Vulnerability scanning & assessment services — Australia-wide, from $149/month
Managed vulnerability scanning services across Australia from $149/month: internal and perimeter scans, 24/7 SOC triage and hands-on help fixing what matters.
We find the holes before attackers do
We scan every device, server and connection for known weaknesses on a recurring monthly cycle — then fix what matters before it can be used against you. Here's the kind of thing a scan surfaces.
How we manage vulnerabilities — on a loop
New weaknesses are published every day, so a single scan is out of date within a week. We run the full cycle continuously, backed by 24/7 SOC monitoring.
Discover & scan
Automated scanners map every device, server and cloud service, checking each against constantly updated databases of known weaknesses — on a recurring schedule, so new gaps are caught at the next scan.
Assess & prioritise
Most scans return thousands of findings. We rank them by real risk — what's being exploited right now, how exposed the system is, and the impact to your business — into a short list.
Remediate & patch
We fix what counts, in priority order — patching, changing risky settings, or adding a control when a patch isn't available. Critical, actively-exploited issues go to the top of the list.
Verify & re-scan
A fix isn't finished until it's proven. We re-scan to confirm the weakness is genuinely closed and nothing new opened — the step one-off scans skip.
Report & repeat
Plain-English reporting for your board, insurer or auditor — then the cycle repeats, so your defences keep pace as new vulnerabilities are published.
What is vulnerability scanning for an Australian business?
Vulnerability scanning finds the weaknesses in your network and internet-facing systems — missing patches, misconfigurations and known security holes — before attackers do, and tells you which ones to fix first. Key IT provides managed vulnerability scanning services to businesses across Australia from $149 per month: internal network and perimeter scans, 24/7 SOC triage of every result, and a clear, prioritised remediation report. You cannot fix what you cannot see.
Quick answers
How much does vulnerability scanning cost? Vulnerability scanning with Key IT starts from $149 per month, depending on the number of locations and endpoints.
Do you only serve Melbourne? No — vulnerability scanning is delivered remotely, so Key IT runs it for businesses anywhere in Australia, with every result triaged by the same 24/7 SOC service our Melbourne clients use.
How often do you scan? Monthly, on an ongoing cycle — new vulnerabilities are published every single day, so a single scan ages fast.
Is a vulnerability scan the same as a penetration test? No — scanning is automated and run regularly to find known weaknesses broadly, while a penetration test is a deeper, manual exercise where a specialist actively tries to exploit them.
Will you help fix what the scan finds? Yes — Key IT triages every result through its 24/7 SOC service and helps remediate the issues identified, rather than just handing you a list.
Why isn't a one-off vulnerability scan enough?
A one-off vulnerability scan tells you where you're exposed today — but "today" doesn't last. New vulnerabilities are published every single day, and your environment keeps changing too: a new laptop, a cloud app someone signed up for without telling IT, an update that quietly reopens an old gap. A scan from last quarter can be dangerously out of date within a week. That's why scanning is the engine of a program, not the whole job. The value comes from running the full cycle continuously — scan, prioritise, fix, verify, repeat — and Key IT runs that loop for you.
- New weaknesses appear daily, so a single scan ages fast.
- Your devices, cloud apps and configurations change constantly.
- Updates and new software can reopen gaps you had already closed.
- Continuous scanning catches problems within days, not at the next review.
- A scan is only worth anything if someone acts on it and verifies the fix.
How does Key IT decide which vulnerabilities to fix first?
Key IT prioritises vulnerabilities by real-world risk — whether a weakness is being exploited in the wild right now, how exposed and important the affected system is, and what the impact to your business would be. Scanners are good at finding things and terrible at telling you what to do first. Run one across a normal business and you will get thousands of findings — far more than any team can fix at once. Chasing severity scores alone is a trap: a "critical" on a locked-down internal machine can matter far less than a "medium" on an internet-facing server attackers are actively probing. That filtering happens through 24/7 SOC triage, so what reaches you is a short, ranked list of fixes, not a ten-thousand-line spreadsheet.
Want to see what this looks like for your business? A free IT & Cyber Security Review shows where you stand and what to fix first — no jargon, no obligation.
Book a Free ReviewWhat's in a vulnerability assessment report?
