Top Cyber Security Tools To Know About In 2022

The significance of cyber security tools like Kali Linux needs an instant realization. It includes network forensics, programming, cryptography, encryption, etc., which you can learn here.

Introduction To Cyber Security Tools

Dependence on the cyber world will be an ever-growing phenomenon in the following time. Today, our cyber dependency is everywhere, from the health sector to education, banking to business enterprises. However, if there is wealth, then there are threats. Hence, the importance of cyber security tools like Kali Linux is immense today. Cyber attacks can occur in multiple ways, such as unauthorized data access, identity theft, malware attacks, threats of ransomware, attacking or compromising application security, information security, network security, disaster recovery, operational security, etc. 

There are multiple open-source software and measures presently available on the internet to detect vulnerabilities and protect the computer and network system. Those cyber security tools are mostly used to secure the information and assets of individuals and small businesses to big enterprises. Cyber security tools and software can be categorized by their specific roles, such as Network Security Monitoring tools, Encryption Tools, Web Vulnerability Scanning tools, Network Defence Wireless Tools, Packet Sniffers, Antivirus Software, Firewall, PKI Services, Detection Services, and Penetration Testing.

This article discusses different cyber security tools and their functionalities like Kali Linux, Splunk, OSSEC, etc..

Network Security Monitoring Tools

Cyber security experts use these tools to filter network data and detect contagious network-dwelling threats. Some examples are elaborated below:

Splunk

Splunk is a scalable cyber security tool that analysis machine-generated big data in real-time to ensure network security. Splunk examines historical searches to detect probable threats. This easy-to-use software comes with an interface to index, manage data, send notifications and alerts, and maintain dashboards and graphs in real-time.

OSSEC

OSSEC is an open-source cyber security tool that enables a host-based Intrusion Detection System(HIDS) to perform the most advanced endpoint detection and response(EDR). Host-based Intrusion Detection System provide facilities in multiple ways, such as analyzing logs, integrity checking, monitoring registry, rootkit detection, time-based alerting, and proper responses. OSSEC can easily integrate with CDNs and other third-party portals.

AIRCRACK-NG 

AIRCRACK-NG is a network security tool with a suite of services to provide a wide range of internet security. The program can conduct extensive analysis to find WIFI network vulnerabilities and misconduct. It inspects multiple areas in the WIFI network to find weaknesses, packet capturing, and exporting data to text files for extensive examination by an independent agency. Secondly, AIRCRACK-NG can conduct packet injection to replay attacks and mark fake access points. 

Encryption Tools

Such tools are used to transform sensitive user data into an unreadable form. The encrypted data can be reread only after decryption by an authorized user. Examples are Tor, KeePass, etc.

Tor 

Tor is open-source, free software that makes sure users are anonymous and undetectable and help them to make communication. It is made to hide the user’s location and history of usage from cyber probes or surveillance. Tor sends internet traffic through a volunteer overlay network to minimize surveillance. This network is free worldwide and can consist of more than 7000 relays to conceal a user’s location and identity. 

KeePass

KeePass is an open-source password managing system primarily designed for Windows but works with Linux and Mac through MONO. It keeps safe all kinds of passwords of a user in a single storage system. It keeps and manages usernames and passwords of different necessary e-elements of an individual or organization like email accounts, network login credentials, websites, web servers, and even other services like file attachments in an encrypted file and the storing database of all files. A unique master key can unlock this storing database. KeePass database encryption uses the most secure algorithms, AES-256, ChaCha20, and Twofish. That can encrypt the whole database storage. 

VeraCrypt

VeraCrypt is a free and open-source tool that offers users to create virtual encrypted disks and partitions. This disk encryption can work on Linux, Windows, and Mac OSX. It creates a virtual encrypted disk within a file to work as a regular disk on the system. This tool has the ability to encrypt storage devices like USB flash drives or entire partitions to keep documents and other essentials safe before storing them in the cloud or other storage. VeraCrypt can perform pre-boot authentication by encrypting a drive or partition on a Windows OS.

