DISC InfoSec blogSecurity Tools Archives

Nov 03 2025

AI Governance Gap Assessment tool

Category: AI,AI Governance,AI Guardrails,ISO 42001,Security Tools — disc7 @ 9:05 am

Interactive AI Governance Gap Assessment tool with:

I had a conversation with a CIO last week who said:

“We have 47 AI systems in production. I couldn’t tell you how many are high-risk, who owns them, or if we’re compliant with anything.”

This is more common than you think.

As AI regulations tighten (EU AI Act, state-level laws, ISO 42001), the “move fast and figure it out later” approach is becoming a liability.

We built a free assessment tool to help organizations like yours get clarity:

→ Score your AI governance maturity (0-100) → Identify exactly where your gaps are → Get a personalized compliance roadmap

It takes 5 minutes and requires zero prep work.

Whether you’re just starting your AI governance journey or preparing for certification, this assessment shows you exactly where to focus.

Key Features:

15 questions covering critical governance areas (ISO 42001, EU AI Act, risk management, ethics, etc.)
Progressive disclosure – 15 questions → Instant score → PDF report
Automated scoring (0-100 scale) with maturity level interpretation
Top 3 gap identification with specific recommendations
Professional design with gradient styling and smooth interactions

Business email, company information, and contact details are required to instantly release your assessment results.

How it works:

User sees compelling intro with benefits
Answers 15 multiple-choice questions with progress tracking
Must submit contact info to see results
Gets instant personalized score + top 3 priority gaps
Schedule free consultation

🚀 Test Your AI Governance Readiness in Minutes!

Click ⏬ below to open an AI Governance Gap Assessment in your browser or click the image above to start. 📋 15 questions 📊 Instant maturity score 📄 Detailed PDF report 🎯 Top 3 priority gaps

ai_governance_assessment-v1.5 Download

Built by AI governance experts. Used by compliance leaders.

AIGovernance #RiskManagement #Compliance

Trust Me AI Governance

Click the ISO 42001 Awareness Quiz — it will open in your browser in full-screen mode

iso42001_quizDownload

🚀 Limited-Time Offer: Free ISO/IEC 42001 Compliance Assessment!

Evaluate your organization’s compliance with mandatory AIMS clauses through our 5-Level Maturity Model — at no cost until the end of this month.

✅ Identify compliance gaps
✅ Get instant maturity insights
✅ Strengthen your AI governance readiness

📩 Contact us today to claim your free ISO 42001 assessment before the offer ends!

Protect your AI systems — make compliance predictable.
Expert ISO-42001 readiness for small & mid-size orgs. Get a AI Risk vCISO-grade program without the full-time cost. Think of AI risk like a fire alarm—our register tracks risks, scores impact, and ensures mitigations are in place before disaster strikes.

Check out our earlier posts on AI-related topics: AI topic

Tags: #AIGovernance #RiskManagement #Compliance, AI Governance Gap Assessment Tool

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Sep 03 2025

An AI-Powered Brute-Force Tool for Ethical Security Testing

Category: AI,Information Security,Security Tools — disc7 @ 2:05 pm

Summary of the Help Net Security article.

BruteForceAI is a free, open-source penetration testing tool that enhances traditional brute-force attacks by integrating large language models (LLMs). It automates identification of login form elements—such as username and password fields—by analyzing HTML content and deducing the correct selectors.

After mapping out the login structure, the tool conducts multi-threaded brute-force or password-spraying attacks. It simulates human-like behavior by randomizing timing, introducing slight delays, and varying the user-agent—concealing its activity from conventional detection systems.

Intended for legitimate security use, BruteForceAI is geared toward authorized penetration testing, academic research, self-assessment of one’s applications, and participation in bug bounty programs—always within proper legal and ethical bounds. It is freely available on GitHub for practitioners to explore and deploy.

By combining intelligence-powered analysis and automated attack execution, BruteForceAI streamlines what used to be a tedious and manual process. It automates both discovery (login field detection) and exploitation (attack execution). This dual capability can significantly speed up testing workflows for security professionals.

BruteForceAI

BruteForceAI represents a meaningful leap in how penetration testers can validate and improve authentication safeguards. On the positive side, its automation and intelligent behavior modeling could expedite thorough and realistic attack simulations—especially useful for uncovering overlooked vulnerabilities hidden in login logic or form implementations.

That said, such power is a double-edged sword. There’s an inherent risk that malicious actors could repurpose the tool for unauthorized attacks, given its stealthy methods and automation. Its detection evasion tactics—mimicking human activity to avoid being flagged—could be exploited by bad actors to evade traditional defenses. For defenders, this heightens the importance of deploying robust controls like rate limiting, behavioral monitoring, anomaly detection, and multi-factor authentication.

In short, as a security tool it’s impressive and helpful—if used responsibly. Ensuring it remains in the hands of ethical professionals and not abused requires awareness, cautious deployment, and informed defense strategies.

Download

This tool is designed for responsible and ethical use, including authorized penetration testing, security research and education, testing your own applications, and participating in bug bounty programs within the proper scope.

BruteForceAI is available for free on GitHub.

Source: BruteForce AI

DISC InfoSec previous posts on AI category

Tags: Brute-Force Tool

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Jul 21 2025

Effortless Compliance: Customizable Toolkits for ISO, Cybersecurity, and More

Category: cyber security,ISO 27k,Security Tools — disc7 @ 9:57 am

We’re pleased to introduce a powerful solution to help you and your audience simplify documentation for management systems and compliance projects—the IT Governance Publishing toolkits. These toolkits include customizable templates and pre-written, standards-compliant policies and procedures designed to make documentation faster, easier, and audit-ready.

Key Benefits:

Streamlined Documentation: Tailored templates reduce the time and effort needed to develop comprehensive documentation.
Built-in Compliance: Policies and procedures are aligned with industry regulations and frameworks, helping ensure readiness for audits and certifications.

To support promotion, ready-to-use banners are available in the “Creative” section—each with a deep link for easy integration on your site.

Why Choose These Toolkits?
They’re thoughtfully designed to eliminate the complexity of compliance documentation—whether for ISO standards, cybersecurity, or sector-specific requirements—making them an ideal resource for your audience.

Opinion:
These toolkits are a valuable asset, especially for consultants, compliance teams, or businesses lacking the time or expertise to start from scratch. Their structured, professional content not only saves time but also boosts confidence in achieving and maintaining compliance.

ISO 27001 Compliance: Reduce Risks and Drive Business Value

ISO 27001:2022 Risk Management Steps

How to Continuously Enhance Your ISO 27001 ISMS (Clause 10 Explained)

Continual improvement doesn’t necessarily entail significant expenses. Many enhancements can be achieved through regular internal audits, management reviews, and staff engagement. By fostering a culture of continuous improvement, organizations can maintain an ISMS that effectively addresses current and emerging information security risks, ensuring resilience and compliance with ISO 27001 standards.

ISO 27001 Compliance and Certification

ISMS and ISO 27k training

Security Risk Assessment and ISO 27001 Gap Assessment

At DISC InfoSec, we streamline the entire process—guiding you confidently through complex frameworks such as ISO 27001, and SOC 2.

Here’s how we help:

Conduct gap assessments to identify compliance challenges and control maturity
Deliver straightforward, practical steps for remediation with assigned responsibility
Ensure ongoing guidance to support continued compliance with standard
Confirm your security posture through risk assessments and penetration testing

Let’s set up a quick call to explore how we can make your cybersecurity compliance process easier.

ISO 27001 certification validates that your ISMS meets recognized security standards and builds trust with customers by demonstrating a strong commitment to protecting information.

