Home / Reference / Open Source Security Software

Open Source Security Software

Cynthia Harvey
Last Updated May 24, 2021 8:00 am

From anti-spam tools to application firewalls there are many open source software offerings that can replace popular security software.

From anti-spam tools to application firewalls there are many open source software offerings that can replace popular security software. The following list of security-focused open source tools on Datamation looks at good open source options and provides details on which security products the open source software is a good replacement for.


Anti-Spam

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.

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.

Application Firewall

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.

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.

Data Loss Prevention

OpenDLP Replaces RSA Data Loss Prevention Suite, CheckPoint DLP Software Blade, Symantec Data Loss Prevention Product Family — OpenDLP scans your network and identifies sensitive data at rest on your Windows systems. In includes both a Web app, which lets system administrators or compliance officers deploy the tool and view reports, and a client, which runs inconspicuously on end users’ systems. Operating System: Windows.

MyDLP Replaces RSA Data Loss Prevention Suite, CheckPoint DLP Software Blade, Symantec Data Loss Prevention Product Family — The creators of MyDLP strongly imply that if the U.S. government had installed their software, it could have prevented the WikiLeaks scandal. It detects and protects sensitive data from being transmitted, and it installs in just 30 minutes. Operating System: Windows, Linux, VMware.

59 Open Source Tools That Can Replace Popular Security Software

This article was originally published on March 18, 2011