Monitoring as a Means to Security

Monitoring Tools

Monitoring tools are many in the market. Some of the tools are combined to give you a suite of tools or a NMP-Network management platform. Most network management platform deal with

• Access point configuration management.
• IP management
• DNS management
• Event management and reporting
• Application service management
• Flow monitoring,
• Port Scans and management
• SNMP tools
• Trace and Ping tools
• VoIP tools

Some of the tools that are used are

• ipMonitor
• LANsurveyor
• NimBUS
• InterMapper
• SysOrb
• WhatsUp
• Etherpeek
• LANExplorer
• LinkFerret
• Network Probe
• Observer
• PacketBoy
• Sniff'em
• Unsniff Network Analyzer
• WildPackets Omni
• ZoneRanger
• NetStatus
• SiteMonitor
• NetDetecor
• Netflow
• NetQoS

Administrator defense and hackers favorites

Network security scanners are basically scanning tools to detect open ports in the networks or on individual systems. These ports are usually backdoor that Trojans open to send out data from the system.

• Nmap is a port scanner.
• Sam Spade is a multi network query tool that includes ping, whois, traceroute, and finger.
• NetScanTools Pro gathers information about users, IP addresses, ports, and other network specifics.
• SuperScan is a TCP port scanner
• NetCat can read and write data across network connections, using the TCP/IP protocol. Used in port sniffing and debugging

Sniffers is a network security tool that captures application programs that send data out of the network and monitors them.

• Ethereal can be used in UNIX or windows and is a tool preferred by many hacker and Administrators
• Ettercap supports active and passive dissection of many protocols. It is a sniffer, interceptor and logger for Ethernet LANs
• Snort is a free IDS that uses rules and a modular engine to permit and track traffic. It is effective in real time packet logging and traffic analysis.
• DSniff is a used for network auditing and penetration testing. It is basically a collection of various other tools.

Systems Utilities

There are many utilities if used properly can give you the ideal information that can detect and better network security

• Windows Task manager gives you the applications, process, performance and networking information.
• System Information gives you all the information of the computer.
• Firewalls can be configured for better security
• PC tools and Norton utilities are some other famous system utilities that can be used to monitor and log information or recover systems.

What ever be the problems there are a number of tools available in the market. Some of them are freeware and the others are commercial products. These tools may be used by hackers but administrators are doing what hackers do and beating them by securing their networks against hacking.

Related Articles

What Are "Security Handbooks": site/Internet by IETF?
Network Security: Sites, Forums and Tools That Help You
How to Eliminate Major Security Concerns for SME's?

Bookmark this page Email this to your friend Add this page to del.icio.us