3 Network Security Tools that are important to know

What are Network Security Tools?

Network security tools, which can be hardware- or software-based, assist security teams in thwarting attacks on their organization's networks, vital infrastructure, and confidential data. Depending on the exact task security teams are trying to do, a range of tools can be employed.

Below is a list of 5 Network Security Tools That You Should Know -

1. Metasploit

Cybercriminals and ethical hackers can both use the robust Metasploit framework to scan servers and networks for systemic weaknesses. It may be used with most operating systems and is highly customizable because it is an open-source framework.

Installation process of Metasploit -

Step 1: If you have not installed termux then install it from the play store.

Step 2: Run the following command :

$ apt update
$ apt upgrade -y
        

Step 3: Install the required packages using this command:

$ pkg install wget curl openssh git -y        

Step 4: Now we need to install nucurses utility programming library

$ apt install ncurses-utils        

Step 5: We have fulfilled all the necessary requirements for Metasploit 6. Now run only

single command to install Metasploit 6:

$ source <(curl -fsSL https://kutt.it/msf)        

Metasploit 6 is successfully installed on your device you can check it using the below

command:

$ metasploit        

Uses of Metasploit

The Metasploit Framework is an open source framework that encourages the discovery of vulnerabilities, the development of exploits, and the development of unique security solutions.

Importance of Metasploit

The fact that Metasploit is open source and constantly maintained is among the main arguments in favor of using it. There are numerous other expensive tools available for conducting penetration testing. However, Metasploit gives users access to the source code so they can create their own modules. The community edition of Metasploit is typically favored for learning purposes even though the Pro version is a paid upgrade.

2. Nexpose

Nexpose is a vulnerability scanning tool. It can be purchased as an appliance, managed service, standalone software, virtual machine, or private cloud deployment. The web browser can be used by the user to communicate with nexpose.

Installation Process :

There are two installation options:

1. Security Console with a local Scan Engine
2. Scan Engine only

Steps:

1. Make sure your installer and checksum file are in the same directory.
2. Open a command prompt and browse to the directory where your installer and checksum are located.
3. Run the following command, substituting <installer_file_name> with the appropriate value:

certutil -hashfile <installer_file_name> sha512        

1. Run the installer.
2. An installation wizard will guide you through the steps. You’ll decide on the considerations mentioned previously throughout the process.

Uses of Nexpose:

• Nexpose permits the users to allot a risk score to the detected vulnerabilities so that they may be prioritized as per the security levels.
• Nexpose helps IT teams to get real-time scanning of the network and detect network vulnerabilities. It also continuously refreshes and adapts to new threats in software and data. 

Importance of Nexpose :

• Nexpose provides real-time network traffic.
• It provides a risk score and helps IT teams prioritize the risk as per the security levels.
• It shows the IT teams different actions they can take immediately to reduce the risk.

3. Nikto

A web server can be scanned with Nikto. It is an open-source application created in the Perl programming language that searches for potential server entry points. Additionally, it can look for outdated version information on 1200 servers and discover problems with specific version information on more than 200 servers. You may learn how to install and use it on Ubuntu Linux by reading this post.

Installation

Ubuntu already has Perl installed. So, all that is required is to download the tool, unpack it, and run the command with the appropriate settings.

Following are the steps to install Nikto

1. Launch terminal and type the following wget

https://github.com/sullo/nikto/archive/master.zip        

2. Next, unpack it with an archive manager tool or use tar and gzip together with this command.

unzip master.zicd nikto-master/program
nikto-master/program$ perl nikto.pp        

3. Type nikto.pl to check whether the installation was successful. If it was successful, it will show

+ ERROR: No host or URL specified        

Uses of Nikto

• Nikto is an open source scanner that helps you find potential security threats in your websites and web applications. 
• Its fully automated vulnerability scanning and can find issues like service misconfigurations, insecure files/programs, and thousands of other security issues. 
• Nikto can also be paired with other network tools such as metasploit.

Usage

1. Now that we have nikto installed on our system, we can go ahead and start scanning with this tool.
2. To view all the commands which Nikto makes us available, use

> nikto -Help        

1. To perform a single domain scan, use the -h flag. -h stands for host

> nikto -h scanme.nmap.org        

1. To scan IP addresses of a web server, we can pass it directly with the -h flag

> nikto -h 45.33.32.156        

1. For domains that have HTTPS enabled, we need to perform a scan with SSL

>  nikto -h https://nmap.org -ssl        

Importance of Nikto :

• Nikto can perform comprehensive tests against web servers for multiple security threats, including over 6700 potentially dangerous files/programs. 
• Nikto can also perform checks for outdated web servers software, and version-specific problems.