Feel free to get in touch if you have any questions about the ISO 27001 Internal audit or certification process.

Successfully completing your ISO 27001 audit confirms that your Information Security Management System (ISMS) meets the required standards and assures your customers of your commitment to security.

Get in touch with us to begin your ISO 27001 audit today.

ISO 27001:2022 Annex A Controls Explained

Preparing for an ISO Audit: Essential Tips and Best Practices for a Successful Outcome

Is a Risk Assessment required to justify the inclusion of Annex A controls in the Statement of Applicability?

Many companies perceive ISO 27001 as just another compliance expense?

ISO 27001: Guide & key Ingredients for Certification

DISC InfoSec Previous posts on ISO27k

ISO certification training courses.

ISMS and ISO 27k training

Difference Between Internal and External Audit

Tags: cybersecurity, ISO, toolkits

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Jul 01 2025

The NIST Gap Assessment Tool will cost-effectively assess your organization against the NIST SP 800-171 standard

Category: Information Security,NIST CSF,Security Tools — disc7 @ 1:49 pm

The NIST Gap Assessment Tool is a structured resource—typically a checklist, questionnaire, or software tool—used to evaluate an organization’s current cybersecurity or risk management posture against a specific NIST framework. The goal is to identify gaps between existing practices and the standards outlined by NIST, so organizations can plan and prioritize improvements.

The NIST SP 800-171 standard is primarily used by non-federal organizations—especially contractors and subcontractors—that handle Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) on behalf of the U.S. federal government.

Specifically, it’s used by:

Defense Contractors – working with the Department of Defense (DoD).
Contractors/Subcontractors – serving other civilian federal agencies (e.g., DOE, DHS, GSA).
Universities & Research Institutions – receiving federal research grants and handling CUI.
IT Service Providers – managing federal data in cloud, software, or managed service environments.
Manufacturers & Suppliers – in the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) who process CUI in any digital or physical format.

Why it matters:

Compliance with NIST 800-171 is required under DFARS 252.204-7012 for DoD contractors and is becoming a baseline for other federal supply chains. Organizations must implement the 110 security controls outlined in NIST 800-171 to protect the confidentiality of CUI.

✅ NIST 800-171 Compliance Checklist

1. Access Control (AC)

Limit system access to authorized users.
Separate duties of users to reduce risk.
Control remote and internal access to CUI.
Manage session timeout and lock settings.

2. Awareness & Training (AT)

Train users on security risks and responsibilities.
Provide CUI handling training.
Update training regularly.

3. Audit & Accountability (AU)

Generate audit logs for events.
Protect audit logs from modification.
Review and analyze logs regularly.

4. Configuration Management (CM)

Establish baseline configurations.
Control changes to systems.
Implement least functionality principle.

5. Identification & Authentication (IA)

Use unique IDs for users.
Enforce strong password policies.
Implement multifactor authentication.

6. Incident Response (IR)

Establish an incident response plan.
Detect, report, and track incidents.
Conduct incident response training and testing.

7. Maintenance (MA)

Perform system maintenance securely.
Control and monitor maintenance tools and activities.

8. Media Protection (MP)

Protect and label CUI on media.
Sanitize or destroy media before disposal.
Restrict media access and transfer.

9. Physical Protection (PE)

Limit physical access to systems and facilities.
Escort visitors and monitor physical areas.
Protect physical entry points.

10. Personnel Security (PS)

Screen individuals prior to system access.
Ensure CUI access is revoked upon termination.

11. Risk Assessment (RA)

Conduct regular risk assessments.
Identify and evaluate vulnerabilities.
Document risk mitigation strategies.

12. Security Assessment (CA)

Develop and maintain security plans.
Conduct periodic security assessments.
Monitor and remediate control effectiveness.

13. System & Communications Protection (SC)

Protect CUI during transmission.
Separate system components handling CUI.
Implement boundary protections (e.g., firewalls).

14. System & Information Integrity (SI)

Monitor systems for malicious code.
Apply security patches promptly.
Report and correct flaws quickly.

The NIST Gap Assessment Toolkit will cost-effectively assess your organization against the NIST SP 800-171 standard. It will help you to:

Understand the NIST SP 800-171 requirements for storing, processing, and transmitting CUI (Controlled Unclassified Information)
Quickly identify your NIST SP 800-171 compliance gaps
Plan and prioritise your NIST SP 800-171 project to ensure data handling meets U.S. DoD (Department of Defense) requirements

NIST 800-171: System Security Plan (SSP) Template & Workbook

Tags: NIST Gap Assessment Tool, NIST SP 800-171

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Jun 19 2025

Simplify NIST SP 800-171 Compliance with Our Gap Assessment Tool

Category: Security Tools — disc7 @ 1:54 pm

The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) mandates that all contractors and subcontractors handling Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) must maintain an accessible assessment of their compliance with NIST SP 800-171. This requirement supports a broader national effort to standardize cybersecurity practices, even for organizations managing unclassified or sensitive data. Ensuring compliance is crucial not only for maintaining eligibility for government contracts but also for strengthening the overall cybersecurity posture.

To support this, the NIST Gap Assessment Tool offers a structured, Excel-based template that guides organizations through the full assessment process. It includes all 14 control families and 110 security controls specified in NIST SP 800-171, allowing for streamlined tracking, documentation, and reporting. The tool is designed for usability, enabling teams to identify gaps and prioritize remediation efforts efficiently.

walks you step-by-step through each NIST SP 800-171 requirement, so you know exactly what to do next.
No cybersecurity expertise needed—complete your gap assessment in hours, not days, using clear prompts and built-in summaries
Whether you’re a small defense contractor or a subcontractor just starting with compliance, the tool helps you quickly identify gaps and generate reports that align with DoD audit expectations
Includes drop-down menus, pre-filled descriptions, and auto-calculated scoring to simplify documentation
By using the tool, you don’t just meet compliance—you also reduce the risk of losing contracts due to audit findings
The NIST Gap Assessment Tool will cost-effectively assess your organization against the NIST SP 800-171 standard

What does the tool do?

Features the following tabs: ‘Instructions’, ‘Summary’, and ‘Assessment and SSP’.
The ‘Instructions’ tab provides an easy explanation of how to use the tool and assess your compliance project, so you can complete the process without hassle.
The ‘Assessment and SSP’ tab shows all control numbers and requires you to complete your assessment of each control.
Once you have completed the full assessment, the ‘Summary’ tab provides high-level graphs for each category and overall completion. Analysis includes an overall compliance score and shows the amount of security controls that are completed, ongoing, or not applied in your organization.
The ‘Summary’ tab also provides clear direction for areas of development and how you should plan and prioritize your project effectively, so you can start the journey of providing a completed NIST SP 800-171 assessment to the DoD.

This NIST Gap Assessment Tool is not designed for conducting a detailed and granular compliance assessment.

