Cybersecurity Tools and Testing

Are you prepared for the storm that may be brewing in your cloud environment?  With the right tools and strategies, you can secure your assets and fortify your defenses. Here’s your Advanced Cloud Security Audit Checklist using open-source tools:  ➡️ Cloud Resource Inventory Management   - Use CloudMapper to discover and map all cloud assets.   - Ensure accurate asset tracking for security visibility.  ➡️ IAM Configuration Analysis   - Audit IAM policies with PMapper to identify risks.   - Enforce least privilege access to minimize the attack surface.  ➡️ Data Encryption Verification   - Validate encryption protocols with OpenSSL & AWS KMS.   - Ensure data encryption at rest and in transit.  ➡️ Network Security & Vulnerability Assessment   - Scan security groups & NACLs using Scout2 or Prowler.   - Detect unintended access points and misconfigurations.  ➡️ API Security & Vulnerability Scanning   - Test API authentication with OWASP ZAP or APIsec.   - Identify API weaknesses and prevent unauthorized access.  ➡️ Cloud Penetration Testing & Vulnerability Scanning   - Continuously scan for vulnerabilities using OpenVAS or Nessus.   - Detect and remediate security flaws in cloud infrastructure.  ➡️ IaC Security Auditing   - Review Terraform & CloudFormation with Checkov.   - Detect misconfigurations before deployment.  ➡️ Logging & Cloud Activity Monitoring   - Aggregate security logs using ELK Stack or Wazuh.   - Perform anomaly detection to spot suspicious activity.  ➡️ Cloud Compliance & Regulatory Monitoring   - Automate security compliance checks with Cloud Custodian.   - Ensure adherence to GDPR, HIPAA, and SOC 2 standards.  ➡️ Audit Trail & Incident Response   - Monitor cloud logs using AWS CloudTrail or Google Audit Logs.   - Track administrative activity and detect threats early.  ➡️ MFA Enforcement & Audit   - Verify MFA settings across critical accounts.   - Enforce multi-factor authentication using MFA Checker.  ➡️ Cloud Backup & Disaster Recovery   - Perform integrity checks using Duplicity or Restic.   - Validate recovery point objectives (RPO) and test restores.  Follow Satyender Sharma for more insights !

For the first time in history, the #1 hacker in the US is AI …but as the threats have been evolving, so have the solutions. Over the past year, the focus for all major players has shifted to building an AI-enhanced SOC (Security Operations Center). Every company has a different approach, but the key trend has been building out data infrastructure and response capabilities on top of the data that companies already have. Here are the key components of the Agentic AI SOC. ◾ Sources of Data ◾Data Infrastructure ◾Response and Decision Layer ◾AI Agents that act on these insights While the ultimate goal is to create AI Agents, that is not necessarily where the value lies. Companies were able to whip up AI Agents shortly after the first LLMs were introduced. I think the value will be in the data, both the Source and the Data Infrastructure Layer. 1. Sources of Data. This stems from a large installed customer base. Here, leaders in Network, Endpoint, Identity, and Cloud security have a significant advantage, as they already possess large amounts of data. 2. Data Infrastructure: This is an emerging area where there is ample room for new entrants to offer innovative solutions. It is also the primary source of acquisitions for large, publicly traded companies. As Francis Odum from Software Analyst Cyber Research put it “We know that data sources are multiplying rapidly with GenAI. More tools mean> more data sent into SIEMs > which means more storage, costs, and alert noise! If we solve issues at the data sources (filter, normalize, threat intel enrichment, and importantly, fix detection rules, etc.), everything else will follow. In the next phase of cybersecurity, the winners will be those who can move from collecting data to orchestrating outcomes and build cohesive platforms. Where do the public players stand today? 🟩 Companies that are building unique platforms are winning: Zscaler, Cloudflare, CrowdStrike, Palo Alto Networks 🟥 Companies that rely on antiquated technologies are losing: Splunk, Exabeam We just published Spear 's updated Cybersecurity Primer, which delves into recent cybersecurity trends and provides a lay of the cybersecurity landscape. You can access it here: https://lnkd.in/gWdRfxnz #cybersecurity #ai #technology

5 essential SOC (Security Operations Center) tools every SOC Analyst should be familiar with: 1. Wireshark Purpose: Network protocol analyzer Use: Captures and analyzes network traffic in real time Why it matters: Crucial for detecting suspicious activity and troubleshooting network issues. 2. Autopsy Purpose: Digital forensics platform Use: Analyzes and investigates digital media Why it matters: Helps in incident response and understanding how a breach occurred. 3. Nessus Purpose: Vulnerability scanner Use: Identifies security weaknesses in systems and networks Why it matters: Essential for proactive security and compliance. 4. Burp Suite Purpose: Web application security testing Use: Identifies and exploits vulnerabilities in web apps Why it matters: Protects applications from attacks like XSS, SQLi, etc. 5. Maltego Purpose: OSINT (Open Source Intelligence) gathering Use: Analyzes relationships between people, groups, domains, and more Why it matters: Useful for threat intelligence and tracking threat actors.

