Top 10 Free and Open Source Cybersecurity Tools
Every organization, regardless of size, needs cyber security experts knowledgeable in cyber security tools and tactics as remote working becomes the new norm. Without a strong cyber security workforce, no firm can currently avoid security and danger challenges in the digital world.
Hackers are constantly searching for security vulnerabilities and flaws, so they may cause companies to suffer and profit from them. India is the third most frequently attacked nation online. Cybersecurity is the process of defending networks and systems against cyberattacks such as identity theft, illegal data access, and other cybercrimes using various cyber security tools.
The various facets of cyber security, such as application security, information security, network security, disaster recovery, operational security, and others, are essential for providing security against a variety of cyber threats, including ransomware, malware, phishing, and more.
As a result, cyber security tools are crucial when it comes to safeguarding sensitive and private data belonging to both enterprises and individuals.
What Are Open Source Tools In Cybersecurity?
The market for open source software is expanding quickly because each user has access to the relevant computer code, can check the operation of the code, and can modify the code to meet particular needs.
The open source market is anticipated to reach $21.6 billion in 2020 and increase by more than 30% the following year, coming close to $33 billion annually.
Open source software has a substantial market share dominated by cybersecurity tools. Several open-source cybersecurity products are free for free that comply with standards for enterprise-grade security software.
Unfortunately, many of the open source security products that are available for free do not have all the features of their corresponding paid versions. Before buying the paid edition, many cybersecurity newbies test and learn using the free versions.
Many tools work as intended and allow your security team or a third-party software developer to modify the coding to suit your unique demands and requirements.
Small to mid-size organizations frequently combine free and paid open source tools to increase their cyber security and customize the solution to safeguard their digital assets and networks per their particular business operation demands.
Top 10 Free and Open Source Cybersecurity Tools
The list below includes many open-source tools which can help experts detect vulnerabilities in cyberspace.
Beyond being free software, the main benefit of open source tools is that you and other community members may examine the source code to ensure each tool is authentic and only accomplishes its intended goals.
The top ten open-source cybersecurity tools for organizations are listed below:
- KeePass
KeePass is a password manager that secures and stores passwords and is available for free, making it open-source. Thanks to these security features, users can store their unique passwords for websites, email accounts, web servers, and network login credentials in one location.
KeePass operates by keeping passwords in a secure database that can only be accessed by entering a single master key. The most secure encryption algorithms currently used for databases are AES-256, ChaCha20, and Twofish. It encrypts the entire database, so user names, notes, and other data are encrypted alongside the password fields.
- Nikto
Web servers are scanned for various vulnerabilities using Nikto, a free, open-source web server scanner. Over 1,250 servers are examined for obsolete versions of over 6,700 potentially dangerous files and programs. On more than 270 servers, the web server scanner identifies version-specific issues.
The presence of several index files or HTTP server options are examples of server configuration issues that users can check for. The web servers and software that are installed are also identified by this open-source security tool.
- Kali Linux
Many free programs, cybersecurity applications, and penetration testing tools are available through the open-source distribution of Kali Linux, based on Debian.
One of the few Linux versions designed specifically for hackers, it includes a variety of penetration-testing applications as well as tools for reconnaissance and payload delivery.
Using WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux), users of Kali can launch Linux executable files straight from a Windows 10 system.
In addition to Android OS and embedded devices like Raspberry Pi, Beaglebone, Odroid, HP, and Samsung Chromebooks, Kali OS also supports these platforms.
- OSSEC
OSSEC is an open-source, scalable, and multi-platform host-based intrusion detection system (HIDS). Its developers hope to keep it free for the foreseeable future.
Use OSSEC for server protection on-premise and in the cloud or as a log analysis tool to track and examine firewall, IDS, web server, and authentication log activity.
OSSEC uses firewall rules, integration with external parties like CDNs, and support portals to withstand cyberattacks and system updates in real-time. The program offers the application and system-level audits for compliance with numerous widely used standards, including PCI-DSS and CIS, and has self-healing functionality.
Other free and open source cybersecurity tools include:
- VeraCrypt
- Security Onion
- Wireshark
- OpenVAS
- Nmap
- Metasploit Framework
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Is Open Source Software Good For Security?
Independent security experts, startups, and even mid-sized to large companies that want to fully customize their security architecture should use open-source cybersecurity tools. The addition of internal security automation scripts and software code can serve as the cornerstone for security innovation.
Managed service providers can use free cybersecurity tools to provide their customers with efficient and profitable services. To fully utilize the potential of open source products, one merely needs to improve technical abilities, assure secure source code usage, and benefit from online networks.
FAQs
Q: Is open-source software easier to hack?
A: Open source programs are generally simpler to hack than their closed source counterparts. The risk is increased by the availability of the source code and the frequent use of other open-source components, and hacks are more likely to happen to smaller projects.
Q: What are the benefits of open source software?
A: Some benefits of open source security tools include lesser hardware costs, high-quality software, no vendor lock-in, integrated management, simple license management, and lower software costs.
Q: Why do we use open source?
A: An open source is a form of license that permits users to freely alter a work, use it in new ways, incorporate it into a bigger project, or create a new work based on the original. This makes it even more versatile and is a strong reason why various users prefer open-source tools.
Q: What is the most popular open source software?
A: Linux is the most popular open-source software available in the world.
Q: Why is an open source free?
A: Open source software is defined as “free” because it grants users freedom. Therefore, the program is free since it can be used, modified, and distributed without incurring any initial costs.
