What protocol must federal agencies leverage for vulnerability scanning tools?

Federal agencies must leverage the Security Content Automation Protocol (SCAP) for vulnerability scanning tools due to its comprehensive framework designed specifically for automating the assessment of security vulnerabilities and compliance. SCAP provides a standardized approach for organizations to identify and evaluate vulnerabilities in their systems, ensuring they adhere to security guidelines and requirements mandated by federal regulations.

By using SCAP, agencies can effectively manage their security posture and streamline their scanning processes. This protocol facilitates interoperability among various security tools and makes it easier to automate and standardize vulnerability assessments. In contrast, the other protocols mentioned, such as HTTP, FTP, and SMTP, are used for different types of data transmission and communication within networks, but they do not focus on security assessment or vulnerability management.