GnuPG

GnuPG is a free open source software that helps to conceal users’ internet presence by encryption and allows them to sign their data and communication. It comes with multiple features, a long range of key management systems, is adaptable to integrate with different systems, and maintains access modules for all kinds of public key logs.

Web Vulnerability Scanning Tools

Major security threats such as SQL injection attacks, site scripting, etc., are detected using vulnerability scanning tools over the world wide web. Nikto and OpenVas are good examples.

Nikto 

Nikto is open-source, free software that scans web servers for dangerous files/CGIs, outdated or unwanted server software, and vulnerabilities in the command lines. Nikto’s scanning can detect more than 6,700 harmful files and programs. It can find out outdated versions of more than 1250 servers. Even its web scanner can detect version-specific problems on over 270 servers.

OpenVas 

OpenVas or Open Vulnerability Assessment System is an open-sourced free tool that can be used to detect vulnerabilities in a system using its database exploits and weaknesses. OpenVas vulnerability scanner offers a suite of tools that helps to perform authenticated or unauthenticated testing on different high-level and low-level cyber programs. Users can perform large-scale scanning with this tool. Further, it allows users to take advantage of its internal language to run any kind of vulnerability scanning. 

Penetration Testing

Such tools crosscheck the security of a system by making a simulated attack on it. Various attack methods are used to check the competence of a security system. Few such cyber security tools are mentioned below.

• Metasploit framework: 

Metasploit framework is an open-source sub-project of the Metasploit Project that detects system security vulnerabilities in assists with penetration testing and IDS signature development. This Ruby-based penetration testing tool enables users to write tests and execute exploit code. It also provides a bunch of tools that can be used to test system vulnerabilities, enumerate networks, execute attacks, and avoid detection. It can run on Unix (including Linux and macOS) and Windows.

• Kali Linux: 

Kali Linux is a penetration testing tool for various forensic testing and ethical hacking. It is a Linux distributed system with around 600 hundred penetrating tools to observe and examine. It has prepackaged tools for delivering payloads and supporting other forensic cyber investigations. This system works on embedded devices such as Raspberry Pi, Beaglebone, Samsung Chromebook, HP, and the Android OS.

• Wireshark

Wireshark is a widely known free open source security tool primarily used for network protocol analysis. Wireshark assists in detecting network troubleshooting, software and communication protocol developments, and education. This security tool can provide inspecting the network at a microscopic level. Wireshark can run on various operating systems, Windows, Linux, macOS, FreeBSD, NetBSD, Solaris, and Unix. 

• Intruder

The intruder is a security tool to find out about cyber attacks online by performing its vulnerability scanner and sending alerts about the probable attacks before important data lose. It can detect over 9,000 vulnerabilities and over 67,000 local checks accessible for previous vulnerabilities. It also provides unlimited scanning on-demand and PCI ASV scans.

Antivirus Software

This software detects viruses and other malicious malware, such as Trojans, worms, spyware, and adware.

• Malwarebytes:

Malwarebytes creates anti-malware security systems for different operating systems such as Windows, iOS, Chrome OS, and Android. This anti-virus software works in real-time to stop viruses and ransomware, removes adware, spyware, and malware from systems, and prevents visiting harmful websites accidentally. This software scans files in batch mode rather than scanning every opened file. That allows more scope for similar software to run in the system without interferences. Malwarebytes, on average, blocks and identifies more than 80,00,000 cyber threats each day. 

• Bitfinder Totalsecurity: 

BitfinderTotalsecurity is another cyber security software that gives protection from multiple e-threats. BitfinderTotalsecurity saves systems from viruses, malware, ransomware, adware attacks, etc. The VPN service can encrypt a user’s all Internet traffic, which provides the user anonymity on their internet presence. BitfinderTotalsecurity is made for the most popular operating systems like macOS, Windows, iOS, and Android.

Network Intrusion Detection

An intrusion detection system (IDS) monitors the network and system traffic and alerts the administrator if any odd or suspicious activity is found. Examples include Security Onion and Snort.

