59 Open Source Tools That Can Replace Popular Security Software

March 15, 2011
By

Cynthia Harvey

It's been about a year since we last updated our list of open source tools that can replace popular security software. This year's list includes many old favorites, but we also found some that we had previously overlooked.

In addition, we added a new category -- data loss prevention apps. With all the attention generated by the WikiLeaks scandal, more companies are investing in this type of software, and we found a couple of good open source options.

Thanks to Datamation readers for their past suggestions of great open source security apps. Feel free to suggest more in the comments section below.

Anti-Spam

1. ASSP Replaces: Barracuda Spam and Virus Firewall, SpamHero, Abaca Email Protection Gateway

ASSP (short for "Anti-Spam SMTP Proxy") humbly calls itself "the absolute best SPAM fighting weapon that the world has ever known!" It works with most SMTP servers to stop spam and scan for viruses (using ClamAV). Operating System: OS Independent.

2. MailScanner Replaces: Barracuda Spam and Virus Firewall, SpamHero, Abaca Email Protection Gateway

Used by more than 100,000 sites, MailScanner leverages Apache's SpamAssassin project and ClamAV to provide anti-spam and anti-virus capabilities. It's designed to sit on corporate mail gateways or ISP servers to protect end users from threats. Operating System: OS Independent.

3. SpamAssassin Replaces: Barracuda Spam and Virus Firewall, SpamHero, Abaca Email Protection Gateway

This Apache project declares itself "the powerful #1 open-source spam filter." It uses a variety of different techniques, including header and text analysis, Bayesian filtering, DNS blocklists, and collaborative filtering databases, to filter out bulk e-mail at the mail server level. Operating System: primarily Linux and OS X, although Windows versions are available.

4. SpamBayes Replaces: Barracuda Spam and Virus Firewall, SpamHero, Abaca Email Protection Gateway

This group of tools uses Bayesian filters to identify spam based on keywords contained in the messages. It includes an Outlook plug-in for Windows users as well as a number of different versions that work for other e-mail clients and operating systems. Operating System: OS Independent.

Anti-Virus/Anti-Malware

5. ClamAV Replaces Avast! Linux Edition, VirusScan Enterprise for Linux

Undoubtedly the most widely used open-source anti-virus solution, ClamAV quickly and effectively blocks Trojans, viruses, and other kinds malware. The site now also offers paid Windows software called "Immunet," which is powered by the same engine. Operating System: Linux.

6. ClamWin Free Antivirus Replaces Kaspersky Anti-Virus, McAfee AntiVirus Plus, Norton Anti-Virus

If you're looking for a free version of Clam for Windows, this is the way to go. It's used by more than 600,000 people on a daily basis and integrates with Outlook and Windows Explorer. Note however, that it doesn't have an automatic real-time scanner—you have to click on individual files in order to scan them. Operating System: Windows.

Anti-Spyware

7. Nixory Replaces Webroot Spy Sweeper, SpyBot Search and Destroy, AdAware

Nixory removes malicious cookies that you might have picked up while browsing the Web with Internet Explorer, Firefox or Chrome. The latest release includes a lightweight real-time scanner that deletes cookies while you surf. Operating System: OS Independent.

Application Firewall

8. AppArmor Replaces: Barracuda Web Application Firewall, Citrix NetScaler Application Firewall,

Included in both openSUSE and SUSE Linux Enterprise, Novell's application firewall aims to secure Linux-based applications while lowering IT costs. Key features include reports, alerts, sub-process confinement, and more. Operating System: Linux.

9. ModSecurity Replaces: Barracuda Web Application Firewall, Citrix NetScaler Application Firewall,

The "most widely deployed WAF (Web Application Firewall) in existence," ModSecurity protects applications running on the Apache Web server. It also monitors, logs, and provides real-time analysis of Web traffic. Operating System: Windows, Linux.

Backup

10. Areca Backup Replaces: NovaBackup

Designed to be both simple and versatile, Areca lets you choose which files to back up, set up a schedule and determine what type of backup to perform (incremental, differential, full or delta). Notable features include compression, encryption, as-of-date recovery and more. Operating System: Windows, Linux.

11. Bacula Replaces: Simpana Backup and Recovery , NetVault, HP StorageWorks EBS

Enterprise-ready Bacula backs up multiple systems connected to a network. Users often say that it is easier to set up than similar commercial programs, and it can write to many different types of storage media. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X.

12. Amanda Replaces: Simpana Backup and Recovery, NetVault, HP StorageWorks EBS

The "most popular open source backup and recovery software in the world," Amanda backs up the data from more than half a million desktops and servers. In addition to the free community version, it's also available in a supported enterprise version, as an appliance or in the cloud through Zmanda. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X.

13. Partimage Replaces: Norton Ghost, NovaBackup, McAfee Online Backup, Carbonite.com

Partimage is particularly useful if you need to recover from a complete system crash or if you need to install multiple images across a network. It's very fast and can restore to a partition on a different system. Operating System: Linux.

Browser Add-Ons

14. Web of Trust (WOT) Replaces: McAfee SiteAdvisor Plus

Web of Trust describes itself as "the world's leading community-based, free safe surfing tool." It's very similar to SiteAdvisor, providing a traffic light-like symbol that shows you the trustworthiness of a site before you click. It works with all major browsers, including Firefox, Internet Explorer, Chrome, Safari and Opera. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X.

15. PasswordMaker Replaces Kaspersky Password Manager, Roboform

If you struggle to create and remember unique passwords for all the sites and services you use, PasswordMaker can help. With this tool, you only need to remember one master password. And unlike other password management systems, this plug-in doesn't save your passwords in a database anywhere, so it's even more difficult for someone to figure out your login credentials. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X.

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