Tags: Gap assessment tool, NIST SP 800-171

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Jun 08 2025

Top 10 Most Used Tools in Kali Linux & KaliGPT

Category: Hacking,Information Security,Linux Security,Security Tools — disc7 @ 11:16 am

🔟 Top 10 Most Used Tools in Kali Linux

Tool	Purpose	Typical Use Case
1. Nmap	Network Scanning & Enumeration	Host discovery, port scanning, OS/service detection
2. Metasploit Framework	Exploitation Framework	Exploit known vulnerabilities, create payloads
3. Wireshark	Network Traffic Analysis	Capture and analyze network packets
4. Burp Suite	Web Application Testing	Intercept & modify HTTP/S traffic, scan for web vulns
5. Aircrack-ng	Wireless Security Testing	Cracking Wi-Fi passwords, sniffing wireless traffic
6. Hydra	Brute-Force Password Cracking	Cracks login credentials (SSH, FTP, etc.)
7. John the Ripper	Password Cracker	Offline cracking of hashed passwords
8. sqlmap	SQL Injection Automation	Detect and exploit SQL injection flaws
9. Nikto	Web Server Scanner	Scan for web server misconfigurations & vulns
10. Netcat (nc)	Network Utility	Debugging, banner grabbing, simple backdoors

KaliGPT: Revolutionizing Cybersecurity With AI-Powered Intelligence In Kali Linux

Kali GPT doesn’t just support one set number of tools — it integrates deeply with all tools available in the Kali Linux ecosystem, which currently includes over 600 pre-installed security tools in the official Kali repositories – If it’s on Kali, Kali GPT supports it…

Kali GPT isn’t just an AI assistant — it’s a next-gen cybersecurity learning engine. For students aiming to enter the fields of ethical hacking, penetration testing, or digital forensics, here’s why Kali GPT is your ultimate study companion.

🧠 1. Learn by Doing, Not Just Reading

Kali GPT promotes hands-on, interactive learning, guiding students through:

Setting up Kali Linux environments (VMs, NetHunter, cloud)
Running and understanding real tools like Nmap, Wireshark, Metasploit
Simulating real-world attack scenarios (MITRE ATT&CK-based)
Building labs with targets like Metasploitable, Juice Shop, DVWA

This turns passive theory into active skill development.

In today’s rapidly changing cybersecurity landscape, staying ahead of threats demands more than just cutting-edge tools—it requires smart, real-time guidance.

Kali GPT is an AI assistant based on the GPT-4 architecture and is integrated with Kali Linux to support offensive security professionals and students. This groundbreaking tool marks a new era in penetration testing, acting as an intelligent co-pilot that redefines the cybersecurity workflow.

This new tool provides intelligent automation and real-time assistance. It can generate payloads, explain tools like Metasploit and Nmap, and recommend appropriate exploits—all directly within the terminal.

Key Features

Interactive Learning: Kali GPT acts as a tutor, guiding users through various cybersecurity tools and techniques. For example, if you want to master Metasploit, Kali GPT provides clear, step-by-step instructions, explanations, and best practices to accelerate your learning.
Real-Time Troubleshooting: Facing issues like a failed Nmap scan? Kali GPT diagnoses the problem, offers possible reasons, and suggests solutions to keep your tasks running smoothly.
Command Generation: Need a Linux command tailored to a specific task? Simply ask Kali GPT, such as “How can I find all files larger than 100MB in a directory?” and it will generate the precise command you need.
Seamless Tool Integration: Kali GPT connects directly with Kali Linux tools, enabling users to execute commands and receive feedback right within the interface—streamlining workflows and increasing productivity.

🐉 Kali GPT’s methodology is primarily influenced by a synthesis of industry-proven methodologies and elite-level documentation, including:

📚 Key Source Methodologies & Influences

🔺 MITRE ATT&CK Framework
- Used for mapping tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs).
- Integrated throughout Kali GPT’s threat modeling and adversary emulation logic.
📕 Advanced Security Testing with Kali Linux by Daniel Dieterle
- Directly referenced in your uploaded file.
- Offers practical hands-on walkthroughs with real-world lab setups.
- Emphasizes tool-based learning over theory — a core trait in Kali GPT’s interactive approach.
📘 Penetration Testing: A Hands-On Introduction to Hacking by Georgia Weidman
- Influences Kali GPT’s baseline for beginner-to-intermediate structured offensive testing.
- Known for lab realism and methodical vulnerability exploitation.
🛡️ Red Team Field Manual (RTFM) & Blue Team Field Manual (BTFM)
- Inform command-line fluency, post-exploitation routines, and red team practices.
📙 The Hacker Playbook Series by Peter Kim
- A tactical source for step-by-step attack paths, including recon, exploitation, privilege escalation, and pivoting.
📗 Kali Linux Official Documentation & Offensive Security Materials
- Supports tool syntax, metapackage management, update flows, and usage ethics.
- Offensive Security’s PWK/OSCP methodologies play a major role in scenario planning.

Tags: Kali Linux, KaliGPT

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May 30 2025

How Cybersecurity Experts Are Strengthening Defenses with AWS Tools

Category: AWS Security,cyber security,Security Tools — disc7 @ 12:19 pm

The article “How cyber security professionals are leveraging AWS tools” from Computer Weekly provides an in-depth look at how organizations utilize Amazon Web Services (AWS) to enhance their cybersecurity posture. Here is a rephrased summary of the key points and tools discussed, followed by my feedback.

1. Centralized Cloud Visibility and Operations

AWS offers cybersecurity professionals a unified view of their cloud environments, facilitating smoother operations. Tools like AWS CloudTrail and AWS Config enable teams to manage access, detect anomalies, and ensure real-time policy compliance. Integration with platforms such as Recorded Future further enhances risk orchestration capabilities.

2. Foundational Tools for Multi-Cloud Environments

In multi- or hybrid-cloud setups, AWS CloudTrail and AWS GuardDuty serve as foundational tools. They provide comprehensive insights into cloud activities, aiding in the identification and resolution of issues affecting corporate systems.

3. Scalability for Threat Analysis

AWS’s scalability is invaluable for threat analysis. It allows for the efficient processing of large volumes of threat data and supports the deployment of isolated research environments, maintaining the integrity of research infrastructures.

4. Comprehensive Security Toolset

Organizations like Graylog utilize a suite of AWS tools—including GuardDuty, Security Hub, Config, CloudTrail, Web Application Firewall (WAF), Inspector, and Identity and Access Management (IAM)—to secure customer instances. These tools are instrumental in anomaly detection, compliance, and risk management.

5. AI and Machine Learning Integration

AWS’s integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) enhances threat detection capabilities. These technologies power background threat tracking and provide automated alerts for security issues, data leaks, and suspicious activities, enabling proactive responses to potential crises.

6. Interoperability and Scalable Security Architecture

The interoperability of AWS tools like GuardDuty, Config, and IAM Access Analyzer allows for the creation of a scalable and cohesive security architecture. This integration is crucial for real-time monitoring, security posture management, and prevention of privilege sprawl.

7. Enhanced Threat Intelligence

AWS’s advanced threat intelligence capabilities, supported by AI-driven tools, enable the detection of sophisticated cyber threats. The platform’s ability to process vast amounts of data aids in identifying and responding to emerging threats effectively.

8. Support for Compliance and Risk Management

AWS tools assist organizations in meeting compliance requirements and managing risks. By providing detailed logs and monitoring capabilities, these tools support adherence to regulatory standards and internal security policies.

Feedback

The article effectively highlights the multifaceted ways in which AWS tools bolster cybersecurity efforts. The integration of AI and ML, coupled with a comprehensive suite of security tools, positions AWS as a robust platform for managing modern cyber threats. However, organizations must remain vigilant and ensure they are leveraging these tools to their full potential, continuously updating their strategies to adapt to the evolving threat landscape.

For further details, access the article here

Securing the AWS Cloud: A Guide for Learning to Secure AWS Infrastructure (Tech Today)

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Tags: AWS tools, cybersecurity

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Apr 29 2025

RSA 2025 spotlighted 10 innovative cybersecurity tools

Category: cyber security,Information Security,Security Tools — disc7 @ 2:29 pm

RSA 2025 spotlighted 10 innovative cybersecurity tools, including AI-driven email threat detection, phishing simulation agents, and autonomous security workflows. Vendors focused on securing AI models, improving visibility into non-human identities, and protecting APIs and AI agents from abuse. Tools for crowdsourced red teaming, binary-level vulnerability analysis, and real-time software architecture mapping also featured prominently. The trend is clear: automation, identity governance, and proactive threat exposure are front and center in the next generation of cybersecurity solutions.

