Top 20 Cyber Security Tools in 2025

Wireshark is one of the tools which is used globally by many for analyzing network protocol. This tool will help you to capture using pcap, store and analyze each packet in a detailed fashion. Wireshark supports OS platforms like Windows, Linux, Solaris, macOS etc. Wireshark is also an open-source tool similar to the tcpdump with a user interface option. The main features of Wireshark are that real-time data can be analyzed from different types of protocols. Also colour coding feature is available in the platform to show the packets when it matches any specific rule. This tool will capture packets only from the pcap-supported networks.

Pros

• Displays captured packets in real time. 
• Facilitates packet filtering, grouping, and sorting. 
• Identifies packet-generating protocols.  

Cons

• Cannot send packets.  
• Does not have the ability to generate or alter packets.  

Pricing: Free

Customer Rating: 4.6 out of 5  

You can download the tool from the official website. 

3. Metasploit

Metasploit is a powerful and famous open-source penetration testing tool used in cyber security industry. This tool will be used by cyber attackers and as well as cyber defenders. All that matters is that how they use the tool. Metasploit has many inbuilt modules which can be used for exploiting, payload executions, auxiliary functions, encoding, listening, executing shell codes, Nops. This tool can be used to perform security assessments that enhance the company’s security posture.

Pros

• Comprehensive multi-platform modules collection. 
• Allows security professionals to create their own payloads and modules.  
• Strong community provides useful troubleshooting and learning resources.  
• Customizable and interactive user interface.  

Cons

• Can be unreliable when dealing with dynamic or complex environments.  
• May be easily detectable by security solutions, making it difficult for network professionals to establish persistence in case of compromised systems.  
• Can lead to legal violations in cases where Metasploit is used without proper scope, consent or authorization.  

Pricing: Average price of Metasploit Pro is approximately $15,000 per year.   

Customer Rating: 4.6 out of 5 

You can download the tool from the official website.

4.Aircrack-ng

Aircrack-ng comes with a package of security tools to assess WiFi network security controls. It covers on monitoring, attacking, testing, cracking WiFi security. This tool is mainly used by hackers to hack WiFi by cracking WEP, WAP, WAP2 encryption techniques. This tool has sniffing and packet injection features. This tool is available for Windows, Linux, macOS, Solaris, OpenBSD, FreeBSD.

Pros

• It has the ability to crack WiFi passwords using a wide array of methods like WPS attacks, brute force attacks, or dictionary attacks.  
• Can carry out de-authentication attacks like replay attacks or disconnecting users from wireless networks.  
• Works on multiple platforms like Windows, macOS, Unix and Linux.  
• Comes pre-installed in Kali Linux.   

Cons

• Not for beginners as it has a steep learning curve.  
• Installation and configuration can be difficult, especially in non-Linux systems. 
• Can be detected and blocked by network security measures like firewall rules, authentication or encryption.     

Pricing: $65 per user 

Customer Rating: 9.1 out of 10 

You can download the tool from the official link.

5. Hashcat

Hashcat is a globally used tool for cracking passwords. Almost 250+ hashing algorithms are supported by this tool. This tool supports Windows, Linux and macOS platforms. The main features of this tool are very fast, flexible, versatile and an open-source tool that will help a person perform brute-force attacks by several hash values. Hashing algorithms like LM, MD-family and SHA-family are supported. Hashcat can be used to perform various cyber attacks like brute-force attacks, combinator attacks, dictionary attacks, fingerprint attacks, mask attacks, hybrid attacks, permutation attacks, Toggle-Case attacks, rule-based attacks, etc.

Pros  

• Supports multiple devices like Android, iOS, Linux, MacOS, etc.  
• Can operate on both clouds hosted servers and on-premises. 
• Supports over 250 hashing algorithms like SHA, LM, and MD-family.   
• Performs a wide range of attacks like fingerprint attacks, brute-force attacks, permutation attacks, etc.  
• Can recover lost WiFi passwords, open locked PDF files and password-protected MS Office files.       

Cons

• Using this tool can be expensive if security professionals are searching for long hours for a comprehensive list of passwords. 