Each finding should show a CVSS (Common Vulnerability Scoring System) severity score from 0 to 10, its exposure, a fix owner and a re-scan date to confirm the fix. This sample is a fictional office scanned on 2 March, not a real client.
| Finding | CVSS | Exposure | Fix owner | Re-scan date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Firewall VPN firmware with a published exploit | 9.8 Critical | Internet-facing | Key IT | 4 March |
| Website plugin with a known flaw | 6.5 Medium | Internet-facing | Your web developer | 16 March |
| File server missing last month's Windows update | 8.8 High | Internal only | Key IT | Next monthly scan |
The medium-rated plugin outranks the high-rated server because anyone online can reach it; the CVSS specification itself says to enrich base scores with threat and environmental context. Re-scan dates follow the Essential Eight patch clocks below. Plugins often fall between developer, host and IT, so every fix gets an owner; known plugin flaws were exploited in the July 2026 campaign behind ASD's warnings about hacked small business websites.
How does vulnerability scanning support the Essential 8 and patching?
Vulnerability scanning directly supports two of the Australian Signals Directorate's Essential Eight strategies — "patch applications" and "patch operating systems" — both of which assume you already know what needs patching. That is exactly what vulnerability management gives you: a live picture of what is missing and how urgent it is. The Essential Eight sets clear clocks — patching vulnerabilities that are rated critical or have a working exploit within 48 hours, internet-facing applications and operating systems within about two weeks, and scanning regularly to find the gaps in the first place. Our program is built to support those timeframes and to give you the evidence that you met them — which is what cyber insurers, auditors and customer security questionnaires keep asking for. See our Essential 8 uplift, or start with the Essential Eight explained in plain English.
Why choose a managed program over a scanner you run yourself?
Key IT runs vulnerability scanning as a fully managed service, not a tool you are left to operate yourself. Plenty of vendors will sell you a scanner and a login. Then the findings pile up, nobody has time to triage them, and you are paying for a dashboard no one reads. We deploy and tune the scanning, set the schedule, triage every result through our 24/7 SOC service, drive the fixes, verify them, and report back in language your leadership can follow. You get the outcome — a smaller, better-understood attack surface — without needing a security specialist on staff.
Vulnerability scanning and management find known weaknesses continuously; a penetration test periodically puts a real expert in the attacker's seat to find what automated tools miss. You want both working together.
Vulnerability scan vs assessment vs penetration test: what's the difference?
| Check | What it is | How often | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vulnerability scan | An automated check for known weaknesses | Monthly with Key IT | A raw list of findings |
| Vulnerability assessment | Confirming and ranking what the scan found | Every scan cycle | A prioritised remediation report |
| Penetration test | A specialist tries to break in, with written permission | Periodically, scoped per test | Proof of what an attacker could reach |
Key IT's managed scanning covers the first two rows; our pen testing page explains how a penetration test differs from a vulnerability scan. For a wider check, from Microsoft 365 settings to backups, start with an IT audit against ASD guidance.
What are the two types of vulnerability scanning?
Vulnerability scanning comes in two types — internal network scanning, which assesses the systems inside your business, and perimeter scanning, which assesses everything you expose to the internet — and Key IT runs both.
Internal network scanning
An internal network vulnerability scan assesses the security of your internal infrastructure — servers, workstations, databases and connected devices — to find weaknesses an attacker who got inside could exploit, including outdated software, misconfigurations and known vulnerabilities.
Perimeter (external) scanning
Assesses everything you expose to the internet — your website, mail and remote-access systems — to find the holes an attacker could use to get in from outside. Re-run regularly to catch new weaknesses introduced by changes and updates. Firewall VPNs deserve the closest watch: in the Akira ransomware campaign, attackers got in through a known SonicWall VPN vulnerability, weak settings and passwords that had never been changed, and in some cases had ransomware running within about an hour.
What do you get with Key IT vulnerability scanning?
Key IT's vulnerability scanning covers your internal and internet-facing systems, with prioritised reports, ongoing monthly scanning and hands-on help fixing what it finds.
- Comprehensive scanning across your internal and internet-facing systems.
- Identification of misconfigurations, outdated software and known vulnerabilities.
- Prioritised reports — what the risk is, how serious, and what to do about it.
- Ongoing monthly scanning so new weaknesses are caught as they appear.
- Help with remediation — we do not just hand you a list, we help fix it.