Here’s a concise summary of CRN’s article on hot tools announced at RSA 2025:

1. AI in Security Operations
Palo Alto Networks and CrowdStrike showcased advanced AI tools. Palo Alto’s Cortex XSIAM 3.0 introduced smarter email threat detection and noise-reducing vulnerability management. CrowdStrike launched agentic AI tools for automated security responses and workflow generation.

2. Smarter Phishing and Data Analysis
Abnormal AI introduced two autonomous agents — one for personalized phishing training and another for digesting security data into actionable insights, streamlining analysis for cybersecurity teams.

3. Safe AI Model Training and Governance
Netskope enhanced its DSPM with features to prevent sensitive data from being used in LLM training, along with improved AI policy enforcement and risk assessments.

4. Identity and Threat Detection Innovations
Huntress expanded its Managed ITDR to tackle rogue apps and shadow workflows. Silverfort boosted non-human identity protections across cloud services, offering unified identity visibility.

5. New Approaches to Red Teaming and API Security
Bugcrowd launched crowdsourced red teaming for real-world attack simulation. Wallarm introduced protection for AI agents themselves, guarding against prompt injection and other AI-specific threats.

6. Supply Chain and Application Insights
NetRise’s ZeroLens tool detects undisclosed software flaws through binary analysis. Apiiro offered a visual graph tool for real-time understanding of software architecture and risk exposure.

🔗 Full article on CRN

RSAC™ 2025 Conference – RSAC Official Blog

Tags: innovative cybersecurity tools, RSA 2025

Comments (1)

Nov 05 2024

Fast-track your ISO 27001 certification with ITG all-inclusive ISO 27001:2022 toolkit!

Category: ISO 27k,Security Tools — disc7 @ 9:50 am

ITG expertly curated ISO 27001 documentation toolkit provides ready-to-use templates, saving you the effort of building everything from scratch. Developed by experienced ISO 27001 consultants and subject matter experts, this toolkit has a strong track record of guiding organizations to certification. Join the thousands of organizations that trust our toolkit for a reliable path to ISO 27001 compliance.

Easily handle ISMS (Information Security Management System) documentation with our streamlined templates and tools, designed to simplify the creation and management of critical documents, making ISO 27001 compliance straightforward and efficient.

For organizations dedicated to safeguarding sensitive data, our ISO 27001 Toolkit is an invaluable resource, helping you navigate ISO 27001 requirements with ease and confidence.

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ISO 27001 implementation ISO 27002 ISO 27701 ISO 27017 ISO27k

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How to Check If a Company Is ISO 27001 Certified

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ISO 27001 standards and training

What is ISO 27002:2022

Previous posts on ISO 27k

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Tags: ISO 27001:2022 toolkit

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Sep 24 2024

20 Best Linux Admin Tools In 2024

Category: Linux Security,Security Tools — disc7 @ 8:42 am

Linux admin tools help administrators manage and optimize Linux systems efficiently. They handle system monitoring, configuration, security management, and task automation. These tools streamline administrative tasks, improve performance, and enhance system security. The list also features monitoring utilities like Htop, Monit, and network tools like Iftop, ensuring administrators maintain stable, high-performing Linux environments.

Popular tools include:

Here Are The Top Linux Admin Tools

Webmin – Web-based interface for system administration, managing users, services, and configurations.
Puppet – Configuration management tool automating server provisioning, configuration, and management.
Zabbix – Open-source monitoring tool for networks, servers, and applications with alerting and reporting features.
Nagios – A network monitoring tool that provides alerts on system, network, and infrastructure issues.
Ansible – IT automation tool for configuration management, application deployment, and task automation using YAML.
Lsof – A command-line utility that lists open files and the processes used to use them.
Htop – Interactive process viewer for Unix systems, offering a visual and user-friendly alternative to the top command.
Redmine – Web-based project management and issue tracking tool, supporting multiple projects and teams.
Nmap – A network scanning tool for discovering hosts and services on a network that provides security auditing.
Monit – Utility for managing and monitoring Unix systems, capable of automatic maintenance and repair.
Nmon – Performance monitoring tool providing insights into CPU, memory, disk, and network usage.
Paessler PRTG – Comprehensive network monitoring tool with a web-based interface supporting SNMP, WMI, and other protocols.
GNOME System Monitor – Graphical application for monitoring system processes, resources, and file systems.
OpenProject – Web-based project management software offering project planning, collaboration, and time-tracking features.
OpenNMS – Open-source network management platform for monitoring and managing network devices and services.
phpMyAdmin – Web-based tool for managing MySQL and MariaDB databases, supporting SQL execution and database administration.
Vmstat – A command-line utility that provides real-time system performance statistics, including CPU, memory, and I/O.
Monitorix – Lightweight system monitoring tool offering a web-based interface for tracking system and network performance.
Iftop – A network bandwidth monitoring tool that displays real-time network traffic.
OpManager – Network and server monitoring software providing comprehensive monitoring, alerting, and reporting capabilities.

For more details, visit here

Your Linux Toolbox

Windows Server Administration Tools and Management Consoles

InfoSec services | InfoSec books | Follow our blog | DISC llc is listed on The vCISO Directory | ISO 27k Chat bot

Tags: Linux Admin Tools

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Sep 10 2024

33 open-source cybersecurity solutions you didn’t know you needed

Category: OSINT,Security Tools — disc7 @ 2:54 pm

The article lists 33 open-source cybersecurity tools designed to improve security for various platforms, including Linux, Windows, and macOS. These tools cover a wide range of security needs, from identity management and encryption to vulnerability scanning, threat intelligence, and forensic analysis. Examples include Authentik for identity management, Grype for vulnerability scanning, and MISP for threat intelligence sharing. These solutions offer flexibility and transparency, enabling organizations to customize their security infrastructure.

Open-source cybersecurity tools provide transparency and flexibility, allowing users to examine and customize the source code to fit specific security needs. These tools make cybersecurity accessible to a broader range of organizations and individuals.

In this article, you will find a list of 33 open-source cybersecurity tools for Linux, Windows, and macOS that you should consider to enhance protection and stay ahead of potential threats.

For more, visit Help Net Security

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Tags: open-source cybersecurity

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Jul 23 2024

Microsoft releases tool to speed up recovery of systems borked by CrowdStrike update

Category: Security Tools — disc7 @ 9:20 am

Microsoft releases tool to speed up recovery of systems borked by CrowdStrike update

By now, most people are aware of – or have been personally affected by – the largest IT outage the world have ever witnessed, courtesy of a defective update for Crowdstrike Falcon Sensors that threw Windows hosts into a blue-screen-of-death (BSOD) loop.

“We currently estimate that CrowdStrike’s update affected 8.5 million Windows devices, or less than one percent of all Windows machines. While the percentage was small, the broad economic and societal impacts reflect the use of CrowdStrike by enterprises that run many critical services,” David Weston, Microsoft’s VP of Enterprise and OS Security, stated on Saturday.

CrowdStrike claimed earlier today that “a significant number” of affected systems are back online and operational.

“Together with customers, we tested a new technique to accelerate impacted system remediation. We’re in the process of operationalizing an opt-in to this technique,” they noted on their remediation and guidance hub. “Customers are encouraged to follow the Tech Alerts for latest updates as they happen and they will be notified when action is needed.”

