When it comes to corporate security, your thoughts might turn to surveillance cameras, electric fencing, and security guards. But the truth is that most businesses now need virtual safety features a lot more than the real-world type. Just look at all the havoc caused by hacker groups like WikiLeaks and Anonymous, both of whom have affected major security breaches. Of course, the former relies on a network of anonymous informants who securely deliver untraceable government documents, while the latter is merely a group of anonymous hackers working together to pool their talents. But with proper protections in place, a corporation should be able to protect against both employee theft of data (corporate espionage) and outside threats. And IT specialists attempting to stay on top of such security issues need the tools that are going to allow them to track the flow of data in order to pinpoint suspicious activity, find the culprit, and hopefully subvert attacks before they are successful.

Scany is an application designed to help with the monitoring process. At $5.99 it’s not very expensive, as such programs go, and the functionality certainly makes it a priceless addition to any IT arsenal. But what exactly does it do? The primary function of the app is to allow network administrators and IT specialists managing a large system to scan their networks (including LAN, Wi-Fi, and so on) remotely in order to trace activity in house as well as visitors from outside. When Scany gets going it provides detailed listings about any and all devices connected to said networks so that the admin can see who is currently jacked in. And when it comes to outsiders, whether they are employees working from home or hackers snooping around, the app will list not only the device, but also the address, the network name, the domain, and even the vendor attached to it.

Of course, IT specialists will want to enter known users into the system to begin with as a security measure so that they can see automatically if an unapproved device is attempting to access the network. But from there all you’ll have to do is focus in on intruders in order to glean information about them. Running a system-wide scan can even uncover hidden devices that are trying to fly under the radar and enter the network without permission. And with networking utilities like ping, Geo IP, traceroute, Whois, and WOL, you should have no trouble discovering who is on the network at any given time, including those who are approved and those who aren’t.

Reporting features are also handy, allowing admins to group results, create histories, and email any data garnered from scans. And of course, it can work for the average home network, as well. Most IT specialists spend their time addressing issues like computers that won’t turn on (are they plugged in?) and other user-error issues. They watch company computers to see if employees are looking at things they shouldn’t, they update drivers, and they deal with emergencies like viruses in the network. But while their main function is to keep the system up and running, security comes in at a close second on the list of priorities. And Scany may just help to make the latter concern a little easier to deal with.

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