Top five recommended security assessment tools
In the era when cybersecurity is a hot topic, security assessment tools have become an essential component of any comprehensive security program, providing organizations with the insights they need to protect their sensitive data and minimize the risk of a security incident.
Let’s explore five of these tools, that will help in locating and reducing the vulnerabilities of your systems:
1. Nessus: Developed by Tenable Network Security, it is widely used by security professionals to identify vulnerabilities and misconfigurations in network devices, servers, and web applications. Nessus is available in both free and commercial versions and offers a range of features to help organizations improve their security posture.
Key features and benefits:
Comprehensive scanning: Nessus can scan networks, servers, web applications, and virtual environments to identify vulnerabilities and misconfigurations. It uses a combination of active and passive scanning techniques to provide a comprehensive assessment of an organization's security posture.
Accurate vulnerability identification: Nessus has a vast vulnerability database that includes known vulnerabilities in common software and systems. It also includes checks for compliance with security standards such as PCI DSS, HIPAA, and CIS. Nessus uses advanced detection techniques to minimize false positives and false negatives, providing accurate vulnerability identification.
Customizable policies: Nessus allows users to customize scanning policies based on their specific requirements. This can help organizations focus on critical vulnerabilities and prioritize remediation efforts.
Remediation guidance: Nessus provides remediation guidance, including recommended steps to address identified vulnerabilities and misconfigurations. This can help organizations address security weaknesses quickly and effectively.
Reporting and analytics features: Nessus provides full reporting on identifies issues, as well as how to correct them, in accordance with remediation guidelines.
Integrates with other security tools: Nessus integrates with other similar applications, or centralized systems aiming at collecting intelligence to get the best view of the organizations’ security posture.
2. Metasploit: A penetration testing framework that helps security professionals simulate attacks on network devices, servers, and web applications to identify vulnerabilities. It is a free and open-source tool developed by Rapid7, and it is widely used by security professionals to conduct comprehensive penetration tests.
Key features and benefits:
Exploit database: Metasploit has a vast library of exploits, payloads, and auxiliary modules that can be used to simulate attacks on network devices, servers, and web applications. The exploit database includes a range of known vulnerabilities in popular software and systems, making it a valuable tool for identifying security weaknesses.
Customizable modules: Metasploit allows users to customize exploit modules and payloads based on their specific requirements. This can help security professionals focus on critical vulnerabilities and develop tailored attack strategies.
Automated exploitation: Metasploit provides automated exploitation features that allow security professionals to identify and exploit vulnerabilities quickly and efficiently. This can help organizations identify security weaknesses before attackers can exploit them.
Community support: Metasploit has a large and active user community that contributes to its development and provides support to other users. This can be valuable for organizations that need help with specific use cases or issues.
Reporting and analytics features: Metasploit provides comprehensive reports on identified vulnerabilities, including severity ratings, and suggested remediation steps. It also provides trend analysis and risk assessment to help organizations prioritize remediation efforts and make informed decisions about security investments.
Integrates with other security tools: Metasploit integrates well with other vulnerability scanners and SIEM systems to provide a more holistic view of an organization's security posture.
3. Wireshark: A free and open-source packet analyzer tool that helps network administrators and security professionals analyze network traffic. It allows users to capture and view network packets in real-time or from a saved capture file, providing a detailed view of network traffic.
Key features and benefits of Wireshark:
Packet capture: Wireshark can capture network packets in real-time or from a saved capture file. It supports a range of capture interfaces, including Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and USB, making it a versatile tool for network analysis.
Protocol analysis: Wireshark supports a range of network protocols, including TCP/IP, HTTP, DNS, and FTP. It can decode and analyze packet headers and payloads, providing a detailed view of network traffic and allowing users to identify anomalies and security threats.
Filtering and search: Wireshark provides powerful filtering and search capabilities that allow users to focus on specific network traffic. It can filter packets based on criteria such as protocol, IP address, port number, and payload content, making it easier to identify specific traffic patterns.
Visualization and statistics: Wireshark provides visualization and statistical analysis features that allow users to view network traffic in various formats. It can generate graphs and charts based on network traffic, providing valuable insights into traffic patterns and trends.
Customizable profiles: Wireshark allows users to customize profiles based on their specific requirements. This can help network administrators and security professionals focus on critical traffic patterns and streamline their analysis workflow.
4. Nikto: Nikto is a free and open-source web server vulnerability scanner that helps security professionals identify and address security weaknesses in web servers and web applications. It is developed by Sullo, and it is widely used by security professionals to conduct comprehensive web application vulnerability assessments.
Key features and benefits of Nikto:
Comprehensive vulnerability scanning: Nikto performs a comprehensive scan of web servers and web applications, identifying vulnerabilities and potential security weaknesses. It can detect common vulnerabilities such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and directory traversal.
Customizable scanning: Nikto allows users to customize the scan parameters based on their specific requirements. This can help security professionals focus on critical vulnerabilities and reduce false positives.
Plugin architecture: Nikto has a plugin architecture that allows users to extend its functionality with custom plugins. This can help security professionals tailor the tool to their specific needs and requirements.
Reporting and analytics: Just as with most other similar tools, Nikto provides comprehensive reports on identified data to better understand the overall security of your systems.
Integration with other tools: Nikto also integrates well with other technologies to ensure a higher degree of system security.
5. OpenVAS: OpenVAS (Open Vulnerability Assessment System) is a free and open-source vulnerability scanner that helps security professionals identify and address security weaknesses in network infrastructure, web applications, and operating systems. It is developed by Greenbone Networks and is widely used by security professionals to conduct comprehensive vulnerability assessments.
Key features and benefits of OpenVAS:
Comprehensive vulnerability scanning: OpenVAS performs a comprehensive scan of network infrastructure, web applications, and operating systems, identifying vulnerabilities and potential security weaknesses. It can detect common vulnerabilities such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and directory traversal.
Customizable scanning: OpenVAS allows users to customize the scan parameters based on their specific requirements. This can help security professionals focus on critical vulnerabilities and reduce false positives.
Flexible architecture: OpenVAS has a flexible architecture that allows users to scale the tool to their specific needs. It can be deployed on a single machine or as a distributed system, making it a versatile tool for organizations of all sizes.
Community support: OpenVAS has a large and active user community that contributes to its development and provides support to other users. This can be valuable for organizations that need help with specific use cases or issues.
Interested further in the topic? Why not browse one of our most popular courses that explores in detail these tools? The Certified Ethical Hacker is the training you need to attend in case you are involved in vulnerability assessment and scanning in your organization.