Microsoft collaborates with Crowdstrike, provides recovery tool

Microsoft is, understandably, doing everything it can to speed up worldwide recovery from the issue, has deployed hundreds of Microsoft engineers and experts to work with customers to restore services, and is collaborating with CrowdStrike.

“CrowdStrike has helped us develop a scalable solution that will help Microsoft’s Azure infrastructure accelerate a fix for CrowdStrike’s faulty update. We have also worked with both AWS and GCP to collaborate on the most effective approaches,” Weston explained.

Microsoft has also released a recovery tool that can be downloaded and used by IT admins to make the repair process less time-consuming.

The tool provides two repair options.

The first one – Recover from WinPE (Preinstallation Environment) – does not require local admin privileges, but requires the person to manually enter the BitLocker recovery key (if BitLocker is used on the device).

The second one – Recover from safe mode – may allow recovery without entering the BitLocker recovery keys.

“For this option, you must have access to an account with local administrator rights on the device. Use this approach for devices using TPM-only protectors, devices that are not encrypted, or situations where the BitLocker recovery key is unknown,” the Intune Support Team noted.

They also included detailed recovery steps for Windows clients, servers, and OSes hosted on Hyper-V.

Microsoft has previously confirmed that the buggy CrowdStrike update affected Windows 365 Cloud PCs and that users “may restore their Windows 365 Cloud PC to a known good state prior to the release of the update (July 19, 2024)”. The company has also provided guidance for restoring affected Azure virtual machines.

Cloud security company Orca has released a script that automates the remediation of Windows virtual machines hosted on AWS.

Threat actor exploiting the situation

As expected, scammers and threat actors have immediately started taking advantage of the chaos that resulted from the faulty update.

Trend Micro researchers provided examples of tech support scams doing the rounds, and even legal scams.

**A tech support scam exploiting the situation (Source: Trend Micro)**

CrowdStrike warned about:

Attackers offering a fake utility for automating recovery that loads the Remcos remote access tool
Phishers and vishers impersonating CrowdStrike support and contacting customers
Scammers posing as independent researchers, claiming to have evidence the technical issue is linked to a cyberattack and offering remediation insights

“CrowdStrike Intelligence recommends that organizations ensure they are communicating with CrowdStrike representatives through official channels,” the company said.

UPDATE (July 23, 2024, 05:15 a.m. ET):

CrowdStrike has provided a way for remediating affected systems more quickly. Customers must opt in to use the technique via the support portal. (A Reddit user has explained the process involved.)

The company has also released a video explaining how users can self-remediate affected remote Windows laptops.

Fake CrowdStrike repair manual pushes new infostealer malware

“Resiliency in the digital age isn’t just about preventing outages; it’s about being prepared to respond effectively when they happen.”

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Tags: CrowdStrike, Microsoft

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Jun 17 2024

Network enumeration with Nmap

Category: Cheat Sheet,Security Tools — disc7 @ 12:39 pm

Nmap Cheatsheet by Hack The Box

The Nmap Handbook: A Deep Dive into Network Mapping and Scanning

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Tags: Nmap, Nmap handbook, Nmap network scanning

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May 02 2024

VNC Is The Hacker’s New Remote Desktop Tool For Cyber Attacks

Category: Hacking,Security Tools — disc7 @ 7:26 am

VNC Is The Hacker’s New Remote Desktop Tool For Cyber Attacks

While facilitating remote work, remote desktop software presents security challenges for IT teams due to the use of various tools and ports.

The multitude of ports makes it difficult to monitor for malicious traffic.

Weak credentials and software vulnerabilities are exploited to gain access to user systems.

Hackers may also use technical support scams to trick users into granting access.

The Most Targeted Remote Desktop Tools In The Last 12 Months

Researchers identified VNC, a platform-independent remote desktop tool using RFB protocol, as the most targeted remote desktop application (98% of traffic).

The attacks leveraged weak passwords and a critical vulnerability (CVE-2006-2369) in RealVNC 4.1.1, allowing authentication bypass.

Over 99% of attacks targeted unsecured HTTP ports rather than TCP ports used for application data exchange, which suggests attackers exploit the inherent lack of authentication on HTTP for unauthorized access.

The security of VNCs varies depending on the specific software, while some offer weak password limitations, others leverage SSH or VPN tunnelling for encryption.

VNC uses a base port (5800 for TCP, 5900 for HTTP) with an additive display number, making it difficult to secure with firewalls compared to single-port remote desktop solutions.

Additionally, pinpointing the origin of VNC attacks is challenging due to attackers using proxies and VPNs, but a significant portion seems to originate from China.

Attackers target RDP, a remote desktop protocol, for credential-based attacks and exploit vulnerabilities to execute malicious code, as RDP is more likely to be involved in large attacks compared to VNC.

Flaws Exploited

In one study, 15% of RDP attacks leveraged obsolete cookies, possibly to target older, more vulnerable RDP software, and RDP vulnerabilities like CVE-2018-0886 (targeting credential security), CVE-2019-0708 (with worm potential), and CVE-2019-0887 (hypervisor access) have been reported by Barracuda.

Attackers exploit vulnerabilities in RDP to gain access to systems. Brute-force attacks are common, targeting password hashes for privileged accounts. RDP can also be used to launch denial-of-service attacks.

In social engineering scams, attackers convince users to grant RDP access to fix fake technical problems, and vulnerable RDP instances are sold on the black market for further attacks.

North America is a leading source of RDP attacks, but location tracking is difficult due to anonymizing techniques.

TeamViewer, a remote desktop tool, rarely encounters attacks (0.1% of traffic). Recent versions target enterprises and integrate with business applications, offering security features like fingerprinting, strong password enforcement, and multi-factor authentication.

Encrypted communication channels further enhance security. However, phished credentials and technical support scams can still compromise TeamViewer sessions and may use ports beyond the primary port 5938, making malicious traffic detection more challenging for security teams.

Citrix created ICA as an alternative to RDP. It uses ports 1494 and 2598, while older ICA clients and the ICA Proxy have had RCE vulnerabilities.

AnyDesk, another RDP solution, uses port 6568 and has been abused in tech support scams and malware, while Splashtop Remote, using port 6783, has been involved in support scams and can be compromised through weak credentials.

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Apr 30 2024

Tracecat: Open-source SOAR

Category: Open Source,Security Tools — disc7 @ 7:11 am

Tracecat: Open-source SOAR

Tracecat is an open-source automation platform for security teams. The developers believe security automation should be accessible to everyone, especially understaffed small- to mid-sized teams. Core features, user interfaces, and day-to-day workflows are based on existing best practices from best-in-class security teams.

Use specialized AI models to label, summarize, and enrich alerts. Contextualize alerts with internal evidence and external threat intel:

Find cases using semantic search
MITRE ATT&CK labels
Whitelist / blacklist identities
Categorize related cases
MITRE D3FEND suggestions
Upload evidence and threat intel

Tracecat is not a 1-to-1 mapping of Tines / Splunk SOAR. The developers aim to give technical teams a Tines-like experience but with a focus on open-source and AI features.

While Tracecat is designed for security, its workflow automation and case management system are also suitable for various alerting environments, such as site reliability engineering, DevOps, and physical systems monitoring.

Turn security alerts into solvable cases:

Click-and-drag workflow builder – Automate SecOps using pre-built actions (API calls, webhooks, data transforms, AI tasks, and more) combined into workflows. No code required.
Built-in case management system – Open cases direct from workflows. Track and manage security incidents all-in-one platform.

Tracecat is cloud-agnostic and deploys anywhere that supports Docker. It’s available for free on GitHub.