Pricing: $0.63 to $2112.52/one-time payment  

Customer Rating: 8.0 out of 10. 

You can download the tool from the official website.

6. Burp suite

Burp suite is a combined platform of several tools which are used in the penetration testing field. This is the favourite tool for all pen testers and bug bounty hunters. This tool was developed by the company “Port Swigger”. There are various tools like Spider, Proxy, Intruder, Repeater, Sequencer, Decoder, Extender, Scanner etc., which are used for different security testing processes. This tool can be used at project-level as well as at user-level.

Pros  

• Polished and intuitive user interface.  
• The presence of customizable features like Burp Intruder, Burp Extender, and Burp Collaborator.  
• Burp Suite has a large and active community of developers and users who provide updates, support and feedback. 
• Burp Suite Professional (which is a paid feature) provides a wide array of integrations and functionalities like Burp Enterprise and Burp Scanner.     

Cons

• Resource-intensive and can slow down when performing complex or large-scale testing.  
• Comes with a steep learning curve and can require additional customization and configuration to suit individual needs.  
• Automated scan reports can sometimes bring forth false positives.    

Pricing 

• Burp Suite Professional – $449.00/user per year 
• Burp Suite Enterprise Edition (PAYS) – $1,999.00/year  
• Burp Suite Enterprise Edition - $5,999.00/year 
• Burp Suite Enterprise Edition (Unlimited) - $49,999.00/year   

Customer Rating: 9.1 out of 10 

You can download the community edition of this tool from its official website.

7. Nessus Professional

Nessus Professional is a commercial tool used for vulnerability assessment. This tool can help you to find security flaws, security vulnerabilities, information about outdated patches, misconfigurations of systems, servers, and network devices as well. This tool can also be used for compliance and auditing purposes. This tool is an advanced tool where all the said features are automated. Basic network scan, advanced scan, advanced dynamic scan, malware scan, mobile device scan, web application tests, credential patch audit, badlock detection, bash shellshock detection, DROWN detection, Intel AMT Security Bypass, Shadow brokers scan, spectre and meltdown, WannaCry ransomware are the types of vulnerability scans available in the platform. Audit Cloud Infrastructure, Policy Compliance Auditing, Offline Config Audit, SCAP and OVAL Auditing are some of the options available for compliance perspective.

Pros    

• One of the best in the cyber security tools list for conducting vulnerability assessments.  
• Offers numerous scanning options like web application scans, malware scans, PCI-DSS scans, etc.  
• Can classify vulnerabilities across various risk-based categories like – informative to critical.  
• Reports can be scheduled and customized across formats like – HTML, XML and CSV formats.   

Cons

• Vulnerability scanners may not always be accurate, leading to false positives. 
• Supplements may not be always timely updated.  
• Scheduling authenticated scans for web applications can be very difficult.    

Pricing

• Nessus Professional (Annual Subscription) - $3500.18 
• Nessus Professional (Annual Subscription + Advanced Support) - $3913.18 
• Nessus Professional (2-Year Subscription) - $6825.34 
• Nessus Professional (2-Year Subscription + Advanced Support) - $7651.34 

Customer Rating: 4.7 out of 5

Here is the official link for the tool. 

8. Snort

Snort is one of the best open-source IPS / IDS tool. This tool uses a set of rules that will help to identify the malicious activity and generate security alerts to the users. Snort can also be deployed in the first layer of network to block the malicious sources. Snort can be functioned and deployed for both personal and official purposes. Sniffer can be configured in three modes “Sniffer mode, Packet logger mode, Network Intrusion Detection System mode”. This tool is developed by Cisco Systems. 

Pros

• Security professionals can scan network traffic for analysis.  
• Packets can be stored in files to perform analysis with other tools.  
• Allows remediation action triggers upon intruder detection.  
• Open source, flexible and customizable with the help of rulesets.    

Cons 

• Setup process and configurations can be complicated for beginners. 
• Vulnerable to DoS attacks from within networks. 
• Lack of proper backend support.    

Pricing   

• Snort Personal - $29.99/sensor 
• Snort Business - $399/sensor

Customer Rating: 4.4 out of 5 

You can download the tool from the official website. 

