Cortex Network Scanner target groups help you collate a list of hosts to be scanned. Each target group contains a mandatory list of IP addresses, IP ranges, subnets, and hostnames to be scanned, and an optional list of IPs, ranges, subnets, or hostnames to be excluded from scans.
Target group definitions are saved, so you can reuse them in multiple scans and review, edit, and delete them as needed. You can create up to 100 target groups, with each one able to include up to 10,000 individual IP addresses, IP ranges, and hostnames.
Create target groups to streamline network scanning configuration by selecting and reusing target definitions. Another benefit is that the target group's name is added as a tag to the asset's definition, so you can find, sort, filter, and create asset groups based on the target group. Target group tags will not overwrite existing tags.
Navigate to → → → .
The Target Group Management page lists all of your saved Target Groups.
Click + Add Target Group.
Provide information in the following fields:
Name: Provide a descriptive name for the Target Group.
Description: (Optional) Enter a description.
Add or Upload Targets: Enter the targets to be scanned as a comma-separated list. Targets can be IP addresses, IP ranges, CIDR ranges, or hostnames. You can also add targets by uploading a .csv file.
The Cortex Network Scanner will use the DNS server configured in the network settings of the Broker VM for hostname resolution.
Exclude Targets: (Optional) Enter the targets to be excluded.
Click Save Target.
Your Target Group will appear in the list on the Target Group Management page.
You can edit or delete target groups by right-clicking on the target group and selecting Edit Target or Delete.
Auto tag discovered assets
Leverage Network Scanner target groups to automatically tag discovered assets. You can use these tags to quickly filter assets, or create Asset Groups to narrow down Finding and Issues results to a specific scan job or asset group.
Create a Target Group: Navigate to → → → and select Add Target Group. Enter the IP ranges, individual IPs, or hostnames you want to scan, along with any necessary exclusions.
Enter the IP ranges, individual IPs, or hostnames you want to scan, along with any necessary exclusions.
Configure the Scan: During scan configuration, select your Target Group from the dropdown menu, then launch or schedule the scan.
Verify Asset Tags: After the scan completes, all observed assets will automatically receive an asset tag. The tag follows this pattern:
Key: network_scanner.target.%Target_Group_Name% (where %Target_Group_Name% is the name of the target group assigned to the scan).
Value: true
Create a Dynamic Asset Group: You can use this tag to filter assets or create a dynamic Asset Group.
Go to .Click Add Group.
In the filter menu, select Tags and copy your tag key into the relevant field.
Set the value to True.
The Asset Group will automatically select all assets that have this tag, including those discovered in future scans.
Filter Results: You can now use your new Asset Group to filter Issues and Findings within Posture Management.