Practical Threat Intelligence and Data-Driven Threat Hunting: A hands-on guide to threat hunting with the ATT&CK(TM) Framework and open source tools

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Tags: Tracecat

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Apr 20 2024

Most Important Python Security Tools for Ethical Hackers & Penetration Testers 2024

Category: Pen Test,Python,Security Tools — disc7 @ 11:13 pm

Most Important Python Security Tools for Ethical Hackers & Penetration Testers 2024

There are a variety of Python security tools are using in the cybersecurity industries and python is one of the widely used programming languages to develop penetration testing tools.

For anyone who is involved in vulnerability research, reverse engineering or pen-testing, Cyber Security News suggests trying out mastering in Python For Hacking From Scratch.

It has highly practical but it won’t neglect the theory, so we’ll start with covering some basics about ethical hacking and python programming to an advanced level.

The listed tools are written in Python, others are just Python bindings for existing C libraries and some of the most powerful tools pentest frameworks, Bluetooth smashers, web application vulnerability scanners, war dialers, etc. Here you can also find 1000s of hacking tools.

Best Python Security Tools for Pentesters

Python Course & Papers

Hacking with Python – Learn to Create your own Hacking Tools
Mastering in Python Programming For Hacking From Scratch
SANS offers the course SEC573: Python for Penetration Testers.
The Python Arsenal for Reverse Engineering is a large collection of tools related to reverse engineering.
There is a SANS paper about Python libraries helpful for forensic analysis (PDF).
For more Python libaries, please have a look at PyPI, the Python Package Index.

Network

Scapy, Scapy3k: send, sniff and dissect and forge network packets. Usable interactively or as a library
pypcap, Pcapy and pylibpcap: several different Python bindings for libpcap
libdnet: low-level networking routines, including interface lookup and Ethernet frame transmission
dpkt: fast, simple packet creation/parsing, with definitions for the basic TCP/IP protocols
Impacket: craft and decode network packets. Includes support for higher-level protocols such as NMB and SMB
pynids: libnids wrapper offering sniffing, IP defragmentation, TCP stream reassembly and port scan detection
Dirtbags py-pcap: read pcap files without libpcap
flowgrep: grep through packet payloads using regular expressions
Knock Subdomain Scan, enumerate subdomains on a target domain through a wordlist
SubBrute, fast subdomain enumeration tool
Mallory, extensible TCP/UDP man-in-the-middle proxy, supports modifying non-standard protocols on the fly
Pytbull: flexible IDS/IPS testing framework (shipped with more than 300 tests)
Spoodle: A mass subdomain + poodle vulnerability scanner
SMBMap: enumerate Samba share drives across an entire domain
Habu: python network hacking toolkit

Debugging and Reverse Engineering

Paimei: reverse engineering framework, includes PyDBG, PIDA, pGRAPH
Immunity Debugger: scriptable GUI and command line debugger
mona.py: PyCommand for Immunity Debugger that replaces and improves on pvefindaddr
IDAPython: IDA Pro plugin that integrates the Python programming language, allowing scripts to run in IDA Pro
PyEMU: fully scriptable IA-32 emulator, useful for malware analysis
pefile: read and work with Portable Executable (aka PE) files
pydasm: Python interface to the libdasm x86 disassembling library
PyDbgEng: Python wrapper for the Microsoft Windows Debugging Engine
uhooker: intercept calls to API calls inside DLLs, and also arbitrary addresses within the executable file in memory
diStorm: disassembler library for AMD64, licensed under the BSD license
Frida: A dynamic instrumentation framework which can inject scripts into running processes
python-ptrace: debugger using ptrace (Linux, BSD and Darwin system call to trace processes) written in Python
vdb / vtrace: vtrace is a cross-platform process debugging API implemented in python, and vdb is a debugger which uses it
Androguard: reverse engineering and analysis of Android applications
Capstone: lightweight multi-platform, multi-architecture disassembly framework with Python bindings
Keystone: lightweight multi-platform, multi-architecture assembler framework with Python bindings
PyBFD: Python interface to the GNU Binary File Descriptor (BFD) library
CHIPSEC: framework for analyzing the security of PC platforms including hardware, system firmware (BIOS/UEFI), and platform components.

Fuzzing

afl-python: enables American fuzzy lop fork server and instrumentation for pure-Python code
Sulley: fuzzer development and fuzz testing framework consisting of multiple extensible components
Peach Fuzzing Platform: extensible fuzzing framework for generation and mutation based fuzzing (v2 was written in Python)
antiparser: fuzz testing and fault injection API
TAOF, (The Art of Fuzzing) including ProxyFuzz, a man-in-the-middle non-deterministic network fuzzer
untidy: general purpose XML fuzzer
Powerfuzzer: highly automated and fully customizable web fuzzer (HTTP protocol based application fuzzer)
SMUDGE
Mistress: probe file formats on the fly and protocols with malformed data, based on pre-defined patterns
Fuzzbox: multi-codec media fuzzer
Forensic Fuzzing Tools: generate fuzzed files, fuzzed file systems, and file systems containing fuzzed files in order to test the robustness of forensics tools and examination systems
Windows IPC Fuzzing Tools: tools used to fuzz applications that use Windows Interprocess Communication mechanisms
WSBang: perform automated security testing of SOAP based web services
Construct: library for parsing and building of data structures (binary or textual). Define your data structures in a declarative manner
fuzzer.py (feliam): simple fuzzer by Felipe Andres Manzano
Fusil: Python library used to write fuzzing programs

Web

Requests: elegant and simple HTTP library, built for human beings
lxml: easy-to-use library for processing XML and HTML; similar to Requests
HTTPie: human-friendly cURL-like command line HTTP client
ProxMon: processes proxy logs and reports discovered issues
WSMap: find web service endpoints and discovery files
Twill: browse the Web from a command-line interface. Supports automated Web testing
Ghost.py: webkit web client written in Python
Windmill: web testing tool designed to let you painlessly automate and debug your web application
FunkLoad: functional and load web tester
spynner: Programmatic web browsing module for Python with Javascript/AJAX support
python-spidermonkey: bridge to the Mozilla SpiderMonkey JavaScript engine; allows for the evaluation and calling of Javascript scripts and functions
mitmproxy: SSL-capable, intercepting HTTP proxy. Console interface allows traffic flows to be inspected and edited on the fly
pathod / pathoc: pathological daemon/client for tormenting HTTP clients and servers
spidy: simple command-line web crawler with page downloading and word scraping

Forensics

Volatility: extract digital artifacts from volatile memory (RAM) samples
Rekall: memory analysis framework developed by Google
LibForensics: library for developing digital forensics applications
TrIDLib, identify file types from their binary signatures. Now includes Python binding
aft: Android forensic toolkit

Malware Analysis

pyew: command line hexadecimal editor and disassembler, mainly to analyze malware
Exefilter: filter file formats in e-mails, web pages or files. Detects many common file formats and can remove active content
pyClamAV: add virus detection capabilities to your Python software
jsunpack-n, generic JavaScript unpacker: emulates browser functionality to detect exploits that target browser and browser plug-in vulnerabilities
yara-python: identify and classify malware samples
phoneyc: pure Python honeyclient implementation
CapTipper: analyse, explore and revive HTTP malicious traffic from PCAP file

PDF

peepdf: Python security tools to analyse and explore PDF files to find out if they can be harmful
Didier Stevens’ PDF tools: analyze, identify and create PDF files (includes PDFiD, pdf-parser and make-pdf and mPDF)
Opaf: Open PDF Analysis Framework. Converts PDF to an XML tree that can be analyzed and modified.
Origapy: Python wrapper for the Origami Ruby module which sanitizes PDF files
pyPDF2: pure Python PDF toolkit: extract info, spilt, merge, crop, encrypt, decrypt…
PDFMiner: extract text from PDF files
python-poppler-qt4: Python binding for the Poppler PDF library, including Qt4 support

