19.8 Timing, Output Formats and Scan Hygiene

By Ravindra Bagale Last updated: 15 October 2026

Timing templates control speed and stealth:

Template	Name	Use
`-T0` / `-T1`	paranoid / sneaky	Very slow, for IDS evasion studies
`-T2`	polite	Uses less bandwidth
`-T3`	normal	Default
`-T4`	aggressive	Fast, good for your lab and reliable networks
`-T5`	insane	May miss ports; avoid

Always save output – a scan you did not save is a scan you will have to repeat:

sudo nmap -sC -sV -oN scan.txt 192.168.56.20      # normal text, easy to read
sudo nmap -sC -sV -oX scan.xml 192.168.56.20      # XML, for tools and reports
sudo nmap -sC -sV -oG scan.gnmap 192.168.56.20    # grepable
sudo nmap -sC -sV -oA msf2_full 192.168.56.20     # all three at once (best habit)
grep "open" msf2_full.gnmap                        # quick filter
xsltproc msf2_full.xml -o msf2_full.html           # turn XML into an HTML report

A professional workflow on one target looks like this:

mkdir -p ~/lab/msf2/nmap && cd ~/lab/msf2/nmap
sudo nmap -sn 192.168.56.0/24 -oA 01_hosts          # 1. who is alive
sudo nmap -p- -T4 192.168.56.20 -oA 02_allports     # 2. every open TCP port
sudo nmap -sC -sV -p 21,22,80 192.168.56.20 -oA 03_services   # 3. details only on open ports
sudo nmap -sU --top-ports 50 192.168.56.20 -oA 04_udp          # 4. top UDP ports

Ravindra Bagale's Tip

Students scan, look at the output on screen, and close the terminal. Two days later, when writing the report, there's nothing! Always use -oA and keep a separate folder for each target. The report is an ethical hacker's real product – not the scan.

Ravindra Bagale's Tip – मराठी

Students scan करतात, screen वर output बघतात, आणि terminal बंद करतात. दोन दिवसांनी report लिहिताना काहीच नाही! नेहमी -oA वापरा आणि प्रत्येक target साठी वेगळा folder ठेवा. Report हा ethical hacker चा खरा product आहे – scan नाही.

Ravindra Bagale's Tip – हिंदी

Students scan करते हैं, screen पर output देखते हैं, और terminal बंद कर देते हैं. दो दिन बाद report लिखते समय कुछ नहीं! हमेशा -oA इस्तेमाल करो और हर target के लिए अलग folder रखो. Report ही ethical hacker का असली product है – scan नहीं.

Lab

Follow the four-step workflow above against Metasploitable 2 and keep all output files. Convert 03_services.xml to HTML with xsltproc and open it in Firefox inside Kali.

Extended teaching notes

Why this lesson matters

Use this lesson to strengthen systems you own: understand the risk, practise safely in a lab, then write and apply the fix.

Apply the fix across stacks

Same class of bug, same idea in every language.

Java / Spring Boot

Parameterise queries, encode output, CSRF tokens, limited Actuator, dependency scanning.

ASP.NET Core

EF Core / parameterised SQL, Razor encoding, HTTPS, Data Protection.

Node.js / Express

helmet, parameterised SQL, npm audit, avoid eval and shell concat.

Python / Django / Flask / FastAPI

ORM, autoescape, pip-audit, Bandit; never shell=True with user input.

PHP / Laravel

PDO/Eloquent, Blade escaping, composer audit.

Go / Ruby

database/sql placeholders / ActiveRecord; html/template / ERB escaping; govulncheck / Brakeman.

nginx / Apache / Tomcat

Hide versions, TLS, security headers, least-open ports.

MySQL / PostgreSQL / MongoDB / Redis

Private networks, auth on, least-privilege users, no 0.0.0.0/0.

AWS / Azure / GCP

Roles not long-lived keys, private data stores, cloud audit logs on.

Mini case study

Suppose we are on a purple-team exercise for an Indian mid-size company (sample data). Red notes a technique from this lesson against a lab clone. Blue must show the control that stops it, the log that would have fired, and the ticket that hardens production. That is the standard this course trains you for.

Defender's worksheet (do this today)

Write the lesson title, date and the exact lab target you are allowed to use.
List three owned systems (VMs, apps, or cloud accounts) where this lesson applies.
Run one safe check from the lesson on a lab system only. Paste the command and output.
Write a two-sentence fix you would give a teammate.
Name one related public advisory (CERT-In, CISA, NVD, or a vendor bulletin) with its date.

Indian workplace (sample data)

Suppose we are a junior analyst at Infosys, TCS, Wipro or a fintech SOC in Bengaluru/Pune. Turn this lesson into one checklist item with an owner, a due date and a place to store evidence (ticket + screenshot).

Global practice

Compare your notes with OWASP, CIS Benchmarks, NIST CSF/IR guidance or a cloud Well-Architected security question. Write five lines on what overlaps.

Everyday analogy

Explain the risk and the fix to a family member without jargon. If they can repeat the warning, you understand it well enough to teach juniors.

Key terms

Control: a safeguard (patch, config, process, detection).
Finding: a weakness backed by evidence.
Remediation: the fix plus how you verified it.
Scope: systems you have written permission to touch.
Least privilege: only the access the task needs.
Defence in depth: several layers so one failure does not end the story.

Common mistakes

Skipping written permission "just for a quick scan".
Practising on hostel, office or public targets without authorisation.
Collecting tool output without writing the fix.
Copying attack steps onto production to "verify". Defenders verify with versions, configs and patches.
Publishing screenshots that contain secrets, cookies or internal hostnames.

Recap

Evidence, fix, owner, date.
Own lab only.
Fix > spectacle.