• Security Onion

Security Onion is another open-source, free software for Linux. This security tool detects cyber attacks, examines security measures, and logs management. Security onion comes with different security tools Snort, Suricata, Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana, Zeek, OSSEC, Wazuh, NetworkMiner, Sguil, Squirt, etc. This one-platform security system provides multiple security measures to individuals or enterprises. 

• Snort 

Snort is a free and open-source rule-based Intrusion Prevention System(IPS) and Intrusion Detection System(IDS). That offers to detect harmful network activities. Snort allows its rule-based language system to merge anomaly, protocol, and signature inspection methods to detect packets that work against those threats and send notifications beforehand to the users. Snort can function mainly in three ways: as a packet sniffer like TCPDUMP or as a packet logger to debug network traffic. Moreover, it can work even as a total network intrusion prevention system. Snort is available for personal and business uses.

• NMAP 

NMAP is for Network mapper or scanner, a system made for penetration testing, examining the security of a computer network. It helps to identify hosts, operating systems, and services on a computer network system by sending TCP and UDP packets and examining responses. NMAP can identify the other vulnerabilities in the system. This security tool has network condition adaptability features such as latency and congestion during scanning. This open-source cyber security tool supports operating systems like Linux, Windows, and Mac OS X. NMap is designed to examine large networks, although it can perform on a single host as well.

• Packet Sniffers

A packet sniffer is employed to intercept, log, and analyze network traffic and data. Examples include Wireshark, Tcpdump, Cain and Abel, John the Ripper, etc.

• Cain and Abel: 

Cain and Abel is a password recovery, packet sniffing cyber security tool made for Windows OS. This tool is a password recovery program that enables various methods to recover different kinds of passwords and password flaws. Cain and Abel can perform network packet sniffing, record VoIP communications, decode and break encrypted passwords, analyze routing protocols, perform dictionary attacks, cryptanalysis attacks, and so on. Especially this tool very efficiently performs cryptanalysis.

• John the Ripper

John the Ripper is widely known for free password testing and cracking software, which industry professionals use to examine password strength and vulnerabilities. It has a suite to keep several password crackers combined and can search for complex ciphers, hash-type passwords, encrypted logins, and detect vulnerable passwords in the system. John the Ripper effectively runs on different systems such as Unix, Windows, DOS, OpenVMS, etc.

Managed Detection Services

Managed detection services conduct analysis, proactively find dangers, and ultimately get rid of them. Alerts are evaluated to establish whether any action is necessary. Mimecast and Lifelock can be called managed detection services.

• Mimecast: 

Mimecast is a cloud-based e-mail management security system. It is developed to give cyber security to small businesses to big enterprises. Managing their cloud achieve, simplifying e-mail storage and access system, and giving security to e-mail services. Currently, Mimecast manages email security services for Microsoft Exchange and Microsoft Office 365, etc.

• Lifelock: 

Lifelock is made to protect against identity theft. It provides a bunch of personal protection security tools and examines credit scores and the use of personal information. Otherwise, it provides multiple services like credit monitoring, credit file locks, data breach notifications, stolen funds reimbursement, payday loan checks, etc. 

Conclusion 

Above mentioned open-source software, such as Kali Linux, John the Ripper, NMAP, Snort, etc., can minimize different kinds of threats in the Internet Industry. CompTIA conducted a survey showing a recorded rise in the cyber security market. The growth of cybersecurity incidents has led to an increased need for skilled cybersecurity professionals. In fact, it’s estimated that there will be 3.5 million unfilled cybersecurity jobs by the end of 2025. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job market is expected to grow 33% between 2020 and 2030. The same report also noticed heavy use of cyber security measures by 17% of the small businesses, 20% of the middle-level organization, and 26% of the large enterprises. The open-source market is majorly occupied by cyber security tools. Knowing about cyber security tools gives an edge to fight against data breaches in the internet industry and a lucrative field to study and build a career as a cyber security expert. UNext Jigsaw’s Postgraduate Certificate Program in Cybersecurity could be a good choice for individuals willing to build strong careers in this field. It comes with a placement guarantee feature.