9. Intruder

Intruder is a vulnerability scanner tool to perform cyber security assessments, vulnerabilities across your company’s structure. This tool can look for security patches, web application attacks like SQL injection, cross-site scripting, CSRF etc, applications that are configured with default passwords etc. It is commercial tool that has three versions “Pro, Essential, Verified”. 

Pros  

• Continuously scans and identifies vulnerabilities. 
• Intuitive and user-friendly user interface.  
• 24/7 customer support.    

Cons  

• Lack of a dedicated mobile app.  
• The premium version has a bespoke pricing model which may not be cost-effective for some companies.  

Pricing   

• Intruder Essential - $113/license 
• Pro - $181/license 

Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5 

Here is the official website link for the tool.

10. Kali Linux

Kali Linux is an open-source and advanced penetration testing tool. The main objective of developing this tool is to act as cyber attackers and ethical hackers. Kali Linux comes up with a pack of 600+ tools like Aircrac-ng, Autopsy, Burp Suite, Hashcat, John the ripper, Maltego, Nmap, OWASP ZAP, Sqlmap, WPScan, Nessus, Hydra, Wireshark, Nikto, Vulnhub, Metasploit framework etc, that can be used for specific cyber security purposes. Kali-Linux is a Debian-based Linux distribution tool that is maintained and developed by Offensive Security. 

Pros 

• It comes with over 600 penetration tools. 
• Adheres to the file-system hierarchy standard.  
• Supports a wide array of wireless devices.  
• Open source, customizable and supports multiple languages.   

Cons  

• Can be a bit slow in comparison to other software in the cyber security tools list.  
• Some software may malfunction on Kali Linux.  
• It can be complicated for users who are new to Linux.   

Pricing: Free  

Customer Rating: 9.4 out of 10 

Here is the official website link for the tool. 

Additional Cyber Security Tools

11. John the Ripper

John the Ripper is a password cracker that is free of cost, and it is an open-source project, so any developer can contribute as well. It is used for password cracking. Cybersecurity researchers use John the Ripper because it can crack many hashes and cipher text using its comprehensive set of algorithms of hashes.

Pros 

• Efficient cracking: It accelerates the password cracking speed by utilizing multiple CPUs or even when required it utilizes GPU as well. 
• Identification of hash: John the Ripper can identify the hash type by itself, eliminating manual recognition. 
• Flexibility: It is highly customizable because users can create their wordlist or rules according to their target and their needs. 

Cons 

• Limited Identification: Apart from the capability of finding hash types, sometimes it can’t find the new or more complex hashing algorithm. 
• Complex password: If the password is complex means if it contains Capital and small letters, numbers and special characters then it can decrease the performance of John the Ripper. 

Price: Free 

User Rating: 8 out of 10 

You can download it from its official website. 

12. SiteLock

SiteLock is a platform that provides web security to protect websites. It performs daily scans to find vulnerabilities in websites like SQL Injection, XSS (Cross-Site Scripting), malware detection, etc. It provides plugin features in various hosting platforms like HostGator, WordPress, Bluehost, etc.

Pros 

• User Friendly: SiteLock’s User Interface (UI) is easy to use. Even a person from a non-technical background can use it. 
• Improved Availability: Because of regular scans and malware removal, it’ll decrease the downtime of the website. 
• Scalability: SiteLock fulfills the requirement according to the website owner’s requirements. It scales from a blog page to a full-fledged e-commerce website with high traffic. 

Cons 

• False positives: The security scans sometimes can lead to giving false negatives, which means it would mark legitimate actions or files as malicious or a threat. 
• Reliance: Apart from its capability of managing website security, it shouldn’t be a substitute for better security practices like strong passwords or user access controls. 

Price:  

• Basic plan - $14.99/month 
• Pro plan - $ 24.99/month 
• Business plan - $ 34.99/month 

User Ratings: 7.5 out of 10 

You can download it from its official website. 

13. Teramind

Teramind provides tracking of employee’s time and engagement. This helps the administrator with threat management. Using teramind is beneficial because one can find any suspicious activity of their employee.

