New Tools for Your Security Toolkit

If you subscribe to Windows NT Magazine, then you recently received a copy of the October issue, which contains an article I wrote titled Handy Security Toolkit. The article discusses a series of mainstay tools that I routinely use when handling network security concerns. I first wrote the article in 1998, and this year, I updated the article with some new tools that are now in my toolkit.

Since that article has gone to print, a few new utilities have surfaced that I'd like to share. Recently, NT Objectives released five new tools that I've added to my security toolkit—perhaps you've heard of them already. The tools are NTOLog, LServers, NPList, PacketX, and VisualLast. These tools are invaluable in managing the security concerns of your NT networks. But the benefits don't stop there.

JD Glaser, who is becoming a well-known figure in the NT security world, owns and operates NT Objectives and codes all the software himself. If you use TripWire for NT, you might be surprised to learn that JD played a major role in developing that code.

It's not often that I focus so much attention on a particular vendor, but I think NT Objectives' efforts to improve overall security by donating to the community at large deserves attention. How is the company donating to the community? By giving the tools away! Most of NT Objectives' tools are freeware, and frankly, I find that very impressive. Not only are most of the company's tools free, but NT Objectives also offers complete source code to its Forensic Toolkit and Hunt utilities under the General Public License (GPL).

How many independent software developers do you know that will spend their time and money to develop great utilities, only to give them away. Not very many. If you're looking for some powerful and useful tools to add to your security toolkit, I'm certain you'll find the new offerings from NT Objectives to be worthy additions. To learn more about these tools, go to http://www.ntobjectives.com