How much does vulnerability scanning cost in Australia?
Vulnerability scanning with Key IT starts from $149 per month, depending on the number of locations and endpoints — the same transparent pricing wherever in Australia your business is. Transparent pricing is deliberate — security should not require a sales negotiation to understand.
Can Key IT scan a business outside Melbourne?
Yes — vulnerability scanning is one of the few security services that is genuinely location-independent, and Key IT delivers it Australia-wide. The scanning itself runs remotely: sensors and agents are deployed to your environment over the network, perimeter scanning assesses your internet-facing systems from outside, and results flow back to the 24/7 SOC for triage no matter where your offices are. A business in Perth, Brisbane or regional New South Wales gets exactly the same program — same scanning coverage, same SOC triage, same prioritised reports, same from-$149 pricing — as a business down the road from our Greensborough headquarters. Onsite work, where a client wants it, is available across Melbourne; everything the scanning program itself needs is done remotely.
Where does vulnerability scanning fit in your wider security?
Vulnerability scanning is a core part of managed cybersecurity and directly supports the patching and hardening controls of the Essential Eight. A scan only delivers value when the findings are acted on — which is why we pair it with remediation.
Frequently asked questions
What is vulnerability scanning?
An automated assessment that examines your systems for known security weaknesses — missing patches, misconfigurations and exposed services — and reports them prioritised by risk so they can be fixed before they are exploited.
How is it different from penetration testing?
Vulnerability scanning is automated and run regularly to find known weaknesses broadly. Penetration testing is a deeper, manual exercise where a specialist actively tries to exploit weaknesses. Scanning is the ongoing hygiene; pen testing is the periodic deep check.
What is the difference between a vulnerability assessment and a vulnerability scan?
A vulnerability scan is the automated check itself. A vulnerability assessment is the wider job of making sense of the results — confirming what is real, rating the risk to your business and recommending fixes. Key IT's managed service covers both: internal and perimeter scans, 24/7 SOC triage, a prioritised remediation report and checks that each fix worked.
How much does vulnerability scanning cost?
From $149 per month, depending on locations and endpoints.
What devices can be scanned?
Any device on the network with an IP address — servers, workstations, firewalls, switches and wireless access points, plus the printers, CCTV recorders and door controllers that are easy to forget (see the computers you forgot you own). Perimeter scans cover your website, email and remote-access systems.
What happens after the scanner is set up?
The first scan runs and Key IT sends you a prioritised remediation report, then scans and reports again on the recurring monthly cycle, checking that each fix worked.
How often should a small business scan for vulnerabilities?
At least monthly, Key IT's standard cycle, though the Essential Eight asks for more. Maturity Level One expects scans at least daily for online services, internet-facing servers and network devices; weekly for office suites, web browsers, email clients, PDF software and security products; and fortnightly for workstations and internal servers. Internet-facing patches are then due within 48 hours for a critical flaw or working exploit, otherwise two weeks. Aiming for a maturity level? Tell us and we will map the schedule it needs. The Essential Eight remains current while ASD moves to its successor, ASD Essentials.
Do you provide vulnerability scanning outside Melbourne?
Yes — Australia-wide. Deployment, scanning, SOC triage and reporting are all delivered remotely, so the service is identical whether your business is in Melbourne, Perth, Sydney or a regional centre.
Will you help fix what the scan finds?
Yes. We help remediate the issues identified — a scan without action is only an awareness exercise.
Is vulnerability scanning worth it for a small business?
Yes. Most attacks are automated: software sweeps the internet for any business with an unpatched system, so a small business is found as easily as a large one — see why "too small to be a target" is a myth. From $149 a month, managed scanning finds those gaps and helps you close them.
Is vulnerability scanning required for cyber insurance?
Increasingly, yes in practice — insurer questionnaires ask how you identify and patch vulnerabilities, and a managed scanning program is the cleanest evidence you can give. It also supports the patching timeframes the Essential Eight expects, which many policies now reference. See the controls insurers expect in 2026.
How is vulnerability scanning different from antivirus or EDR?
Scanning finds the unlocked doors — missing patches, misconfigurations, exposed services — before anyone uses them. Antivirus and EDR watch for an intruder already moving. You want both: fewer ways in, and detection for whatever gets through.
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