Datamation just did a great roundup they call The Top 75 Open Source Security Apps. Five pages of applications include all areas of computer and network security utilities, from anti-virus to remote administration to password generation and many points in between.
Open Source doesn’t always mean free, but it appears most of these utilities are free. Open Source doesn’t always mean Linux-based, but the majority of these tools, especially the network management utilities, do run on Linux. Since Linux is the Open Source operating system foundation for most of the Open Source contributors, this makes sense. But please check out the list even if you’re a Windows or Mac only person, because there are many utilities for both here.
Most utilities like these are written to solve a problem in someone’s network. The tool does that job so well others start to ask for copies and improvements. When you get tools that spring from need rather than cool programming tricks, you get real value and specific solutions to specific problems and pain points.
None of these apps do all you need for your network, but they do address specific issues quite well. You won’t need all 75 apps, or at least I hope not, because that means you have basically no management right now. If you pick up a half-dozen new utilities to make your network and computer management life easier, let me know.
Anyone want to leave a note about their favorite Open Source utility?
Technology Is Broken 