Today, maintaining the sanctity and security of your personal computer system is paramount. A single mark of ignorance or wrong move can result in an issue that may lead to compromise of sorts. Miscreants/hackers constantly look for a single wrong move; hence, users ought to always be alert to ensure they are secure and safe. Below are 10 great security tools useful in Linux platform.
Table of Contents
ClamAV
This cross-platform, open source and free antivirus application toolkit is capable of detecting many forms of malicious software like viruses. Among its core uses is server-side mail virus scanning in email servers. ClamAV is built for UNIX; however, it has third-party editions available for BSD, AIX, OS X, Solaris, OpenVMS, HP-UX, OSF (Tru64) and Linux.
Chkrootkit
This ordinary UNIX-based software is aimed at assisting system administrators in checking the systems for recognized root kits. Chkrootkit being a shell script utilizes ordinary Linux/UNIX tools such as grep commands and strings to evaluate essential system software for signatures as well as comparing traversal of /proc file system to the process status (ps) output in search of discrepancies.
PeaZip
This is an open source and free file archiver and manager for Linux, BSD and Windows. PeaZip supports its indigenous PEA format of archive (that incorporates compressions, multivolume divide and adjustable authenticated encryption as well as integrity check systems) as well as other conventional formats although it focuses on open formats. PeaZip (according to version 5.2.0) incorporates 177 extensions in file.
IPCop
This Linux distribution aims at offering easy-to-administer firewall appliance relying on hardware in PC. IPCop as a strong firewall is developed on net filter framework for Linux.
Kismet
This packet filter, intrusion detection application and network detector is useful in 802.11 wireless LAN. Kismet works with several wireless cards that supports the mode for raw monitoring and is able to sniff 802.11b, 802.11a, 802.11n and 802.11g traffic.
Tcpdump
This ordinary packet analyzer runs in command line. Tcpdump allows a user display and interpret TCP/IP as well as other packets received or transmitted in a network where the computer system is attached. Tcpdump is free software distributed under BSD license.
Dsniff
This compilation of tools is useful penetration testing and network auditing. Filesnarf, dsniff, webspy, msgsnarf, mailsnarf and urlsnarf monitors passively a net for captivating data (files, passwords, emails, etc). Dnsspoof, macof and arpspoof facilitate interception of traffic in networks usually unavailable to any attacker (e.g., owing to layer2 switching). Webmitm and sshmitm execute live monkey-in-the-middle attack alongside redirected HTTTPS and SSH session through exploiting poor bindings within PKI in ad-hoc.
Nemesis
This command-line software is for crafting network packet and injection in Windows and UNIX-like systems. The software is suitable for evaluating firewalls, Network Intrusion Detection systems, and IP stacks among other tasks. Being command line propelled utility, the application is ideal in scripting and automation.
Knocker
This easy to exploit scanner for TCP security is built in C in order to evaluate hosts as well as other services running on theme. Knocker is offered to FreeBSD, Linux, Windows9x/2000/NT and HP-UX and licensed under GNU General Public License GPL.
Tcptrace
Shawn Ostermann developed this tool while in Ohio University to analyze dump TCP files. Tcptrace takes files generated by various packet capturing programs as input such programs include snoop, tcpdump, WinDump, HP Net Metrix and etherpeek. The software can generate various forms of output with information regarding every connection seen like segments and bytes received and sent elapsed time, throughput, window advertisements, and retransmissions, round trip times etc. moreover, it can generate various graphs useful in further analysis.