🔍 𝐀𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐭-𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝: 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐎𝐧𝐞 As cloud environments grow more complex, the gap between innovation and compliance widens. Here's why building audit-ready cloud architectures should be your top priority: 🏗️ 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬: - Infrastructure as Code (IaC) with built-in compliance checks - Automated audit trails across all cloud resources - Real-time compliance monitoring and drift detection - Standardized tagging strategy for resource tracking - Least-privilege access by default 💡 𝐏𝐫𝐨 𝐓𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬: 1. Version control your compliance policies like code 2. Implement automated remediation for common violations 3. Use cloud-native audit tools (AWS Config, Azure Policy, GCP Security Command) 4. Document everything - your future self will thank you 🛠️ E𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐀𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐥: - Terraform/CloudFormation for IaC - Open Policy Agent (OPA) for policy enforcement - Cloud-native CSPM solutions - Git-based audit history - Automated compliance testing in CI/CD 🎯 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐬 𝐖𝐞'𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠: - 75% reduction in audit preparation time - Near real-time compliance reporting - Significantly fewer audit findings - Faster security clearance for new deployments 𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫: Compliance isn't a checkbox; it's an architectural requirement. Build it in from the start, automate everything possible, and make it part of your engineering culture. 🎯 𝐈𝐬 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐀𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐭-𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲? Tired of last-minute audit scrambles? Our clients were too. We helped them achieve: ✅ 70% faster audit preparations ✅ Zero critical compliance findings ✅ Automated compliance monitoring ✅ Real-time violation alerts Don't wait for auditors to find gaps in your cloud infrastructure. https://lnkd.in/e2mWD_3e

Dear IT Auditors, ITGC in Cloud-Native Teams Many organizations have embraced cloud platforms like AWS and Azure, but very few know how to audit IT General Controls (ITGCs) in a cloud-native environment. Traditional ITGC testing relied on on-premises systems, familiar roles, and predictable evidence. Cloud-native teams change the rules. When developers can spin up resources in minutes and infrastructure is managed as code, how do you validate that controls exist and work without slowing the business down? That’s where modern IT audit practices come in. 📌 Access Management: Instead of static AD groups, cloud environments use identity and access management (IAM) policies. You need to review policies, roles, and entitlements at scale. Focus on least privilege, segregation of duties, and rotation of credentials. 📌 Change Management: Cloud-native teams use pipelines like GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, or Azure DevOps. Your role is to confirm that code changes to infrastructure or applications follow peer review, approval, and automated testing. Ask: Can the organization trace who made changes and when? 📌 Operations Controls: Logs, alerts, and monitoring are built into cloud platforms. The test isn’t whether logs exist—it’s whether logs are retained, reviewed, and tied to incident response. Look at CloudTrail in AWS or Activity Logs in Azure and test for completeness and retention. 📌 Evidence Collection: Screenshots aren’t enough. Cloud platforms produce system-generated evidence like JSON files, configuration exports, and automated compliance scans. As an auditor, you should guide teams to provide structured evidence that regulators and executives trust. 📌 Collaboration with DevOps: The biggest shift is cultural. IT auditors can’t audit cloud-native teams with a checklist designed for 2005. You need to understand the language of developers, containers, and automation, then translate it into assurance terms. Collaboration builds trust, and trust drives better controls. Cloud adoption is accelerating. The question for auditors is simple: are you testing ITGCs the old way, or are you building assurance into the way cloud teams actually work? #ITAudit #CloudAudit #ITGC #AWS #Azure #DevOps #Assurance #RiskManagement #CyberSecurityAudit #GRC #InternalAudit

