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10 Free and Open Source Security Tools

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Hiren
New Update

SpamAssassin 3.3.2

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It uses a wide variety of local and network tests to identify spam signatures. This makes it harder for spammers to identify one aspect which they can craft their messages to work around.

It is distributed under the same terms and conditions as other popular open-source software packages such as the Apache web server.

Anti-spam tests and configuration are stored in plain text, making it easy to configure and add new rules.

SpamAssassin encapsulates its logic in a well-designed, abstract API so it can be integrated anywhere in the email stream. SpamAssassin classes can be used on a wide variety of email systems including procmail, sendmail, Postfix, qmail, and many others.

The tool requires very little configuration; you do not need to continually update it with details of your mail accounts, mailing list memberships, etc. Once classified, site and user-specific policies can then be applied against spam. Policies can be applied on both mail servers and later using the user's own mail user-agent application. Download

ClamAV

An open source (GPL) antivirus engine designed for detecting Trojans, viruses, malware and other malicious threats. It is the de facto standard for mail gateway scanning. It provides a high performance mutli-threaded scanning daemon, command line utilities for on demand file scanning, and an intelligent tool for automatic signature updates. The core ClamAV library provides numerous file format detection mechanisms, file unpacking support, archive support, and multiple signature languages for detecting threats. The core ClamAV library is utilized in Immunet 3.0, powered by ClamAV, which is a fast, fully featured Desktop AV solution for Windows.Download

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IPCop Firewall

A Linux firewall distribution. It is geared towards home and SOHO users. The IPCop web-interface is very user-friendly and makes usage easy. Download

The Smoothwall

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The Smoothwall GPL project was founded in the summer of 2000 by Lawrence Manning (Principle Code Author) and Richard Morrell (Project Manager). Their goal was to create a Linux distribution that could convert a redundant PC into a hardened internet firewall device. With help from other early contributors; John Faulty and Tom Ellils, the first Smoothwall Firewall was posted to sourceforge.net at the end of August 2000. Download

Untangle

Yet another firewall solution for small businesses. Like IPCop and SmoothWall Express, Untangle is free to use. Unlike the others, however, Untangle also offers paid plans that grant more control and more web filtering options. What also sets Untangle apart is that it does not require any operating system to run: Untangle requires a dedicated PC, and during the installation process it will install its own operating system. Untangle's paid plans are free to try for two weeks, so give it a shot— you have nothing to lose. Download

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SpamPal

A lightweight anti-spam tool for windows, and makes a fine alternative to SpamAssassin if you want something a little more basic. SpamPal is a mail classification program that works for all POP3 and IMAP e-mail accounts, and it has dozens of plugins available in a variety of languages. Like everything else in this list, SpamPal is free to use. Download

Endian Firewall Community

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Similar to Untangle, Endian Firewall Community can turn an old PC into a unified threat management (UTM) appliance that provides a firewall, anti-virus, anti-spam, content filtering, and a VPN. Pre-configured appliances and support are also available for a fee. Operating System: Linux. Download

OpenVPN

A virtual private network, or VPN, is an excellent cost-saving tool in its own right. A VPN allows a business to use the pre-existing infrastructure of the internet to host and access a private organizational network. This means a business no longer has to pay for costly private lines. OpenVPN takes the savings even further, by eliminating the need to pay for expensive proprietary VPN software. OpenVPN is easy to use and available on every platform imaginable. Try it for free on up to two clients. Download

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TrueCrypt

It can create a virtual encrypted disk within a file or encrypt a partition or drive on a Windows system. It can also be used to encrypt a portable hard drive or USB flash drive. Available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. Download

Eraser

It completely eliminates a file so that it cannot be read with digital forensic tools. It overwrites data several times with random patterns erasing all traces of sensitive information. Available currently for Windows. Download

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