Businesses are constantly under attack from hackers trying to steal information or sabotage the company. This is why companies need to have a plan in place to protect themselves from these attacks.
And so, organizations are turning to penetration testing tools for help. But with so many options available, which tool should you choose? In this blog post, we will look at 5 of the best commercial pentesting tools and why you might want to consider using them.
Also, we’ll discuss how to select the right tool for your needs and conclude with some tips on getting started.
Types of Tools Based on Their Licence
There are three main types of penetration testing tools based on how they are licensed:
Open-Source Tools
These are freely available from websites like GitHub and SourceForge, where anyone can download copies for use at home or at their workplace. They allow developers to create their versions or fork the project if they want to modify something about them.
Open-source tools are free and get a lot of community support which helps them stay up-to-date with the latest threats. However, they may not pack a lot of features. They might be constructed to accomplish one specific function.
Commercial Tools
These are tools that are developed and sold by penetration testing companies. They usually have more features than open-source tools, but they also come with a price tag.
Free Tools
Some free penetration testing tools are not open-source in nature. These offer limited functionality but can be a good option for small businesses or organizations on a tight budget.
Why Choose a Commercial Penetration Testing Tool?
When it comes to choosing the best penetration testing tool, there are several factors you need to consider. One would be whether the tool is commercial or free/open-source. Commercial pentesting tools tend to be more expensive, but they offer more features and support than their open-source counterparts.
Another key consideration is the size of your business. If you are a small business, then a free or open-source tool may suit your needs. But if you are a large enterprise with more complex requirements. Then you will need a commercial pentesting tool that can cater to your specific needs.
5 Best Commercial Penetration Testing Tools
So, which commercial pentesting tools should you consider? Here are five of the best tools in 2022:
1. Astra Pentest
Astra Pentest is an automated penetration testing tool developed by Astra Security. Its features include:
- Automated network scanning and manual testing capabilities.
- Customizable reporting to fit your needs.
- Vulnerability discovery with real-time alerts.
- Easy to use, Interactive user-interface
- A firewall that detects IP addresses with malicious behaviour. These IPs can be blocked using the tool.
- SaaS cloud application testing
- Round the clock support from Astra Security
The company also provides manual testing performed by their experts that should need a more thorough assessment.
2. Burp Suite Pro
Burp Suite Pro is a commercial pentesting tool developed by PortSwigger Ltd. It is created to assist security experts in evaluating the security of their web applications. Features include:
- A proxy to intercept, capture and modify all traffic between the client and server.
- Web scanning tool to identify vulnerabilities in websites.
- Spidering and crawling feature to map out the entire website structure.
- Brute force password cracker.
- SQL injection and cross-site scripting detection tools.
- Export results to XML, JSON, HTML or CSV format for further analysis.
3. Metasploit Pro
Metasploit Pro is the commercial upgrade of the infamous Metasploit Framework. Using this tool, you can generate various exploits and payloads to use against remote machines. It includes features like:
- Rapid deployment of exploits in minutes, not hours or days.
- Powerful automation capabilities for running scans and attacks on multiple targets at once.
- A wide range of exploits for all Operating Systems.
4. Nessus
It was developed by Tenable, and it provides threat detection, vulnerability management, compliance auditing, and patch management capabilities to its users. Features include:
- Vulnerability scanning with over thousands of plugins that can detect vulnerabilities in web applications and networks.
- Single-click remediation for quick fixes of vulnerabilities discovered during the scan process.
5. BreachLock
BreachLock is an automated pentesting tool developed using AI (artificial intelligence) and expert knowledge. It is designed to help security teams test their applications and find vulnerabilities like no other tool.
How to select the right pentesting tool?
So, how do you select the right pentesting tool for your organization? Here are a few tips:
- Know what you need: Pentesting tools come in all shapes and sizes, so make sure you know exactly what you need before making a purchase.
- Do your research: Don’t just buy the first tool that looks good. Take the time to read feedback/reviews/ratings and compare different tools to discover which one is best for you.
- Get help if needed: If you’re not sure which tool is best for your organization, get in touch with a pentesting specialist who can help you make the right decision.
Conclusion
In conclusion, commercial pentesting tools offer more features and capabilities than open-source or free tools. They are designed for organizations with specific needs and can quickly help you find and fix vulnerabilities in your applications. So, if you’re looking for a comprehensive pentesting solution, consider investing in one of the five commercial pentesting tools listed above.
While all of these tools have their unique features, they all share one common goal: helping security professionals test the vulnerability of their applications and networks. But remember, no single tool can do everything, so make sure you choose the tool that fits your specific needs.
