A Complete Guide to Security Automation & Reporting Using Open Source Tools

Open source security automation is a critical aspect of modern cybersecurity. It involves the use of open source tools and technologies to automate various security tasks, such as vulnerability scanning, incident response, and compliance monitoring. The goal of open source security automation is to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of security operations while reducing costs.

Medium to small-sized businesses are often the most common victims of cyber fraud. This is because they often lack the resources and expertise to properly protect themselves from cyber attacks. However, open source security automation tools can help to protect businesses from vulnerabilities. These tools can be used to automatically detect and report vulnerabilities in web applications, networks, and servers. They can also be used to automatically patch vulnerabilities, which can greatly reduce the risk of a successful cyber attack. This article will discuss the importance of security automation, and introduce several open source security automation tools that can be used to protect your business from vulnerabilities.

Why Is Open Source Security Automation Critical for Robust Cybersecurity?

One of the main reasons why open source security automation is important is that it helps organizations to find vulnerabilities faster. In today's fast-paced digital environment, new vulnerabilities are constantly being discovered, and organizations need to be able to identify and address these vulnerabilities quickly in order to protect their IT infrastructure. Open source security automation tools can be used to scan an organization's IT infrastructure for vulnerabilities on a regular basis, allowing organizations to identify and address vulnerabilities before they can be exploited by cybercriminals.

Another benefit of open source security automation is that it can help organizations to respond to security incidents more quickly. By automating incident response tasks, such as patching vulnerabilities and implementing additional security controls, open source security automation tools can help organizations to minimize the impact of security incidents. 

Here’s a few other key reasons why open source security automation tools are an important part of any security plan.

• Scalability: Automation tools can be used to scan large and complex environments, such as cloud and hybrid environments, with many interconnected systems, providing a more comprehensive view of security risks.

• Cost-effectiveness: Open source security automation tools are typically available at no cost, making them an affordable option for organizations of all sizes.

• Customizability: Open source tools can be customized and configured to meet the specific needs of an organization, allowing for more targeted and effective security measures.

• Community support: Open source tools are developed and maintained by a community of users and developers, which can provide a wealth of knowledge and resources for troubleshooting and problem-solving.

• Compliance: Automation tools can help organizations comply with industry regulations and standards such as PCI-DSS, HIPAA, and SOC2

• Continuous monitoring: Automation tools can provide continuous monitoring and alerting, which can help organizations quickly respond to potential security threats and vulnerabilities.

• Integration: Automation tools can integrate with other security tools, such as SIEMs, to provide a more comprehensive view of security risks and vulnerabilities.

• Threat intelligence: Automation tools can leverage threat intelligence feeds and databases to identify the latest threats and vulnerabilities.

Types of Security Automation

There are several types of security automation available, including network security automation, endpoint security automation, and security information and event management (SIEM) automation. Network security automation involves the use of tools and technologies to automate tasks such as firewall management, intrusion detection, and vulnerability scanning. Endpoint security automation involves the use of tools and technologies to automate tasks such as antivirus software, patch management, and endpoint configuration management. SIEM automation involves the use of tools and technologies to automate the collection, analysis, and reporting of security-related data.

Open-source Security Automation Projects and Organizations

Multiple open source projects exist to work with the community on developing and promoting open source security automation tools.

The OWASP is a non-profit organization that aims to improve the security of software by providing a range of resources and tools for developers, security professionals, and organizations. The organization has a number of projects that focus on different aspects of web application security, including the OWASP Top 10 Project, which identifies the top 10 web application security risks.

The Open Source Security Testing Methodology Manual (OSSTMM) is an open-source methodology for security testing and analysis. It provides a framework for testing and assessing the security of systems and applications, and includes a range of tools and resources for security professionals.

COSSAS – the Community for Open Source Security Automation Software – offers a continuously expanding base of novel software components for cyber security automation that SOC, CERT and CTI professionals can deploy and trial in their own operational environments.

