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Thread: Best of Class Tools- Open Source or Freeware

  1. #1
    AO Security for Non-Geeks tonybradley's Avatar
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    Best of Class Tools- Open Source or Freeware

    I am curious what the opinion is of AO members about what the best open-source and / or freeware tools are for the various categories of security software. I know that Fyodor has a Top 75 list on the NMap site, but I want to get a sampling of AO opinion.

    What do you think is the best open-source or freeware tool for:

    Firewall
    Antivirus
    Intrusion Detection
    Vulnerability Scanner
    Port Scanning
    Packet Sniffing
    Encryption
    Spam Blocking
    Spyware / Adware Blocking or Removal
    Enumeration Tools
    Other Miscellaneous Tools

    It would be nice if you could also share WHY you feel that way- what about this product makes you nominate it for "best of class"?

  2. #2
    Senior Member nihil's Avatar
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    Hi Tony,

    I am not being "funny" but don't we need to split between *nix and Windows? being as how you mention "open source"?

    Cheers

  3. #3
    AO Security for Non-Geeks tonybradley's Avatar
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    I see the point. I am looking for best of class overall- but it might work as well or better to talk about it in terms of best of class in Windows and best of class in *Nix.

    A good percentage of the best tools require a *Nix backend even if they have a Windows GUI interface- like Nessus. I would still consider Nessus to be the best open-source vulnerability scanner for Windows even though you have to set up a *Nix machine somewhere to actually run it.

    So- I would be happy to see responses either way. Either simply what you think is the best, or broken down by best for Windows and best for *Nix.

  4. #4
    Antionline Herpetologist
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    1,165
    Firewall -- Kerio Personal Firewall for Windows - Nice firewall, very configurable, extremely secure in my experience. IPTables for Linux - 'nuff said.

    Antivirus -- H+BEDV Antivir - Very very good detection rates.

    Intrusion Detection -- No experience in this area, sorry

    Vulnerability Scanner -- Nessus - 'nuff said

    Port Scanning -- NMap for both platforms - do you need to ask why?

    Packet Sniffing -- Windump/TCPDump to capture - Ethereal to analyze

    Encryption -- GPG - Most configurable one I've seen yet

    Spam Blocking -- Don't use any

    Spyware / Adware Blocking or Removal -- Spybot S&D - I like the immunization

    Enumeration Tools -- Nessus

    Other Miscellaneous Tools -- Nemesis packet builder. Very useful for resolving conflicts within the network (For example, you have an IP address conflict between two machines. You send an ARP broadcast and see which machines reply using windump/ethereal. Then resolve the MAC addresses and viola! you have the machines causing the conflict)

    Cheers,
    cgkanchi
    Buy the Snakes of India book, support research and education (sorry the website has been discontinued)
    My blog: http://biology000.blogspot.com

  5. #5
    Senior Member
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    I still don't have much experience in the lines of *nix yet. So my opinions are Windows based.

    Firewall - Norton Personal Firewall 2003. I haven't had any conflicts with this, and it hasn't slowed my internet connenction

    Antivirus - Panda Antivirus...it's the best, and you can do it free online.

    Intrusion Detection - Hmm...Norton does this well, as well as Port Monster 2.0.

    Vulnerability Scanner - I would like to have more info on this myself.

    Port Scanning - I've only used one before, and it doesn't seem to be too great.

    Packet Sniffing - Don't have enough experience to know how these work.

    Encryption - ABI Encoder. Choose from several encryption schemes...up to 400-bit encryption. My friend, Lex Luthor, has "f_engima" that also works quite well.

    Spam Blocking - Google Toolbar...in all seriousness

    Spyware / Adware Blocking or Removal - Ad-Aware 6. That's freeware, correct?

    Enumeration Tools - I wouldn't know

    Other Miscellaneous Tools - 7zip. Best compression program I've ever seen. Fresh Device's Fresh Download. It's a very nice download manager, and very configurable.
    Geek isn't just a four-letter word; it's a six-figure income.

  6. #6
    Just a Virtualized Geek MrLinus's Avatar
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    Intrusion Detection - Snort. 'nuff said (Prelude Hybrid IDS has potential but it's not there yet)

    Spam Blocking - any browser that has popups disabled and CSS page to get rid of flash

    Enumeration Tools - nmap. The original and best IMHO

    Packet Sniffing - tcpdump. Why mess? 'nuff said.

    Vulnerability Scanners - nessus with SARA behind it. Nessus is pretty good but the configuration can be tricky. SARA is a nice decent of the original SATAN. Retina owns the Windows Vul Scanners, IMHO. It's just good.
    Goodbye, Mittens (1992-2008). My pillow will be cold without your purring beside my head
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  7. #7
    Senior Member
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    Firewall-Kerio Personal Firewall
    Antivirus-I like AVG
    Intrusion Detection-Snort
    Vulnerability Scanner-nessus is the only one I have any experience with
    Port Scanning-nmap
    Packet Sniffing-TCPDump
    Encryption-dont really use any
    Spam Blocking-dont use any
    Spyware / Adware Blocking or Removal- AdAware and Spybot S & D
    Enumeration Tools- Netcat
    Other Miscellaneous Tools- There is a little suite of tools called Paketto and it has some really cool/interesting features. Paratrace is particularly neat IMO.
    http://www.AntiOnline.com/sig.php?imageid=517

    the Open Source model doesn\'t offer any great benefit in
    terms of reliability and security. -Bill Gates

  8. #8
    AO Part Timer
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    Firewall.....smoothwall......Norton 2003

    Antivirus.....Norton 2003

    Intrusion Detection.....Norton 2003....never used on nix

    Vulnerability Scanner.......Nessus.....Languard and Retina

    Port Scanning...NMAP either way

    Packet Sniffing......tcpdump..Iris for the lazy (like me)

    Spam Blocking.....Spam Assassian

    Spyware / Adware Blocking or Removal.....Adware, Spyhunter,

    Other Miscellaneous Tools....Active ports is kinda cool



    We've given some answers...What about you now Tony?
    Your heart was talking, not your mind.
    -Tiger Shark

  9. #9
    Member
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    Firewall - Sygate for Windows and IPTables for Linux
    Antivirus - McAfee
    Intrusion Detection - Snort
    Vulnerability Scanner - No experience
    Port Scanning - NMap wins by a mile on both OS's!
    Packet Sniffing - IPTraf for Linux, don't know any good ones that work on Windows
    Encryption - GPG
    Spam Blocking - Don't need one!
    Spyware / Adware Blocking or Removal - Ad-Aware 6.0 for Windows has won
    Enumeration Tools - NetCat
    Other Miscellaneous Tools - The 'net' command in DOS
    -HDD

  10. #10
    Firewall - no_enter (made with Lisp) very stable
    Antivirus - Vscan2.0.1-beta is stable but still beta? http://sourceforge.net
    Intrusion Detection - Tripwire <---Nice
    Vulnerability Scanner - Secure_look.pl <--- http://CPAN.org
    Port Scanning - NMap (there a GUI for it out)
    Packet Sniffing - IPTraf for Linux, don't know any good ones that work on Windows
    Encryption - MD5_GTK++
    Spam Blocking - Never used one I use FreeBSD I havent seen 1 popup
    Spyware / Adware Blocking or Removal -
    Enumeration Tools - NetCat

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