It’s easy to become overwhelmed when it comes to network security. Security may be a difficult field to navigate. Network security tools aid in the protection of your IT environment under monitoring.
The more tools an InfoSec professional has, the better equipped they will be to deal with the situation. The ability to choose from a variety of computer network security software is only the beginning. The essence of network security is knowing how to use them.
Every day, it appears that new security dangers emerge. Because of the progressive nature of these threats, dynamic multi-point security solutions are required. To maintain data security, administrators must promptly discover weaknesses.
We’ve compiled a list of the top security tools for dealing with network threats. These apps should provide a solid foundation for anyone working in the field of information security. Don’t forget to check out the professional contributors!
Tools for Network Security Monitoring
Argus
One of the greatest free and open-source network traffic analysis tools available. Audit Record Generation and Utilization System is the abbreviation for Audit Record Generation and Utilization System. The application does exactly what it says on the tin. Efficient, in-depth network data analysis, sifting through large amounts of data with quick, thorough reporting. It provides a solid basis, whether or not it is the sole traffic monitoring tool users require.
P0f
Despite the absence of updates, P0f remains popular. The program hasn’t changed much in over a decade because it was nearly perfect when it was first released. P0f is streamlined and efficient and generates no extra traffic. It may be used to figure out what operating system every host it interacts with is running. Many of the tools in this category generate probes, name lookups, and other queries, among other things. P0f is a fast, light, and clean runner. For advanced users, it’s a must-have, but it’s not the easiest to understand for the team’s novices.
Nagios
Nagios keeps track of hosts, systems, and networks and sends out real-time alerts. Users can choose which notifications they want to receive in advance. HTTP, NNTP, ICMP, POP3, and SMTP are among the network services that the application may monitor.
For many people, Nagios is synonymous with traffic monitoring. A thorough, all-encompassing approach to network management. One of the most useful free resources for both cybersecurity experts and small enterprises.
Splunk
It’s made for both real-time analysis and searching through historical data. Splunk is a network monitoring tool that is both quick and versatile.
With a single interface, it’s one of the more user-friendly apps. The powerful search capability in Splunk makes application monitoring simple. Splunk is a premium app that also has a free version. The free version has several limitations. This is a great tool to add to your list if you’re working with a limited budget. Independent contractors are notorious for being choosy when it comes to purchasing high-end equipment. Splunk is an excellent investment. Splunk is a must-have for any information security practitioner with a large enough customer base.
OSSEC
The OSSEC open-source intrusion detection service analyses system security events in real-time.
It may be set up to monitor all possible entry and access points at all times, including files, rootkits, logs, registries, and processes. It’s also available for Linux, Windows, Mac, BSD, and VMWare ESX, among other platforms. OSSEC users are also good at sharing strategies, tweaks, assistance, and other important information. “Atomicorp,” which enables “self-healing” to automatically resolve found vulnerabilities, and Wazuh, which gives training and support, are two more solutions accessible.
To execute their jobs, information security specialists require a large number of tools. If I had to pick just one thing, it would be a well-tuned Data Analytics Aggregator or SIEM software, such as Splunk.
It’s impossible to interpret and correlate data between devices and hosts on your own. You must gather decrypted packets and records, which you must then supplement with threat intelligence.
Splunk serves as our backbone, and one of the things that distinguish it from most SIEMs is its ability to manage unstructured data and scale easily. Most shops rely solely on logs and possibly NetFlow.
We can use Splunk for any use case that our engineers can generate use cases and material for. While Splunk is not a SIEM in and of itself, it can be configured to do so and includes predictive analytics out of the box. It also allows for both push and pulls models to be used.
Dennis Chow, SCIS Security’s CISO
When people started talking about the “dark web” a few years ago, Tor received a lot of attention. The dark web proved out not to be as terrifying as urban tales claimed. Tor is merely a technique for ensuring online privacy. For privacy, the system sends queries to proxy web servers, making it more difficult to monitor users. Although rogue exit nodes are used to sniff traffic, this isn’t a major issue if you take caution. Tor’s uses in information security are more numerous than those in criminality.
KeePass
KeePass is a password manager that is required in many office situations. A password management solution that is simple to use. KeePass allows users to use a single password to access all of their accounts. KeePass combines ease and security by allowing users to create unique passwords for various accounts and using an auto-fill feature when filling in the master password. Those who have worked in the field of information security for more than a day understand how critical this is. It’s not uncommon for a security issue to boil down to poor password management. KeePass is a tool that assists network security officers in managing the human aspect of their jobs.