These organizations provide a wealth of resources for open-source security automation, including guidelines, best practices, and tools for identifying and mitigating security risks. These resources can help organizations of all sizes improve the security of their systems and applications and protect against cyber threats.

Top Open Source Security Automation Tools

There are many open-source security automation tools available, but some of the most popular and widely used include some of the following.

OWASP ZAP Web Application Security Scanner

One example of a popular open source security automation tool is OWASP ZAP (Zed Attack Proxy). OWASP ZAP is a web application security scanner that can be used to identify vulnerabilities in web applications. 

• It actively interacts with web applications to identify potential vulnerabilities, such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and broken authentication and authorization.

• OWASP ZAP includes a variety of features, such as a proxy server, automated scanner, and an API for integration with other tools. This allows for automation of the process of identifying security risks.

• It also provides a user-friendly interface that allows for easy navigation and access to identified vulnerabilities.

• OWASP ZAP is regularly updated with new features and security checks, making it a reliable and up-to-date tool for identifying vulnerabilities.

• It can be run on various platforms such as Windows, Linux, and Mac OS and can be integrated with CI/CD pipeline for continuous scanning, this allows for a more automated process for identifying vulnerabilities and identifying security risks.

It can also be used to identify vulnerabilities in specific web application frameworks such as Ruby on Rails and ASP.NET. It also includes a variety of features such as a proxy server, automated scanner, and an API for integration with other tools.

OpenVAS Open Source Security Automation Scanner

Another example of a popular open source security automation tool is OpenVAS (Open Vulnerability Assessment System). OpenVAS is a full-featured vulnerability scanner that can be used to scan networks and hosts for known vulnerabilities. It uses a large collection of Network Vulnerability Tests (NVTs) to scan for known vulnerabilities and software misconfigurations.

It can be configured to scan a wide range of systems, including servers, workstations, and network devices. It can also be used to identify missing security patches and configuration issues that may leave a system vulnerable to attack.

The software uses a client-server architecture, with a central management server and one or more scanner engines that perform the actual vulnerability scans. The results of the scans can be analyzed and reported on using the built-in reporting capabilities or exported to other tools for further analysis. OpenVAS provides a flexible and customizable framework, which allows users to create their own scan configurations and adapt the scans to their specific needs and environments.

Here’s a list of the plethora of ways OpenVAS can be used to automate security scanning for web server vulnerabilities

• Scheduled Scans: OpenVAS can be configured to perform vulnerability scans at regular intervals, such as daily or weekly, to ensure that vulnerabilities are identified and addressed in a timely manner.

• Targeted Scans: OpenVAS allows users to specify specific targets for scanning, such as a specific IP address or URL, which can be useful for focusing on specific web applications or systems.

• Continuous Scans: OpenVAS can be configured to perform continuous scans, which can be useful for identifying new vulnerabilities as they are introduced into web applications.

• Baseline Scans: OpenVAS can be used to perform baseline scans, which can be used to establish a baseline of vulnerabilities in a web application, and then used to track changes and identify new vulnerabilities over time.

• Compliance Scans: OpenVAS can be configured to perform scans that check for compliance with industry standards and regulations, such as PCI-DSS, HIPAA and others.

• Custom Scans: OpenVAS allows users to create custom scan configurations, which can be used to scan for specific vulnerabilities or to scan for vulnerabilities in specific web application components, such as the web server or database.

• Integration with other tools: OpenVAS can be integrated with other security tools, such as SIEMs, to provide a more comprehensive view of security risks and vulnerabilities.

• Automated reporting: OpenVAS can generate automated reports that can be used to document vulnerabilities and track progress in addressing them, which can be useful for demonstrating compliance with regulations and for tracking the effectiveness of security measures.

Elasticsearch, Logstash and Kibana (ELK) Open Source Log Management

Finally, the ELK (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana) stack is a popular open source tool for log management and analysis. The ELK stack can be used to collect and analyze log data from various sources, such as servers, firewalls, and intrusion detection systems. By using the ELK stack, organizations can quickly identify and respond to security incidents. ELK stack can be used to analyze a web server for potential vulnerabilities by collecting and analyzing log data from the web server, web server software, and web applications running on the server. This can help to identify any suspicious activity or attempts to exploit vulnerabilities on the server.

