The Top 50 Security Tools Every Organization Should Know

12 min readJan 11, 2023

Don’t fall victim to cyber-attacks: Arm yourself with knowledge of the most powerful security tools.

The need for comprehensive Cybersecurity has never been stronger as the world becomes increasingly digital. It’s critical to understand the various security solutions available to protect our networks, systems, and data. In this article, we’ll look at some of the most prevalent security tools and how they may be utilized to safeguard your business.

1. Nmap:

This is a popular open-source tool for network exploration and management. It can be used to scan networks and identify live hosts, open ports, and other information.

2. Wireshark:

This is a popular network protocol analyzer that can be used to capture and analyze network traffic. It can be used to analyze network traffic to learn more about network protocols, troubleshoot network issues, and identify security issues.

3. sqlmap:

This is an open-source penetration testing tool that automates the process of detecting and exploiting SQL injection flaws and taking over database servers.

4. John the Ripper:

It is a fast password-cracking tool, it uses dictionary attack, brute-force, and also cryptanalysis attack, and it supports various hash formats.

5. Metasploit:

This is a framework for developing, testing, and executing exploits. It contains a large collection of exploits, payloads, and auxiliary modules that can be used to test the security of systems and networks.

6. Burp Suite:

This is a set of tools for performing web application security testing. It includes tools for intercepting and modifying web traffic, spidering web applications, and automated testing.

7. Aircrack-ng:

This is a set of tools for wireless network security. It includes tools for capturing and analyzing wireless network traffic, cracking wireless encryption, and identifying wireless network vulnerabilities.

8. Nessus:

Nessus is one of the most popular vulnerability scanners available. It is used for identifying vulnerabilities in systems, networks, and applications. Nessus can scan for vulnerabilities such as missing security patches, out-of-date software, and misconfigured devices.

9. Cain and Abel:

This is a password-cracking tool that can be used to recover lost or forgotten passwords. It can crack various types of encryption, including Windows and Linux login passwords, and can also perform man-in-the-middle attacks to intercept and crack network traffic.

10. Maltego:

This is an open-source intelligence and forensics tool that can be used to analyze and visualize data from a variety of sources, such as DNS records, social media profiles, and SSL certificates. It can be used to identify relationships and patterns in data and can be useful for threat hunting, reconnaissance, and OSINT.

11. Sleuthkit:

It is a digital forensics tool that helps to investigate and find evidence of any incident on a system or a device.

12. OWASP ZAP:

It is an open-source web application security scanner. It is designed to be used by both, those new to application security as well as professional penetration testers. ZAP provides automated scanners as well as a set of tools that allow you to find security vulnerabilities manually.

13. Social-Engineering toolkit (SET):

This is a toolkit that can be used to perform various types of social engineering attacks, such as phishing attacks and credential harvesting.

14. OllyDbg:

It is a Reverse Engineering tool that can be used to analyze and understand the inner workings of binary executables. These tools can be used to examine the functionality of the software and identify vulnerabilities, such as buffer overflows and other types of bugs that can be exploited by attackers.

15. OpenVAS:

It is a Vulnerability scanner that can automatically scan a network, system, or web application for known vulnerabilities and security misconfigurations. It can also provide recommendations on how to remediate the issues that they identify.

16. NAXSI:

It is a tool that is placed in front of web servers to protect against web-based attacks. It works by inspecting incoming HTTP traffic and blocking malicious requests based on predefined rules and policies.

17. Bro IDS:

It is a tool that can be used to detect and prevent network intrusions. It works by analyzing network traffic and comparing it against a set of rules to identify suspicious activity. It can also perform traffic analysis and packet logging.

18. BackTrack:

It is a distribution that includes a wide range of tools for penetration testing, vulnerability scanning, and forensic analysis. These tools can be used to test the security of networks, systems, and web applications, and to identify vulnerabilities that attackers could exploit.

19. Tripwire:

It is a File integrity monitoring (FIM) tool used to detect changes in the files on a system and alert when unauthorized changes are made. It can be used to detect malicious activity, configuration changes, and other events that might indicate a security incident.

20. SonarQube:

It is a tool that can be used to review the source code of a software project to identify security vulnerabilities and other issues. It can also be used to check the code against a set of predefined coding standards and best practices.

21. TrueCrypt:

It is a Cryptography tool that is used to encrypt and decrypt data and also to test the strength of encryption.

22. Nexpose:

This is used to identify vulnerabilities in network devices, servers, and other systems on a network. It can scan for open ports, services, and software versions and then match that information against a database of known vulnerabilities.

23. Honeyd:

It is a honeypot that is a security resource whose value lies in being probed, attacked, or compromised. It is essentially a trap that is set to detect, deflect, or study attempts to gain unauthorized access to information systems.

24. Snort:

Snort is a free and open-source network intrusion detection system (IDS) and network intrusion prevention system (IPS). It is capable of performing real-time traffic analysis and packet logging on Internet Protocol (IP) networks.

25. REMnux:

It is a Malware Analysis Tool that is used for analyzing and understanding the behavior of malware samples. These tools can help security experts determine how malware propagates and what it does on an infected system.

