Top 10 Tools Every Cyber Security Professional Should Know

In today's digital world, cyber security professionals are the first line of defense against cyber threats. With new vulnerabilities and attack methods emerging every day, it's important to have the right cyber security tools to detect, prevent and respond to cyber attacks. Here are 10 important tools every internet professional should know. For more, ask CyberCorp to stay protected. 

1. Wireshark

Wireshark is a powerful open source packet analyzer that allows cybersecurity professionals to monitor and analyze network traffic in real time. This feature provides deep visibility into network activity, making it easier to detect malicious traffic, identify security vulnerabilities, and troubleshoot problems.

Why:

- This is an industry standard network analysis tool.

- Can check hundreds of network protocols.

- Good for understanding the flow of data and finding different functions.

2. Nmap

Nmap (Network Map) is one of the best network scanning cyber security tools used to locate devices and services on a network. Commonly used for network inventory, managing service update plans, and monitoring host or service uptime. 

Why it is needed:

- Helps with network exploration and security evaluation.

- Detects open ports, active devices and vulnerabilities.

- Required for penetration testing and vulnerability scanning.

3. Metasploit

Metasploit is an open source penetration testing framework that helps security professionals identify, exploit, and validate vulnerabilities in a system. It is one of the most widely used tools for penetration testing and counter attacks.

Why it's needed:

- Provides a platform for developing and deploying user code.

- Helps to test and improve the network protection system.

- The vulnerability library is essential for vulnerability assessment.

4. Kali Linux

Kali Linux is a Debian-based Linux distribution designed for penetration testing, digital surveillance and security monitoring. It comes pre-installed with hundreds of tools designed for a variety of information security tasks.

Why:

- Provides a variety of security tools on one platform.

- Optimized for tasks like penetration testing and network monitoring.

- Popular in the cyber security community for its great capabilities.

5. Burp Suite

Burp Suite is a popular web vulnerability scanner used to identify security issues in web applications. It provides features such as scanning, auditing, and auditing of web applications to detect vulnerabilities such as SQL injection, scripting, and more.

Why it is needed:

- Enables comprehensive testing of web application security.

- Automates the process of finding web vulnerabilities.

- Regularly updated to keep up with the latest cyber threats.

6. Splunk

Splunk is a powerful tool for searching, monitoring, and analyzing machine-generated data. Security information and incident management (SIEM) is often used to compile reports and correlate data from multiple sources to identify and respond to potential security incidents.

What's important:

- Good for log management and real-time threat detection.

- Helps visualize security data and identify patterns.

- Essential for tracking security threats in complex environments.

7.Snort

Snort is an intrusion detection system (IDS) and intrusion prevention system (IPS). It monitors network traffic in real time and detects suspicious activity based on a set of defined rules.

What it should do:

- Useful for finding known attack patterns.

- Can be configured as a detection or blocking system.

- Widely used for real-time traffic analysis and packet logging.

8. John the Ripper

John the Ripper is a fast and versatile password cracking tool. It is designed to identify weak passwords and test password strength by trying to crack them using various cryptographic techniques.

What is needed:

- Helps identify weak passwords in the system.

- Supports various encryption standards.

- An invaluable tool for penetration testers and system administrators.

9.Nessus

Nessus is one of the most popular vulnerability scanners used to assess network and system security. It carefully scans a system or network to detect security vulnerabilities, including misconfigurations, missing updates, and weak passwords.

Why it's needed:

- Regular update with new vulnerability signatures.

- Scan for known vulnerabilities in operating systems, networks and databases.

- Very useful for regulatory review and vulnerability assessment.

10.OpenVAS

OpenVAS (Open Vulnerability Assessment System) is a comprehensive vulnerability scanner that helps cyber professionals assess security vulnerabilities in their network structure. It is part of the Greenbone network, which provides an open source solution for vulnerability scanning and management.

Why it's needed:

- Supports high-level protocols to perform security tests.

- Detects misconfigurations and security vulnerabilities.

- Good for small and medium vulnerability assessment.

Conclusion

The cyber security tools listed above are essential for cybersecurity professionals looking to improve their ability to detect, analyze, and respond to cyber threats. Each tool has a specific purpose, from network analysis to penetration testing and vulnerability scanning. Using these tools can improve your online security defenses and help you stay one step ahead of cyber criminals.