Here I attached the Cybersecurity Technology Stack. This poster is a complete visual guide to the key cybersecurity tools and technologies across all major categories from SIEM, EDR, XDR, SOAR, TIP, PAM, CSPM to deception technologies, UEBA and more. I created this to help professionals and newcomers get a clearer picture of what solutions are available and how they fit into the larger cybersecurity ecosystem. When I first started working in cybersecurity operations, most environments focused heavily on perimeter defence and endpoint protection. But attackers have evolved. Today, a proper setup requires multiple integrated layers that work together. No single tool is enough. What matters is how these tools connect to give visibility, control and speed in detection and response. If you're building or reviewing your cybersecurity stack, these are the key areas I recommend you consider: 1. Visibility with SIEM •Start with a strong SIEM platform. This will collect logs across your infrastructure from endpoints, firewalls, cloud and identity systems and help detect patterns or anomalies. 2. Real-time Threat Detection with EDR or XDR •Next, deploy EDR to get deep visibility into endpoint activities. If your budget allows, move towards XDR to combine endpoint, network and cloud telemetry into one detection layer. 3. Response Automation with SOAR •As alerts come in, you need a fast and consistent way to respond. A SOAR platform can automate triage, enrich alerts with threat intel and reduce the time analysts spend on manual tasks. 4. Threat Intelligence Integration •No matter how good your SIEM or EDR is, you need context. Use Threat Intelligence Platforms (TIP) to enrich data with external threat indicators and insights. 5. Secure Privileged Access with PAM •If an attacker gets access to a privileged account, the damage can be severe. Implement PAM to secure, manage and audit access to critical systems and credentials. 6. Vulnerability Management •A well-monitored environment still becomes weak if patching is not managed. Use vulnerability scanners and patch management systems to identify and remediate weaknesses quickly. 7. Cloud Security Posture and Identity Management •As more workloads move to the cloud, ensure you have CSPM tools and proper IAM controls in place to prevent misconfigurations and abuse of identity-based access. 8. Advanced Detection with NDR, UEBA, and Deception •For mature setups, consider adding Network Detection & Response, User Behaviour Analytics and deception technologies. These give you deeper layers of defence and help detect stealthy attacks. Building a modern cybersecurity setup is not about chasing tools, but designing an architecture where each solution complements the other. You want detection, correlation, automation and response to happen as smoothly as possible. This is the mindset behind the stack I designed. Every component in this poster plays a role in defending against modern threats.

🔐 90% of Cybersecurity Work Happens with These Tools — Let Me Prove It If you want to break into cybersecurity or upgrade your tech stack, save this. This is the toolkit that’s powering real-world SOC teams, Red Teams, and Threat Analysts at companies like Microsoft, Cisco, and CrowdStrike. 🧠 What Most Security Posts Miss — This Covers: ✅ Networking Surveillance Use tools like Wireshark and Nmap not just to map networks, but to detect unusual port behavior and packet anomalies before IDS triggers. ✅ App Vulnerability Scanning BurpSuite, ZAP, and Veracode allow developers to embed security testing inside CI/CD — saving hours of patching post-deploy. ✅ Cloud Security Monitoring Cloud-native tools like Prisma Cloud and AWS Security Hub automatically scan cloud misconfigs — one of the top causes of data breaches. ✅ Incident Response Stack Tools like TheHive, MISP, and SANS SIFT are used in SOCs for rapid triage, evidence collection, and threat intel correlation. 🔐 Insider Insight: What the Pros Actually Use Here’s how actual teams combine tools in the field: 🔹 John The Ripper + Hashcat 👉 Used in Red Team assessments to simulate credential compromise. 🔐 Industrial Use: Password audits on enterprise Active Directory exports. 🔹 SolarWinds 👉 Often used for system log forensics, especially in hybrid environments. 💡 Tip: Pair it with EnCase for deep-dive investigation in malware-laced systems. 🔹 WiFi Pineapple 👉 PenTesters use it to demonstrate real-world Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) attacks — yes, even in corporate cafeterias. 🔹 Cobalt Strike 👉 Used by both defenders and attackers. It simulates Advanced Persistent Threats (APT) — now part of many blue team training scenarios. 🧪 Pro Tip: Combine These Tools for Real-World Impact a) Scan → Nmap / Nessus b) Exploit → Metasploit c) Report → TheHive d) Harden → Checkmarx, Veracode e) Monitor & React → Prisma Cloud + Lacework That’s how CloudSec & DevSecOps teams run secure pipelines today. 🛡️ Why This Matters in Industry ==> 70% of breaches happen due to misconfigurations or known CVEs. ==>Top companies automate 80% of vulnerability scans. ==>Security engineers are now expected to know tools AND automate with them (Python/Go scripting). 🚨 You don’t need to memorize tools — you need to know how & when to use them. 💥 Final Thought If you’re a: 🎓 Fresher → Start with Wireshark, BurpSuite, and Metasploit 🧑💻 Developer → Learn OWASP ZAP, Veracode, and Snyk 🧠 Security Pro → Master TheHive, MISP, and threat intel platforms Cybersecurity isn't optional anymore. It's baked into every layer of modern tech — from mobile apps to microservices. 👀 Follow me Mazharuddin Farooque for more tech stacks decoded like this.

