Modern IT environments move fast. Laptops leave the network, cloud workloads appear and disappear, and systems often sit locked down by design. Nearly 79% of organizations admit that they lack full visibility into their IT assets. Those visibility gaps are often linked to a significantly increase in security and operational incidents. It’s clear that incomplete real-time inventory can compromise security, complicate audits, and slow day-to-day operations.

One of the most effective ways to eliminate these blind spots and build a trustworthy IT asset repository is by combining agentless and agent-based scanning in your IT Asset Management (ITAM) strategy. In this article, we’ll explain why and how to implement a combined scanning strategy that delivers better visibility, accuracy, and ROI.

Understanding IT Asset Management (ITAM)

IT Asset Management (ITAM) is the practice of tracking and optimizing all hardware and software assets across your organization. It aims to:

• Provide an accurate inventory of assets
• Support security and compliance
• Enable cost savings by reducing waste and duplication

Designing an effective ITAM strategy requires not just data collection, but complete, high-quality discovery that keeps pace with change, especially in environments with roaming laptops, remote workers, IoT devices, and cloud workloads.

Why Scanning Matters in ITAM

Asset discovery is the foundation of ITAM. If you can’t see an asset, you can’t secure it, manage its lifecycle, or use it to make informed decisions. Scanning methods, both agentless and agent-based, are key tools for uncovering every endpoint, server, and workload in your estate.

What Is Agent-Based Scanning?

Agent-based scanning involves installing a lightweight software agent directly on endpoints. Once deployed, these agents continuously collect telemetry and send back detailed hardware, OS, software and configuration data, even when the device isn’t connected to the corporate network.

Because agents run locally, they can capture deep visibility into systems that are otherwise difficult to inspect, such as VPN-connected laptops or locked-down servers.

Benefits of Agent-Based Scanning

• Rich data collection: Agents gather detailed information about hardware, installed software, configuration changes, and usage patterns in real time.
• Off-network visibility: Laptops and mobile devices that aren’t always connected to the corporate network still report back when online.
• Accurate and continuous: Agents help ensure your asset inventory is up to date with minimal reliance on intermittent network scans.

What Is Agentless Scanning?

Agentless scanning performs discovery without installing software on devices. Instead, it uses network-based techniques such as:

• WMI, SSH, SNMP, and APIs
• Credential-free techniques like Passive Discovery and fingerprinting

This method rapidly scans networks to identify devices, software, and services based on their responses with zero footprint on the endpoint itself.

Advantages of Agentless Scanning

• Rapid deployment: No software installation means scanning can begin immediately.
• Minimal impact: Because it doesn’t touch endpoints, agentless scanning avoids performance and compatibility concerns.
• Credential-free options: Techniques like Passive Discovery discover assets even when credentials aren’t available.

Agentless scanning works particularly well for servers, network gear, OT devices, and cloud assets where installing agents may be impractical.

Why Combine Both Scanning Methods?

Neither agentless nor agent-based scanning alone will give you complete coverage in every environment:

Agent-based scanning excels at delivering rich, reliable telemetry and tracking assets regardless of network connectivity. Agentless scanning delivers quick and broad network coverage with minimal deployment effort.

By combining both methods:

• You accelerate discovery across cloud, OT, and data-center assets.
• You close visibility gaps for remote and hard-to-reach endpoints.
• You reduce manual effort required to reconcile disparate discovery results.
• You ensure your ITAM data is always trustworthy and up to date.

For example, Rentokil Initial integrated both scanning approaches to achieve a more complete view of its environment, improving asset intelligence and reducing blind spots. Read the full account: Rentokil Initial Integration Success.

Best Practices for Implementing a Combined Scanning Strategy

1. Assess Your Current ITAM Needs

Start by understanding:

• What assets you currently can and cannot see
• Where blind spots exist (e.g., remote endpoints, IoT, cloud)
• Your compliance and security requirements

Use this assessment to determine where agentless scanning can quickly boost coverage and where agents are needed for depth.

2. Deploy Agentless Scanning for Quick Wins

Agentless scanning should be your first line of discovery:

• Scan your network segments
• Collect baseline visibility of servers and infrastructure
• Leverage credential-free techniques where credentials are limited

Because agentless scanning installs nothing on endpoints, it offers fast value and minimal disruption.

3. Roll Out Agents for Deep, Ongoing Visibility

Once you’ve established broad coverage with agentless scanning, deploy agents to:

• Laptops and remote workers
• Systems behind firewalls
• Endpoints with dynamic IPs or intermittent connectivity

Agents will bring richer telemetry and improve the accuracy of inventory records.

4. Maintain a Feedback Loop

Use discovery results to:

• Identify missing assets
• Validate agent deployment success
• Tune credentials, firewalls, and scanning schedules

Regularly review discovery data to keep improvement opportunities visible and actionable.

Agent-Based and Agentless Scanning with Lansweeper

By combining agentless and agent-based discovery, Lansweeper gives you complete visibility and continuously validated Cyber Asset Intelligence from across your technology estate. Baster automated discovery, and actionable insights boost security and efficiency. This gives you the flexibility to choose the best approach for your environment when comparing agentless versus agent-based scanning.

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