TrueCrypt
TrueCrypt is still popular even though it hasn’t been updated in years. TrueCrypt was abandoned by its developer in 2014, yet it is still a powerful tool. TrueCrypt is a disc encryption system that offers multilayer content encryption and two levels of access control. The open-source software is free and powerful. Even though TrueCrypt hasn’t been updated in four years, it’s clear to see why it’s still popular. One of the most effective open source security systems on the market.
Kali Linux is a security system for digital forensics and penetration testing that can now run on both Linux and Windows operating systems. It works with a wide variety of wireless devices. It is recognized for more than 600 tools aimed at various information security activities, including penetration testing, security research, computer forensics, and reverse engineering.
IBM’s Security Intelligence Platform, QRadar SIEM, gives you real-time visibility into your entire IT infrastructure. Log Management, Security Intelligence, Network Activity Monitoring, IT Security Risk Management, Vulnerability Management, and Network Forensics are just a few of the modules provided through a single web-based panel. QRadar is a commercial product, however, the Community Edition, which is free, has a limit of 50 events per second (EPS).
SIEM department coordinator at Scienoft, Dmitry Nikolaenya
A robust network protection tool. Burp Suite is a network security scanner that detects serious flaws in real-time. Burp Suite will use a simulated attack to see how cybersecurity threats may infiltrate a network. There are three versions of the suite: Community, Professional, and Enterprise. Professional and Enterprise application testing tools, as well as the online vulnerability scanner, are premium options. The Community version is free, but it has a lot of limitations. Only the most basic manual tools are included in the community. Burp Suite is a powerful tool for enterprises, but it may be out of reach for smaller businesses. Even so, it’s an important application security testing tool.
Nikto
One of the most effective open-source vulnerability scanner management tools available. Nikto will search a database of over 6400 threats for matching on web servers and networks. The network protection software is still up to date, even though it hasn’t been updated in a long time. This is due to the threat database being updated frequently. There is also a slew of plugins being developed and updated regularly. Nikto is a staple of many security experts’ vulnerability evaluation routines.
Proxy for Paros
Web proxy based on Java Paros Proxy comes with several essential security testing tools. A web spider, traffic recorder, and vulnerability scanner are among them. Excellent at detecting network intrusions that could lead to some of the most frequent threats, including SQL injection and cross-site scripting.
With even rudimentary Java or HTTP/HTTPS expertise, it’s really simple to change. Paros Proxy can be edited by anyone who can develop a web application. An outstanding network security software testing tool for detecting security risks before they become breaches.
Nmap
This free open source monitoring tool might help companies gain better access to possible network weak areas. It was created to provide you with a detailed look into each network. Other capabilities include indicating hosts, what services are supplied at each host, and what sorts of packet filters are in use.
Nmap comes with a debugging tool for all major platforms and can scan a single network or several networks at the same time. The network security solution has been developed to be user-friendly and adaptable.
Professional Nessus
This software corrects faults and improves the integrity of your networks for all the times your business may have erroneously adjusted security settings or installed the wrong patch.
Nessus detects and fixes vulnerabilities in programs, devices, and operating systems, such as missing or incomplete patches, software defects, or other general misconfigurations.
Admins/security professionals can use a free open source scanner to hunt for possible exploits in addition to the Pro version. The daily database updates are one of the benefits of the Nessus service. The most up-to-date information about risks and patches is always available. It also doesn’t check to see if version numbers match, yet programs continue to function normally. Users can choose from several security plug-ins or create their own to check individual PCs and networks.
There is also a Win32 GUI client that works with Windows products and is available for Unix and Linux systems. Users must pay a yearly membership to use all of the company’s services. Nessus is employed by over 24,000 enterprises throughout the world and claims to have the lowest false positive rate among its competitors, as well as access to over 100,000 constantly updated security plug-ins.
Nexpose
Nexpose provides on-premises vulnerability screening and management in real-time.
It provides ‘live’ network views and assists security/IT teams in looking for, detecting, and reducing potential weak areas. It also updates and reacts to new software and data threats regularly. Another significant feature is its ability to provide a risk score to help security teams prioritize the most serious issues. This is important for coordinating reactions to various breaches or delegating workflow, starting with the most vulnerable locations where the most serious/potentially harmful breaches are most likely to occur.