 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗢𝗖? 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗦𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂  Here’s a reality check: 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 “𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀.” It’s about mastering concepts that keep the digital world safe. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝟭𝟬 𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝗢𝗻𝗲:  𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗢𝗖 𝗟𝟭 𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝘁 (𝗦𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀): 🛡️ 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀  – Network, Host-Based, and NGFWs. 🛡️ 𝗜𝗗𝗦/𝗜𝗣𝗦  – Detect and block suspicious network traffic. 🛡️ 𝗦𝗜𝗘𝗠  – Your central nervous system for alerts. 🛡️ 𝗘𝗗𝗥  – Protect endpoints like your life depends on it. 🛡️ 𝗔𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗿𝘂𝘀/𝗔𝗻𝘁𝗶-𝗠𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲  – Basics that still matter. 🛡️ 𝗩𝗣𝗡  – Secure remote access. 🛡️ 𝗡𝗔𝗖  – Gatekeeper for devices. 🛡️ 𝗗𝗟𝗣  – Stop sensitive data leaks . 🛡️ 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲  – Get ahead of attackers.  🛡️ 𝗩𝘂𝗹𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀  – Find cracks before hackers do. 🛡️ 𝗘𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆  – Block phishing, spam, malware. 🛡️ 𝗪𝗔𝗙  – Protect your web apps. 🛡️ 𝗣𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗦𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝘀  – Wireshark is your new best friend. 🛡️ 𝗗𝗡𝗦 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆  – Protect where your users go. 🛡️ 𝗦𝗢𝗔𝗥  – Automate what slows you down. 🛡️ 𝗖𝗹𝗼𝘂𝗱 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆  – Guard AWS, Azure, GCP. 🛡️ 𝗛𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆𝗽𝗼𝘁𝘀  – Catch bad actors red-handed. 🛡️ 𝗡𝗧𝗔  – Spot stealthy attacks.  🛡️ 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻  – Outsmart social engineering. "𝗧𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝘀 𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗲." Master the foundation now, and you’ll adapt to ANY tool tomorrow. Cybersecurity isn’t just a job  it's an art form. Your skills are the brushstrokes that protect the world’s most valuable assets. ✅ 𝗦𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁. ✅ 𝗧𝗮𝗴 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼'𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗢𝗖 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀.

Over the past five years, there has been continuous development in the field of vulnerability finding tools, with new categories emerging to address evolving cybersecurity challenges. Some of the notable categories include: 1. Machine Learning-Powered Scanners:   - Overview: Tools that leverage machine learning algorithms to identify vulnerabilities by learning from patterns in code and network behavior.   - Advantages: Improved accuracy in detecting complex vulnerabilities and the ability to adapt to new threat landscapes.   - Examples: Checkmarx, Contrast Security. 2. Interactive Application Security Testing (IAST):   - Overview: Tools that analyze applications in real-time during runtime to identify vulnerabilities and provide feedback to developers.   - Advantages: Offers insights into actual runtime behavior and potential security issues.   - Examples: Contrast Security, HCL AppScan. 3. Container Security Scanners:   - Overview: Tools designed to scan containerized environments for vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and compliance issues.   - Advantages: Addresses security concerns specific to containerized applications and microservices.   - Examples: Anchore, Clair. 4 API Security Testing Tools:   - Overview: Tools focused on assessing the security of APIs, including authentication, authorization, and data validation.   - Advantages: Addresses the increasing importance of APIs in modern application architectures.   - Examples: OWASP API Security Project, Postman, Traceable. 6. Supply Chain Security Tools:   - Overview: Tools designed to identify and mitigate security risks in the software supply chain, including third-party dependencies.   - Advantages: Helps prevent and detect attacks such as software supply chain attacks.   - Examples: Snyk, Dependency-Check. 7. Behavioral Analysis Tools:   - Overview: Tools that monitor and analyze system and application behavior to detect anomalies and potential security threats.   - Advantages: Provides a proactive approach to identifying threats based on deviations from normal behavior.   - Examples: Darktrace, Vectra. The next 5 years will see more categories being created. Interesting to see how the skillsets required to be a risk professional change over this time! #cybersecurity #vulnerabilityfindingtools #riskmanagement