Pros 

• Reduced Insider threat: Teramind’s monitoring capability helps identify the suspicious activity of the user. 
• Data Loss Prevention: Teramind can also monitor the data transferring in the infrastructure as well. It can block those transfers and alter the administrator. 
• Remote Work Monitoring: Teramind is very beneficial when it comes to monitoring remote employees who do work from home. It helps the organization to monitor their employees' actions 

Cons 

• Potential for employee misuse: Specific employees can be targeted based on their statistics, which sometimes can be unfair. 
• Cost: For small businesses, the Teramind paid subscription can be expensive and a paid subscription only.  
• False Positive: Sometimes the monitoring system can flag legitimate actions as malicious, leading to unwanted investigation and wasting time. 

Price: 

• Starter plan for €70 / month 
• UAM (User Activity Monitoring) plan for €140 / month 
• DLP (Data Loss Prevention) plan for €165 / month 
• Enterprise plan in which the price varies based on needs. 

User Ratings: 7 out of 10 

You can download it from its official website.

14. Sprinto

Sprinto is a cloud-based platform providing security and compliance automation services. I provide a comprehensive dashboard to handle assessments, evidence gathering, and control implementation. Sprinto helps the organization to be prepared for auditing because of compliance’s coordination with regulations. It has pre-built templates of various compliances like GDPR (General Data Protection Regulations), HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), etc. to start any assessment quickly.

Pros 

• Efficiency: Automation is the best thing here. Because of automation, the team can work on other strategic initiatives to strengthen the organization's security posture. 
• Enhanced Audit Readiness: Its pre-built compliances, evidence collection, and automated checks make it easier to prepare a security audit. 
• Accuracy: Manual testing tends to result in human error. So, sprinto’s automated process of assessment increases its accuracy.  

Cons 

• Limited Customization: Sprinto provides pre-built templates but cannot compete with the customized templates because it is curated according to the organization's requirements. 
• Integration challenges: Integrating sprinto with pre-existing security infrastructure requires an expert and it could also lead to compatibility issues. 

Price: There are no fixed prices for sprinto as it varies based on the requirements the customers ask for. Creating an estimation for cost for a tech organization with default options gives the cost of $13,200. 

User Ratings: 7.5 out of 10 

You can download it from its official website. 

15. Cain and Abel

Cain and Abel are password-cracking tools that are specifically made for Windows operating systems. It is used to crack passwords of Windows Operating system. It attempts to crack the password hash through many methods like brute force, dictionary attack, etc.

Pros 

• Password Recovery: When someone forgets their Windows operating system then Cain and Abel can be used to recover the password. 
• Security Testing: Security Researchers often use Cain and Abel when they test Windows operating system-based machines. 
• Wireless Network Key: Cain and Abel have the functionality to recover the password for a wireless network under certain conditions. 

Cons 

• Misuse: If Cain and Abel tool is in the wrong hands then they can use it to crack the password and get unauthorized access to the system by techniques like eavesdropping on network traffic.  
• Security Vulnerabilities: Old versions of Cain and Abel are vulnerable and can lead to making the system open for attacks. 
• Limited Platform support: Cain and Abel tool is for the Windows operating system so it will not go well with other operating systems. 

Price: Free 

User Rating: 8 out of 10 

You can download it from its official website. 

16. Paros Proxy

Paros Proxy is a web proxy used to intercept traffic between web browser and internet with the capability of altering the HTTP/HTTPS requests according to need. It also comes with more functions like web spider, web traffic recorder, hash calculator and also has the capability to find some web vulnerabilities on its own such as XSS (Cross-site Scripting) and SQL (Structured Query Language) Injection.

Pros 

• Open-source: Paros Proxy is an open-source tool, and anyone can download and use it for free and if they want then they can contribute as well to this tool. 
• Light weight: It is a very light weight tool compared to other web traffic intercepting tools in the market. 
• User friendly UI (User Interface): Parox Proxy is a GUI based tool, so its interface is user friendly and provides ease to the user. 