Misc

InlineEgg: A Python security tools toolbox of classes for writing small assembly programs in Python
Exomind: framework for building decorated graphs and developing open-source intelligence modules and ideas, centered on social network services, search engines and instant messaging
RevHosts: enumerate virtual hosts for a given IP address
simplejson: JSON encoder/decoder, e.g. to use Google’s AJAX API
PyMangle: command line tool and a python library used to create word lists for use with other penetration testing tools
Hachoir: view and edit a binary stream field by field
py-mangle: command line tool and a python library used to create word lists for use with other penetration testing tools
wmiexec.py: execute Powershell commands quickly and easily via WMI
Pentestly: Python and Powershell internal penetration testing framework
hacklib: Toolkit for hacking enthusiasts: word mangling, password guessing, reverse shell and other simple tools

Other Useful Libraries and Tools

IPython: enhanced interactive Python shell with many features for object introspection, system shell access, and its own special command system
Beautiful Soup: HTML parser optimized for screen-scraping
matplotlib: make 2D plots of arrays
Mayavi: 3D scientific data visualization and plotting
RTGraph3D: create dynamic graphs in 3D
Twisted: event-driven networking engine
Suds: lightweight SOAP client for consuming Web Services
M2Crypto: most complete OpenSSL wrapper
NetworkX: graph library (edges, nodes)
Pandas: library providing high-performance, easy-to-use data structures and data analysis tools
p y parsing: general parsing module
lxml: most feature-rich and easy-to-use library for working with XML and HTML in the Python language
Whoosh: fast, featureful full-text indexing and searching library implemented in pure Python
Pexpect: control and automate other programs, similar to Don Libes `Expect` system
Sikuli, visual technology to search and automate GUIs using screenshots. Scriptable in Jython
PyQt and PySide: Python bindings for the Qt application framework and GUI library

Python security tools Books

Violent Python by TJ O’Connor. A Cookbook for Hackers, Forensic Analysts, Penetration Testers and Security Engineers
Grey Hat Python by Justin Seitz: Python Programming for Hackers and Reverse Engineers.
Black Hat Python by Justin Seitz: Python Programming for Hackers and Pentesters
Python Penetration Testing Essentials by Mohit: Employ the power of Python to get the best out of pentesting
Python for Secret Agents by Steven F. Lott. Analyze, encrypt, and uncover intelligence data using Python
Python Web Penetration Testing Cookbook by Cameron Buchanan et al.: Over 60 Python recipes for web application testing
Learning Penetration Testing with Python by Christopher Duffy: Utilize Python scripting to execute effective and efficient penetration tests
Python Forensics by Chet Hosmer: A Workbench for Inventing and Sharing Digital Forensic Technology
Python Programming for Beginners by Codeprowess – The Complete Python Coding Crash Course

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Tags: Python Security Tools

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Apr 15 2024

THE PATH TO A PENTESTING CAREER (A BLUEPRINT FOR ASPIRING WHITE HATS)

Category: Hacking,Pen Test,Security Tools — disc7 @ 7:22 am

The Path to a Pentesting Career (A Blueprint for Aspiring White Hats)

Security analysis of web applications is, first of all, a search and investigation of cases of incorrect functioning of program code and vulnerabilities. Those who choose a penetration tester’s profession should keep in mind that it requires continuous learning and the ability to use a library of resources for self-education. A common situation is that while you are studying vulnerabilities in one framework, a dozen new reports are published. To quickly understand the potential vulnerabilities associated with previously unknown technologies, you need to be well-versed in the sources of information. When working in a team on an actual pentest project, there is usually no time for a thoughtful search. So, if your skills are combined with a strong foundational education, you are looking at promising career opportunities.

Your initial understanding of the subject can be developed through cybersecurity analysis courses at the university. These courses can also help you decide if this career path is right for you. It is good to receive foundational training in software development and networking, including web applications, while you are at university. Afterward, you can gain hands-on experience by practicing infrastructure penetration testing.

Usually, your initial attempts to secure a job as a web penetration tester might reveal gaps in your knowledge. Seeking employment at companies like VentureDive, where the work could help fill these educational gaps and offer valuable experience, is a smart approach. For instance, you could start as a technical support specialist in information security at a large company. After about two to four months, you might go for your first interview for a security analyst position, during which you could identify any weak points you might still have. With a few more months of work under the guidance of a mentor and diving into training materials, you could successfully land a position as a penetration tester.

Choosing where to work in the future is not as straightforward as it may appear. In a large, well-known company, you will be surrounded by a high level of expertise and likely assigned a mentor. However, the opportunity to find truly interesting vulnerabilities in real projects might be limited. This is because such organizations often have costly services, and their clients are usually not willing to skimp on development and security. Consequently, you will be working with quality products that have undergone thorough security testing, reducing the likelihood of encountering situations that provide valuable experience.

In a small company, you should not expect to find a mentor, a high level of expertise, or an impressive salary. However, these companies often get orders to pentest applications with many vulnerabilities, providing invaluable experience for those new to the profession. With this experience under your belt, you could eventually transition to a larger company.

Mastering Interview Techniques

Given that we cannot cover everything, let’s go over the essential knowledge and skills you need to analyze vulnerabilities in web applications.

A pentester needs to understand how applications function on the network level, which includes knowing about TCP handshakes, domain names, IPs, proxies, etc. It is also important to grasp the basics of how HTTP and HTTPS protocols work. Being prepared to answer questions like “What is the difference between HTTP methods?” “When should PATCH be used as opposed to POST?” and “How do HTTP 0.9/1.1 differ from HTTP/2?” is a part of this foundational knowledge.
Vulnerabilities are not always tucked away in a web application’s code; sometimes, they are embedded in its architecture, like within the web server itself. Often, a pentester might not have a direct view of the application’s architecture but can infer how it functions. Therefore, having knowledge in this area is incredibly useful.
As vulnerabilities become more complex, it is important to grasp the basics. This foundational understanding allows you to tackle more complex issues as they arise.
Developing the ability to search for answers to your questions using open sources is vital, even if you have someone to ask. Always start by seeking out information and attempting to solve problems on your own before seeking help.
Being able to write and read code in various languages, including PHP, Python, JavaScript, Java, and C#, is essential. When it comes to analyzing web applications, you will encounter different approaches, such as white box, gray box, and black box testing. For example, if you are doing white box testing and have access to the application’s source code, having development experience is a big plus. Additionally, the ability to write automation scripts and tailor third-party tools to fit your needs is a valuable skill.
Pentest projects frequently require examining the application from the outside in. You need the ability to scan the network and identify vulnerable services to ensure no obvious security flaws are overlooked.
In your work, you will often need to theoretically explain the nature of a vulnerability. This requires understanding basic concepts, such as how databases operate, the properties of information, and what constitutes vulnerability and exploitation. Essential skills also include system administration for both Windows and Linux.

Simply studying a vast number of vulnerabilities will turn you into a top-tier professional because it does not cultivate the skill of discovering them. During actual pentest projects, the toughest part is often identifying vulnerabilities. It is advised to search for vulnerable applications and analyze them without peeking at the technology stack or hints about the vulnerabilities. This practice offers foundational experience and insights into how things operate in an actual project.

For those lacking a basic education in security analysis, paid penetration testing courses are an option to consider. Unfortunately, the better courses tend to be expensive, and it is difficult to recommend any budget-friendly options that are truly effective. It is crucial to realize that these courses will not turn you into an expert overnight, as some might claim, but they will provide you with a solid understanding of the profession.

