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Getting started
What's the difference between a target, a scan profile and a scan?
A target is the application you test. A scan profile is a reusable configuration that belongs to one target: scope, logins and reporting rules. A scan is one run of a profile, ending as Completed, Failed or Cancelled. One target can have many profiles, and each profile many scans.
The short version
Think of it as what, how and when, in that order, with each one resting on the one before it. The target is what you test. The scan profile is how. The scan is each time you run it.
How it works in Cyberlop
| Term | What it holds | Can you change it? |
|---|---|---|
| Target | Name, Main URL, backend URLs, repository and branch, environment, team | No. Delete it and create it again. |
| Scan profile | Vulnerability classes, exploitation on or off, scan location, focus and avoid rules, login roles, reporting rules | Yes, but its target is fixed. |
| Scan | Result, trigger, cost, tokens, lines of code, findings | No. It is a record of one run. |
A profile belongs to one target, and that link is fixed the moment you create the profile, so a profile can never be pointed at another application later. To test another target, make another profile.
A scan's result is Completed, Failed or Cancelled. Its trigger is Manual, or it can come from a schedule or from CI.
Findings are kept per target, not per scan. When you delete a scan, the target's findings stay. When you delete a target, its profiles, schedules, scans and findings all go with it.
Two related terms are worth knowing. A group collects profiles, by choice or by tag. A schedule runs a profile once or on a repeat.
What to do next
- Add a target with these steps.
- Build a profile from the target page, which preselects the target.
- Press Scan, then read results in Recent Scans.
A tidy habit is to name profiles after their purpose, such as a quick check or a full audit, and to keep one target per application and environment. That way the list on the target page reads like a menu of ways to test it.
See also why targets cannot be edited and the key terms tutorial. Unsure? Contact us.
Related questions
- How do I add a new target?
- What does it mean that targets are immutable?
- What is Cyberlop and what does it test?
- What are the five phases of a Cyberlop scan?
- How do I see all the scan profiles for one target?
Cyberlop key terms: targets, profiles, scans and issues
Step-by-step, with annotated screenshots.
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