Cons 

• Outdated: Parox Proxy hadn’t received an update since 2013 so it is outdated now. It is one of the biggest downsides. 
• Security Risks: As previously mentioned, Paros Proxy is not receiving updates anymore, so it is open to many vulnerabilities which poses security threat. 
• Lack of efficiency: Latest tools are much more efficient compared to Parox Proxy in many terms like resource consumptions and it also requires manual configuration. 

Price: Free 

User Rating: 5 out of 10 

17. KeePass

KeePass is a free and open-source password manager for Windows operating system. Users can store their usernames and passwords. It even has the capability to store file attachments. KeePass will encrypt and store it in a database of its own to maintain security. There are unofficial versions of KeePass for other operating systems like MacOS and Linux which are contributed by developers across globe.

Pros 

• Strong Encryption: KeePass uses strong encryptions algorithms to store passwords. It uses industry-standard encryptions algorithm like AES-256. 
• Offline storage: The passwords are stored locally on the user’s computer so it can be accessed without internet as well. 
• Verification: To access the credentials or the protected attachments a specific master key is required or optionally a key file. 

Cons 

• No cloud-based backups: Basically, KeePass stores password locally so the user has to keep the backup on their own means they have to backup manually. KeePass does provide some third-party cloud backup options. 
• Convenience: There is lack of convenience in KeePass as compared to some commercial password managers like the automatic password filling. 
• Self-Management: It is the user’s responsibility to create a strong master password and key file and keep the backup. Losing the master key for key file will result in permanently loss of the password. 

Price: Free 

User Rating: 7 out of 10 

You can download it from its official website.

18. Nagios

Nagios is an event monitoring tool which is used to trigger an alert if any suspicious activity occurs and also give another alter when the issue is being resolved. Using Nagios one can monitor services, servers, switches, applications, networks. It supports Windows operating system, VMWare and Linux.

Pros 

• Free version: Nagios provides free version as well for small organization and users after which it is lot more convenient for them. 
• Scalability: Nagios provides lots of customizations and adjusts according to their needs. It also provides plugins through which it can be used to monitor cloud services as well.  
• Alerting: Nagios have multiple channels like email, SMS, network notifications for alerting the administrator if any suspicious activity triggers.  

Cons 

• Hidden Cost: Even if you get Nagios for free, there are still something that might contains costs like custom plugins, commercial support, etc. 
• Basic Reporting: Nagios provides basic reporting as compared to some commercial monitoring solutions which provide comprehensive reports.  
• Alert Fatigue: If the alert is not configured effectively that can lead to a high generation of alters in which some might be false positives. 

Price: For 100 nodes - $2,495 

User Rating: 7 out of 10 

You can download it from its official website. 

19. Nexpose

Nexpose is a on premises vulnerability scanner that is used to scan the network for vulnerabilities. It is used to identify the opened ports, services running, applications and many more. It is a vulnerability management solution developed by Rapid7.

Pros 

• Automation: Nexpose’s capability of doing automated repetitive scanning and reporting helps security engineers a lot.  
• Scalability: Nexpose is very scalable, from small business to large business.  
• Integration: Nexpose can integrate with many security tools to make a strong and secure ecosystem. 

Cons 

• False Positive: Like any vulnerability scanners there is always a possibility for getting false positives. 
• Vendor Lock-in: Relying on one vendor for vulnerability scanner can lead to difficulty when the organization wants to migrate to other tools. 
• Alternatives: There are many open-source alternatives available in the market which provide similar features. 

Price: As it is an on-premises setup, the price varies according to the user’s requirements. A rough pricing is for scanning 128 IPs it would cost $2,000 and hardware pricing can be $3,000 to $18,000. 

User Rating: 7 out of 10 

You can download it from its official website. 

20. Forcepoint

Forcepoint develops software for security and protection of data and many other security services which help organizations to strengthen their security posture. They provide services like Endpoint security, Data Loss Prevention, Security Information and Event Management, etc. Some of their major products are Forcepoint NGFW (Next Generation Firewall), Forcepoint ONE, Forcepoint TRITON AP-DATA, Forcepoint Threat Protection Platform.