• Elasticsearch, the search and analytics engine, is used to index and store log data, Logstash is used to collect and process log data, and Kibana is used to visualize and analyze the data.

• ELK stack can be used to identify vulnerabilities in web applications by analyzing log data for signs of suspicious activity, such as failed login attempts or unusual network traffic.

• ELK stack can also be used to detect potential vulnerabilities in web applications by analyzing log data for patterns or anomalies that may indicate a vulnerability.

• The stack can automate the process of identifying security risks by using machine learning algorithms and anomaly detection techniques to automatically flag potential security issues.

• The open-source nature of ELK stack allows for a vast community of developers to contribute and improve the stack and its capabilities. This makes the tool adaptable and updatable as the web application security landscape evolves.

Ansible Open Source Security Automation

One example application of open source security automation is the use of the Ansible automation tool to automatically patch vulnerabilities on servers. Ansible is an open-source automation tool that can be used to automate various IT tasks, such as configuration management, application deployment, and task automation. By using Ansible to automatically patch vulnerabilities on servers, organizations can greatly reduce the risk of a successful cyber attack. Ansible can be used to automate the process of patching vulnerabilities on a web server by identifying and applying security patches to the operating system, web server software, and web applications running on the server.

• Ansible is an open-source automation tool that can be used for security automation by automating the process of configuring and maintaining systems.

• Ansible allows users to define security policies as code, which can be used to automatically ensure that systems are configured securely.

• Ansible can be used to identify vulnerabilities in web applications by automating the process of auditing systems for known vulnerabilities.

• Ansible can also be used to detect potential vulnerabilities in web applications by automating the process of monitoring systems for unusual activity and identifying changes that may indicate a vulnerability.

• The tool can automate the process of identifying security risks by using pre-defined playbooks to automatically respond to critical threats and remediate vulnerabilities.

• Ansible is a flexible tool that can be integrated with other security tools and is suitable for automating security tasks across a wide range of systems, including Windows and Linux servers, network devices, and cloud environments.

Other Open Source Security Automation Tools

There are many open-source tools that can be used for security automation, SIEM (Security Information and Event Management), and network security automation. Some of the most popular open-source tools in this space include:

• Suricata: A high-performance network IDS, IPS, and network security monitoring engine.

• Snort: An open-source, rule-based network intrusion detection and prevention system.

• OSSEC: A host-based intrusion detection system (HIDS) that can be used to monitor and analyze log files from a wide range of systems and applications.

• SELKS: An open-source security distribution based on Debian that includes Suricata, Elasticsearch, Logstash, and Kibana (ELK Stack)

• Nagios: An open-source network and system monitoring tool that can be used to monitor and alert on a wide range of network and system metrics.

• Wireshark: A powerful open-source packet analyzer that can be used to analyze and troubleshoot network traffic.

• Nmap: A popular open-source network scanner that can be used to map networks and identify hosts, services, and vulnerabilities.

• Nessus: An open-source vulnerability scanner that can be used to identify vulnerabilities in systems and applications.

• Metasploit: An open-source penetration testing framework that can be used to identify and exploit vulnerabilities in systems and applications.

• Wapiti: An open-source web application security scanner that can be used to identify vulnerabilities in web applications by performing black box testing.

Our Thoughts

In conclusion, open source security automation is a powerful tool that can be used to protect businesses from vulnerabilities. By using tools such as OWASP ZAP, OpenVAS, Ansible, and the ELK stack, organizations can automatically detect and report vulnerabilities in web applications, networks, and servers. These tools can also be used to automatically patch vulnerabilities, which can greatly reduce the risk of a successful cyber attack. Medium to small-sized businesses are particularly vulnerable to cyber fraud, and using these open-source tools can help to protect these businesses from potential vulnerabilities.