Below is a collection of useful (and free) tools, what I use them for and where to get them.
Please note: I am not sponsored by or affiliated with the creators of any of the software listed below. While these tools are useful to me, your mileage may vary. Use them at your own risk and discretion!
| Name | Developer | Purpose | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wireshark | Gerald Combs | Protocol Analyzer | Link |
| OpenVAS | Greenbone Networks | Vulnerability Assessment Scanner | Link |
| Kali Linux | Offensive Security | Linux distribution for digital forensics and penetration testing | Link |
| VirtualBox | Oracle | Host-based Hypervisor | Link |
| SpaceSniffer | Uderzo Software | Treemap File Visualization | Link |
| Notepad++ | Don Ho | Text Editor | Link |
| Nmap/Zenmap | Gordon "Fyodor" Lyon | Network Discovery and Security Auditing | Link |
| PuTTY | Simon Tatham | SSH/Telnet Client | Link |
| Angry IP Scanner | Anton Keks | Fast/Simple Network Scanner | Link |
| Hiren's Boot CD PE | "Fans of Hiren" [sic] | A collection of system recovery tools on a bootable image. | Link |
| VeraCrypt | IDRIX | Disk Encryption | Link |
| Canary Tokens | Thinkst Applied Research | Breach Detection/Honeypot | Link |
| SMTP Diag Tool | AdminKit.net | SMTP diagnostics tool | Link |
| Mouse Without Borders | Microsoft Garage | Free Software KVM | Link |
| SysInternals Suite | Microsoft | Windows systems administration tools | Link |
I’ve also included some websites I’ve come across and found useful and/or informative.
Please note: I am not sponsored by or affiliated with any of the sites below. I make no guarantees or warranties as to the accuracy or completeness of the information therein. Browse at your own discretion.
| Site/Tool Name | Description | Link |
|---|---|---|
| ParseMail | Email header information parser. Provides a clean and clear interface to inspect MIME parts for determining where a message came from. | https://www.parsemail.org |
| MX Toolbox | Free [primarily email related] tools. Useful for checking your mail servers against blacklists. | https://mxtoolbox.com |
| OUI Lookup tables | A set of Organization Unique Identifiers you can use to look up registered manufacturers using the first 24 bits of their MAC address | http://standards-oui.ieee.org/oui/oui.txt |
| Udemy | Inexpensive online learning platform. Useful for certification prep. | https://www.udemy.com |
| Black Viper | For over 20 years, Charles "Black Viper" Sparks has been putting out great content, most notably his Windows Services guides. He's an all-around cool cat and I suggest you check him out! | http://www.blackviper.com |