Pros 

• Integration: Forcepoint provides integration with other security tools like CASB (Cloud Access Security Broker), Endpoint security, DLP (Data Loss Prevention), etc. 
• Less False Positives: By analyzing the user’s behavior Forcepoint potentially reduces the number of false positives. 
• Scalability: Forcepoint can be adaptable to different sizes of organization, from small to large. 

Cons 

• Expensive: Forcepoint is expensive compared to some open-sourced tools available on the market. 
• Limited Free Option: When using the free version of Forcepoint, it provides only limited experience of the product which sometime could lead to customer dissatisfaction.  
• Vendor Lock-in: Depending fully on Forcepoint could lead to vendor lock-in because if in future the user wants to migrate to another platform then that could be challenging. 

Price: The price varies according to the requirement of the customer. 

User Rating: 7 out of 10 

You can visit the official website. 

To get a deeper understanding for the above tools, enroll in KnowledgeHut’s cyber security certifications. 

Top Features of a Cyber Security Tool 

Here are the features which you should search for while analyzing cyber security tools lists:  

• Coverage for Both External and Internal Threats 

In most cases, cyber security threats are external. They come in the form of attacks like Denial of Services, malicious attachments, phishing, vulnerable web applications, etc.  

However, these threats can be internal too. For instance, employees within an organization can leak confidential data, compromise security settings, etc. In this regard, a reliable cyber security tool can help companies set up firewalls which can help mitigate both internal and external threats.      

• Defends Against Bot Attacks

Nowadays, cybercriminals use bots to enter online accounts, devices and networks. Thus, cyber security tools must have anti-bot functions like reCAPTCHA, rate-limiting, blacklisting, signature detection, etc. to defend against malicious bot activity.  

• Robust Monitoring Systems 

Reliable cyber security tools come with robust monitoring systems. They help information security professionals track both incoming and outgoing traffic stats, CPU, and RAM usage by various applications, newly installed programs, etc. This helps detect anomalies and mitigate probable vulnerabilities which can later become major threats.    

• Leverages Artificial Intelligence 

Some cyber security tools leverage AI to increase their efficiency in detecting and mitigating cyber threats. Additionally, they can use deep learning algorithms to collect and analyze data from users worldwide and increase their effectiveness in detecting potential threats.  

• Cross-Platform Compatibility and Scalability   

Cybersecurity tools must also support cross-platform compatibility. This means that they must run seamlessly on various operating systems, along with cloud environments and on-premises systems. Furthermore, they must be scalable in terms of environmental diversity and volume. This will provide companies with the flexibility needed to meet future technological requirements.  

How to Choose the Right Cyber Security Tool for you? 

Given the vast array of cyber security tools available in the market, it can be quite confusing for you to choose the right cyber security tool. Thus, here are some pointers which you can keep in mind before making your choice: 

• Assess Your Current Cyber Security Needs 

Before you start looking for a cyber security solution, it is essential that you assess your current cyber security needs. They include assessing your current cyber security position, policies, controls and procedures. Also, you need to plan your digital transformation roadmap and understand your priorities, objectives, requirements and challenges to find the appropriate cyber security solution. 

• Check Out the Top Cyber Security Tools List    

Look up the latest cyber security tools and analyze their top features, compatibility, pros and cons, user interface etc. Additionally, read through their user reviews to determine whether the products meet customers’ expectations.  

• Shortlist a Few Based on Your Preference  

After choosing the best cyber security tools, you need to shortlist a few that align with your preference. To do so, you can use methods like benchmarking, scoring, testing and referencing in order to compare their quality, value and performance.    

• Make Your Final Choice Depending Upon Your Budget 

Check out the pricing plans on your selected cyber security solutions and select one that offers your required features while staying within your budget.  

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Conclusion

By now, you must have got an idea on the top 10 tools which are used in cyber industry. These tools are useful for your career in cyber security domain as a fresher. You will come across many cyber security tools/monitoring tools in your work as your experience is getting bigger. If you want to enhance your skills in cyber security, you can start using these tools initially and gain more knowledge. All these tools will give an idea on how attackers are using these tools to find vulnerabilities and with the found vulnerabilities, how they are penetrating inside the network to gain the advantage of user’s data or information.