Legal name
- Nmap Software LLC
- Website
- https://insecure.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1997
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Insecure.Org operates the Nmap Security Scanner project, a free open-source network discovery and security auditing tool serving network security professionals, system administrators, and penetration testers globally. Revenue is generated through OEM licensing of Nmap technology to commercial vendors and web advertising.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Insecure.Org industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Network Security Software
- NAICS
- Security Systems Services (56162), Investigation and Security Services (5616)
- SIC
- Computer Peripheral Equipment, Nec (3577)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Insider Threat Program Design & Risk Assessments (BPAKADAM)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Remote Access & Privileged Access for OT (ZTA/PAM for Vendors) (HDADAJAG)
Keywords
Where Insecure.Org is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Palo Alto
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Insecure.Org business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations
Revenue model
- Nmap Technology Licensing: Proprietary software vendors and appliance manufacturers pay licensing fees to integrate and distribute Nmap technology within their commercial products. This is the primary revenue stream, similar to how MySQL, Trolltech Qt, and Berkeley DB are licensed.
- Web Advertising: The Insecure.Org network of sites (Nmap.Org, SecLists.Org, SecTools.Org, Insecure.Org, SecWiki.Org) carries Google AdWords advertising targeted to network security professionals.
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels12 records
Insecure.Org product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Insecure.Org develops and maintains the Nmap Security Scanner, a free and open-source utility for network discovery, port scanning, operating system detection, and service/version enumeration. The project also distributes companion tools—Zenmap (GUI), Ncat, Nping, Ndiff, and Npcap—plus the Nmap Scripting Engine (NSE) for automation. Revenue is generated through an OEM licensing program that allows commercial vendors to embed Nmap technology in their products, supplemented by Google AdWords advertising on the Insecure.Org network of sites.
Product overview
Insecure.Org hosts the Nmap Project, a suite of free and open source network security tools. The core product is the Nmap Security Scanner, a network exploration and security auditing utility. Supporting tools include Zenmap (official cross-platform GUI), Ncat (network Swiss Army knife), Nping (packet generation utility), and Ndiff (scan comparison tool). Npcap provides Windows packet capture functionality. The Nmap Scripting Engine (NSE) extends Nmap with hundreds of Lua-based scripts for vulnerability detection and automation. The project also offers an official Nmap Network Scanning book and commercial OEM licensing for vendors integrating Nmap technology.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Nmap Security Scanner Free, open-source network security scanner that discovers hosts and services on a network by sending packets and analyzing responses; performs port scanning, OS detection, service/version detection, and scripting via NSE; intended for network security professionals, system administrators, and penetration testers.
- Zenmap Official cross-platform graphical user interface for Nmap that provides scan configuration, result browsing, topology visualization, scan aggregation, and comparison; built for users who prefer visual tools over command-line operation.
- Ncat Network Swiss Army knife utility inspired by netcat, supporting TCP, UDP, SSL, SOCKS4/5 proxies, chat servers, and DTLS for UDP connections; useful for reading, writing, redirecting, and encrypting data across a network.
- Nping Packet generation and response analysis utility for crafting custom network packets with customizable protocols, headers, and payloads and analyzing the responses.
- Ndiff Scan comparison tool that diffs two Nmap scan results to identify differences and track changes in network infrastructure over time.
- Npcap Windows packet capture library and driver for raw network traffic capture and injection; required for Nmap to function on Windows and distributed under a separate OEM-friendly license for commercial redistribution.
- Nmap Network Scanning (Book) Official guide to Nmap covering port scanning basics through advanced packet crafting; documents every Nmap feature with examples and real-world applications for security professionals.
- Nmap OEM Licensing Program Commercial licensing offering that allows proprietary software vendors and appliance manufacturers to integrate and distribute Nmap technology within their products under a non-copyleft license; model is comparable to MySQL, Trolltech Qt, and Berkeley DB licensing.
- Npcap OEM Edition Customized version of Npcap for Windows software distribution that allows silent installation and is designed for integration within commercial software products and security appliances.