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Tags: ASPIRING WHITE HATS

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Mar 12 2024

CloudGrappler: Open Source Tool That Detects Hacking Activity

Category: OSINT,Security Tools — disc7 @ 12:49 pm

CloudGrappler: Open Source Tool that Detects Hacking Activity

CloudGrappler is an innovative open-source tool designed to detect the presence of notorious threat actors in cloud environments.

This tool is a beacon of hope for security teams struggling to keep pace with the sophisticated tactics of groups like LUCR-3, also known as Scattered Spider.

CloudGrappler leverages the power of CloudGrep, a tool developed by Cado Security, to offer high-fidelity, single-event detections of activities associated with well-known threat actors in popular cloud platforms such as AWS and Azure.

It acts as a cyber detective, sifting through the vast amounts of data in cloud environments to identify suspicious and malicious activities that often go unnoticed.

Key Features Of CloudGrappler

Threat Actor Querying: CloudGrappler excels in identifying activities demonstrated by some of the most notorious cloud threat actors. It utilizes a subset of activities from Permiso’s extensive library of detections to help organizations pinpoint threats targeting their cloud infrastructure.
Single-Event Detections: The tool provides a granular view of potential security incidents, enabling security teams to quickly and easily identify specific anomalies within their AWS and Azure environments.
Integration with CloudGrep: By incorporating a set of Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs) observed in the modern threat landscape, CloudGrappler enhances its threat detection capabilities.

How CloudGrappler Works

CloudGrappler includes several components designed to streamline the threat detection process:

Scope Selector: Users can define the scope of their scanning through an integrated data_sources.json file, choosing to scan specific resources or a broader range of cloud infrastructure services.
Query Selector: The tool comes with a queries.json file containing predefined TTPs commonly used by threat actors. Users can modify these queries or add custom ones to tailor the scanning process.
Report Generator: After scanning, CloudGrappler produces a comprehensive report in JSON format, offering detailed insights into the scan results and enabling security teams to address potential threats swiftly.

It is based on a subset of activity from Permiso’s library of hundreds of detections, and it helps organizations detect threats targeting their cloud infrastructure.

Users have the ability to scan specific resources within their environment — Users can scan specific resources within their environment

Practical Applications

CloudGrappler is not just about detecting suspicious activities. it also provides valuable threat intelligence to help security professionals understand the risks in their environment and develop targeted response strategies.

The tool’s output includes information on the threat actor involved, the severity of the detected activity, and a description of the potential implications.

For those interested in enhancing their cloud security posture, CloudGrappler is available on GitHub.

The repository includes detailed instructions on setting up and using the tool, making it accessible to security teams of all sizes.

As cloud environments become increasingly complex and threat actors’ activities more sophisticated, tools like CloudGrappler are essential for maintaining a robust security posture.

CloudGrappler represents a significant step forward in the fight against cybercrime by offering an open-source solution for detecting and analyzing threats in cloud environments.

You can block malware, including Trojans, ransomware, spyware, rootkits, worms, and zero-day exploits, with Perimeter81 malware protection. All are incredibly harmful, can wreak havoc, and damage your network.

Open Source Intelligence Methods and Tools: A Practical Guide to Online Intelligence

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Tags: Open Source Tool

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Mar 03 2024

Tor Tools

Category: Dark Web,Security Tools,Web Security — disc7 @ 8:37 am

🧅Tor Tools

🔹Nipe – Script to redirect all traffic from the machine to the Tor network.
🔗https://lnkd.in/grhEtqdr

🔹OnionScan – Tool for investigating the Dark Web by finding operational security issues introduced by Tor hidden service operators.
🔗https://onionscan.org/

🔹Tails – Live operating system aiming to preserve your privacy and anonymity.
🔗https://tails.boum.org/

🔹Tor – Free software and onion routed overlay network that helps you defend against traffic analysis.
🔗https://lnkd.in/g8Uc8nB2

🔹dos-over-tor – Proof of concept denial of service over Tor stress test tool.
🔗https://lnkd.in/gAEQPvbd

🔹kalitorify – Transparent proxy through Tor for Kali Linux OS.
🔗https://lnkd.in/gruAzkkw

Tor: From the Dark Web to the Future of Privacy

Tor

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Tags: Tor Project

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Feb 15 2024

5 free digital forensics tools to boost your investigations

Category: Forensics,Security Tools — disc7 @ 2:19 pm

5 free digital forensics tools to boost your investigations

Digital forensics plays a crucial role in analyzing and addressing cyberattacks, and it’s a key component of incident response. Additionally, digital forensics provides vital information for auditors, legal teams, and law enforcement agencies in the aftermath of an attack.

Many cutting-edge digital forensics tools are on the market, but for those who cannot afford them, here’s a list of great free solutions to get you started.

Autopsy

Autopsy is a digital forensics platform widely employed by law enforcement agencies, military personnel, and corporate investigators to examine and understand activities on a computer. Although Autopsy is designed to be cross-platform, the latest version is fully functional and tested only on Windows.

bulk_extractor

bulk_extractor is a high-speed tool for digital forensics analysis. It scans various inputs, including disk images, files, and directories, extracting organized information like email addresses, credit card numbers, JPEG images, and JSON fragments. This is achieved without the need to parse file systems or their structures. The extracted data is saved in text files, which can be examined, searched, or utilized as inputs for further forensic investigations.

NetworkMiner

NetworkMiner, an open-source network forensics tool, specializes in extracting artifacts like files, images, emails, and passwords from network traffic captured in PCAP files. Additionally, it can capture live network traffic by sniffing a network interface.

Velociraptor

Velociraptor is a sophisticated digital forensics and incident response tool designed to improve your insight into endpoint activities. At the press of a (few) buttons, perform targeted collection of digital forensic evidence simultaneously across your endpoints, with speed and precision.

WinHex

WinHex is a versatile hexadecimal editor, proving especially useful in the areas of computer forensics, data recovery, low-level data processing, and IT security. It allows users to inspect and modify various file types, as well as recover deleted files or retrieve lost data from hard drives with damaged file systems or digital camera cards.

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Learn Computer Forensics: Your one-stop guide to searching, analyzing, acquiring, and securing digital evidence

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Tags: Forensics Tools

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Why it matters:

✅ NIST 800-171 Compliance Checklist

1. Access Control (AC)

2. Awareness & Training (AT)

3. Audit & Accountability (AU)

4. Configuration Management (CM)

5. Identification & Authentication (IA)

6. Incident Response (IR)

7. Maintenance (MA)

8. Media Protection (MP)

9. Physical Protection (PE)

10. Personnel Security (PS)

11. Risk Assessment (RA)

12. Security Assessment (CA)

13. System & Communications Protection (SC)

14. System & Information Integrity (SI)

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What does the tool do?

🔟 Top 10 Most Used Tools in Kali Linux

KaliGPT: Revolutionizing Cybersecurity With AI-Powered Intelligence In Kali Linux

🧠 1. Learn by Doing, Not Just Reading

Key Features

📚 Key Source Methodologies & Influences

Microsoft collaborates with Crowdstrike, provides recovery tool

Threat actor exploiting the situation

The Most Targeted Remote Desktop Tools In The Last 12 Months

Flaws Exploited

Best Python Security Tools for Pentesters

Python Course & Papers

Network

Debugging and Reverse Engineering

Fuzzing

Web

Forensics

Malware Analysis

PDF

Misc

Other Useful Libraries and Tools

Python security tools Books

Key Features Of CloudGrappler

How CloudGrappler Works

Practical Applications

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