Nmap is an open source network scanning tool that can discover available hosts on a network, the services running on them, operating systems and firewalls in use. It uses raw IP packets to map out devices and collect valuable information for both network management and security profiling. Nmap runs on Linux, Windows and other platforms, and offers various scan types from stealthy to more aggressive depending on the information needed. Both command line and GUI interfaces allow users to quickly get started with basic scans, while advanced features require more technical expertise.