Tools You Need in Your Cybersecurity Arsenal

The cybersecurity industry moves at a lightning pace. Every cybersecurity professional, no matter their job title, has to keep their cybersecurity toolbox up to date accordingly. The industry is still evolving, so the definition of ‘cybersecurity tools' can range from programming languages to actual software to business frameworks. Ultimately, this really comes down to highly technical skills and knowledge. So, what skills do you need to learn to keep pace? Here are the top cybersecurity tools and techniques that every professional should have in their back pocket.

Operating Systems

While Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X are two of the most widely-used operating systems, Linux+ and UNIX were built with cybersecurity in mind. Linux+ operating systems, like Kali Linux, are especially important certified ethical hacker tools. Many even come with pre-installed penetration testing capabilities and are highly customizable. If you don't know these systems, get started with a CompTIA Linux+ and UNIX Training course.

Programming Languages

Let's get right to it: Yes, you still need to know Command Prompt. These are the commands you can type into the command bar to run various functions. While nearly every OS today runs on a point-and-click interface, Command Prompt can still come in handy in many ways—we all know computers don't always do what they're supposed to.

Learning programming languages will help you better understand applications, and therefore better understand the potential threats to them. Learning Python is a great place to start; it's useful for malware analysis, cryptoanalysis, and writing automation scripts. Cybersecurity professionals should also learn JavaScript, as it's a common language used to create application programming interfaces (APIs) and other security measures.

Software

Operating systems and programming languages are just the beginning; once you're an expert in Linux+, Python, and Java, most veterans in the field recommend you lock down software. The best computer security software will depend on your particular area of cybersecurity, but there are a few tools that everyone should have in their arsenal.

Vulnerability assessment: Nessus is one of the most highly rated and well-known vulnerability scanners in the industry. Nmap and Metasploit are two other popular cybersecurity assessment tools.

Web application security: Burp Suite allows you to crawl and scan web applications to discover security issues. At its basic level, it's an entirely automated cybersecurity tool. However, the Professional version offers many manual options for more advanced analysis.

Security information and event management (SIEM): SIEM lets you monitor the traffic on your network in real time—and react accordingly. Splunk and ArcSight are great software options here.

Cybersecurity Frameworks

As organizations work toward improving their cybersecurity, frameworks help them discover, prioritize, and implement standards and procedures. They act as a sort of roadmap for the people involved, and they are one of the best free cybersecurity tools out there.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology's Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity (often called simply the NIST Cybersecurity Framework) was first introduced in 2014 and updated in December 2017, and it has been a resounding success. There is also the FFIEC Assessment Tool, created specifically for financial institutions by the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council.

This cybersecurity tools list is by no means exhaustive. In fact, that's one of the great things about this industry—there is truly an endless number of things you can learn. Once you choose a specialty, like penetration testing or systems engineering, you can dive even deeper into information security tools and techniques, including certifications and more. The sooner you get started, the sooner you'll be a pro!