Companies that use Insecure.Org
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Insecure.Org technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature8 records
Insecure.Org partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Google AdWordscoreAll advertising on the Insecure.Org network of sites (Nmap.Org, SecLists.Org, SecTools.Org, Insecure.Org, SecWiki.Org) is managed and displayed through Google's AdWords system. This allows advertisers to specifically target security professionals with managed placements on the sites.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Insecure.Org competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Tenable (Nessus): Tenable is the leading commercial vulnerability management platform, with Nessus being the dominant vulnerability scanner. It directly competes with Nmap in network vulnerability discovery, but offers a paid, feature-rich enterprise product with continuous scanning and compliance reporting.
- Qualys: Qualys offers a cloud-based vulnerability management, detection, and response (VMDR) platform. It is a direct commercial alternative to Nmap for enterprise customers seeking network scanning, asset discovery, and continuous security assessment.
- Rapid7 (InsightVM / Nexpose): Rapid7 provides commercial vulnerability management and security analytics. Its InsightVM (formerly Nexpose) product competes directly with Nmap in network vulnerability scanning, with added enterprise features like agent-based scanning and live dashboards.
- Greenbone OpenVAS: Greenbone OpenVAS is the leading open-source vulnerability scanner, with a community edition that competes directly with Nmap for users seeking free, full-stack vulnerability assessment. It positions similarly to Nmap in the open-source security ecosystem.
Emerging players
- Masscan: Masscan is an open-source, high-speed TCP port scanner that can scan the entire internet in minutes. It overlaps with Nmap's port scanning functionality but emphasizes speed over depth, attracting users who previously relied on Nmap for large-scale scans.
- Zmap: Zmap is an open-source, internet-scale network scanner developed at the University of Michigan. It competes with Nmap for researchers and security teams needing fast, broad network sweeps rather than deep host-level analysis.
- RustScan: RustScan is a modern, Rust-based port scanner that emphasizes speed and is designed to integrate with Nmap. It targets users who want faster initial port discovery before deeper Nmap analysis, creating both partnership and competitive dynamics.
- Angry IP Scanner: Angry IP Scanner is a lightweight, cross-platform open-source network scanner with a simple GUI. It is a niche alternative to Nmap for basic IP and port scanning, popular with system administrators for quick network discovery tasks.
Broad incumbents
- Wireshark: Wireshark is the world's leading open-source network protocol analyzer. While focused on packet capture and analysis rather than scanning, it is part of the same security professional toolkit as Nmap and serves overlapping user communities.
- Shodan: Shodan is a search engine for internet-connected devices that performs continuous, large-scale network scanning similar to Nmap. While commercial and search-based, it overlaps with Nmap in providing global network intelligence and device discovery.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Insecure.Org social profiles
Digital presenceInsecure.Org financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Insecure.Org leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Insecure.Org funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Insecure.Org M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Insecure.Org
What does Insecure.Org do?
Insecure.Org develops and maintains the Nmap Security Scanner, a free and open-source utility for network discovery, port scanning, operating system detection, and service/version enumeration. The project also distributes companion tools—Zenmap (GUI), Ncat, Nping, Ndiff, and Npcap—plus the Nmap Scripting Engine (NSE) for automation. Revenue is generated through an OEM licensing program that allows commercial vendors to embed Nmap technology in their products, supplemented by Google AdWords advertising on the Insecure.Org network of sites.
Is Insecure.Org a public or private company?
Insecure.Org is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Insecure.Org founded?
Insecure.Org was founded in 1997. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Insecure.Org based?
Insecure.Org is headquartered in Palo Alto, United States, in the North America region.
How does Insecure.Org make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Nmap Technology Licensing is the primary driver. The others are web Advertising.
Who are Insecure.Org's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Tenable (Nessus), Qualys, Rapid7 (InsightVM / Nexpose) and Greenbone OpenVAS. Emerging players are Masscan, Zmap, RustScan and Angry IP Scanner. Broad incumbents are Wireshark and Shodan.
Does Insecure.Org have an API?
No public API is recorded for Insecure.Org.
What industry is Insecure.Org in?
Insecure.Org's product category is Network Security Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAKADAM, Insider Threat Program Design & Risk Assessments, with a secondary code of HDADAJAG, Remote Access & Privileged Access for OT (ZTA/PAM for Vendors). Its NAICS code is 56162 and its SIC code is 3577.