Security industries are in a constant state of alertness for the latest vulnerabilities within networks and applications. Penetration testing is a method often used to test the vulnerability of computer systems to an attempted cyber attack. Penetration testing also assists in determining the best form of protection for each system.
For those working within network security, it is important to have a comprehensive list of network security tools to rely on. Scanners are used to identify weak points in a network for potential attackers. One reliable vulnerability manager tool is Vulnerability Manager Plus. This solution helps secure networks by detecting vulnerabilities and addressing them immediately.
OpenVAS is another framework used for vulnerability scanning. This tool offers a comprehensive and powerful solution for vulnerability management.
For those looking to develop and execute exploit code against remote machines, the Metasploit Framework is a useful tool. The framework includes other important sub-projects such as shellcode archive, related research, and Opcode Database.
Kali Linux is a Debian-derived Linux distribution designed for digital forensics and penetration testing. The system comes preinstalled with various penetration testing programs, including nmap, Wireshark, John the Ripper, and Aircrack-ng.
Other network security tools include pig, scapy, and Pompem. Pig is a Linux packet crafting tool while scapy is a python-based interactive packet manipulation program and library. Pompem is an open-source tool designed to automate the search for exploits in major databases to facilitate the work of ethical hackers.
Other monitoring and logging tools include justniffer, httpry, and ngrep. Justniffer is a network protocol analyzer that captures network traffic and produces logs in a customized way. Httpry is a specialized packet sniffer aimed at displaying and logging HTTP traffic. Ngrep provides most of the features of GNU grep, applying them to the network layer.
Passive DNS is an important tool for collecting DNS records passively to aid incident handling, network security monitoring, and general digital forensics. PassiveDNS sniffs traffic from an interface or reads a pcap-file and outputs the DNS-server answers to a log file.
IDS/IPS/host IDS/host IPS are used for intrusion prevention and detection. Snort is a free and open-source network intrusion detection and prevention system created by Martin Roesch in 1998 and is now developed by Sourcefire. Bro is a powerful network analysis framework that differs from a typical IDS. OSSEC is a comprehensive open-source HIDS while Suricata is a high-performance network IDS, IPS, and network security monitoring engine.
Security Onion is a Linux distro for intrusion detection, network security monitoring, and log management that comes preinstalled with various security tools such as Snort, Suricata, Bro, and OSSEC. Denyhosts is another network security tool that thwarts SSH dictionary-based attacks. Fail2Ban uses log files to take action on IPs that show malicious behavior.
Intruders often try to target specific software running on servers. To catch an attacker, a honey pot can be used. These impostor applications appear to have weak security, prompting the attacker to attempt to infiltrate the system. The honey pot captures any information about the attacker. HoneyPy is a low-to-medium interaction honeypot designed to be easy to deploy.
Dionaea is an open-source honeypot meant to mimic thousands of vulnerabilities to gather data from attacks on web applications. Conpot is another honeypot that is a low-interactive server-side industrial control systems honeypot designed to be easy to deploy, modify, and extend.
Kippo is a medium interaction SSH honeypot designed to log any brute force attacks and the attacker’s entire shell interaction. Kojoney also emulates an SSH server but is a low-level interaction honeypot. HonSSH is a high-interaction honeypot solution that sits between an attacker and a honey pot creating two separate SSH connections.
Finally, bifrozt, a NAT device, works as a transparent SSHv2 proxy between an attacker and a honeypot. It is a useful tool for those looking for honeypots that can also be used on NAT networks.
In summary, network security tools help security industries test vulnerabilities within networks and applications to identify any weak points or potential risks. There is a wide range of comprehensive network security tools available, covering various areas of network security. By relying on these tools and solutions, security teams can keep any potential attackers at bay while ensuring safeguarding their assets.