26. Logwatch:

As the name suggests, it is a Log analysis tool that is used to analyze and review log files from various systems and services to identify security-related events and suspicious activity.

27. AWS Security Hub:

It is a Cloud security tool specifically designed to help secure workloads running on cloud environments. It can be used to monitor and protect cloud infrastructure and applications, detect and respond to security incidents, and enforce security policies.

28. Autopsy:

This tool can be used to investigate and analyze data from digital devices, such as hard drives, USB drives, and mobile devices. It can be used to identify and extract evidence of criminal activity, such as deleted files and artifacts left behind by malware.

29. StackRox:

It is a Container security tool which is designed to help secure containerized environments and applications, and can be used to detect and prevent container vulnerabilities, misconfiguration, and malware, and also to provide continuous security validation.

30. Forcepoint DLP:

It is a Data Leakage Prevention tool that is designed to monitor, detect and prevent sensitive data from being leaked from a company’s network to unauthorized parties. This type of tool will use various methods such as DLP rules, keywords, and even machine learning to identify and protect sensitive data.

31. Carbon Black:

It is an Incident Response tool that provides an automated way to respond to security incidents, such as malware outbreaks, network intrusions, and other types of attacks. It can be used to identify the scope of an incident, contain it, eradicate it and recover from it.

32. Swimlane:

It is a Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR) tool which provides an automated way to respond to security incidents, across multiple security tools and systems. It allows for the automation of repetitive tasks and workflows, speeds up incident response, and improves communication between security teams.

33. Bitglass:

It is a Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB), it provides visibility and control over cloud application usage and access. CASBs can detect and prevent misconfigurations, monitor user activity, and enforce security policies and compliance.

34. Verodin Behavioral AI:

It is a Behavioral Analytics tool designed to detect and respond to threats by analyzing the behavior of users and devices on a network. It can be used to detect anomalies and suspicious activity and trigger automated incident response actions.

35. LogRhythm:

It is a Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) tool designed to collect and analyze log data from various sources such as servers, network devices, and applications. SIEM tools can be used to identify security incidents and to correlate event data from multiple sources to provide a comprehensive view of security-related activity.

36. OneLogin:

It is an Identity and Access Management (IAM) tool designed to manage the identity and access of users and devices to applications and resources. It can be used to enforce access controls, manage credentials, and track user activity to detect suspicious activity.

37. OpenVPN:

It is a Virtual Private Network (VPN) that allows remote users and devices to securely connect to a network as if they were directly connected to it. VPN tools can be used to encrypt network traffic and protect against eavesdropping, spoofing, and other types of attacks.

38. Authy:

It is a Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) tool which is an authentication method that requires the user to provide two or more forms of identification. MFA tools can be used to protect against account takeover and other types of attacks by requiring something the user knows (like a password) as well as something the user has (like a phone or security token).

39. Mimecast:

It is an Email security tool used to protect against email-borne threats such as spam, phishing, malware, and ransomware. They include features such as anti-spam and anti-malware filtering, email encryption, and DLP.

40. Kaspersky Endpoint Security:

This tool is designed to protect endpoints such as desktops, laptops, and servers from malware, intrusion, and other types of threats. It includes features such as antivirus, firewall, intrusion prevention, and host-based intrusion detection.

41. Prisma Cloud:

It is a Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) tool that provides visibility into the security of cloud-based environments and helps organizations assess, track and improve the security posture of their cloud resources.

42. Tripwire:

43. Chef:

It is a Security Automation and Orchestration tool used to automate repetitive and time-consuming security tasks such as configuration management, incident response, and compliance enforcement. It allows security teams to respond quickly to threats and improve overall security posture.

44. ThreatConnect:

It is a Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) tool used to collect, analyze, and act on threat intelligence from various sources to identify, understand and respond to current and emerging threats.

45. AirWatch:

It is a Mobile Device Management (MDM) tool used to manage, secure, and monitor mobile devices that access an organization’s resources. It allows organizations to secure data, enforce policies and remotely wipe or lock a device if it’s lost or stolen.

46. Cisco Umbrella:

It is a DNS protection tool that provides an additional layer of security to your DNS infrastructure. It can be used to block malicious domains and prevent malware from communicating with command and control servers.

47. FileZilla:

It is a Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) tool used to securely transfer files over a network. It encrypts the data being transferred and authenticates the user before allowing the file transfer to take place.

48. Ansible:

It is a Security Configuration Management tool used to automate repetitive and time-consuming security tasks such as configuration management, incident response, and compliance enforcement. It allows security teams to respond to threats and improve overall security posture quickly.

49. RSA NetWitness:

It is a Security Analytics tool used to provide real-time visibility into the security of a network, systems, and applications. It can be used to detect, investigate, and respond to security incidents in near real-time.

50. ForeScout:

It is a Network Access Control (NAC) tool used to secure network access and prevent unauthorized devices from connecting to a network. It can be used to enforce policies, detect and block malicious devices, and provide secure access to authorized devices.

(Use these technologies in a controlled environment since they have the potential to be both useful and destructive)

Bonus:

Refer to the following to learn how to use these tools:
→ Type: “man [tool name here]” in terminal.
→ YouTube channel: Null Byte.

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