Network Security Toolkit (NST v1.8.0)

Welcome to the Network Security Toolkit (NST). This bootable ISO live CD is based on Fedora. The toolkit was designed to provide easy access to best-of-breed Open Source Network Security Applications and should run on most x86 platforms.

The main intent of developing this toolkit was to provide the network security administrator with a comprehensive set of Open Source Network Security Tools. The majority of tools published in the article: "Top 100 Security Tools" by insecure.org are available in the toolkit.

What we find rather fascinating with NST is that we can transform most x86 systems (Pentium II and above) into a system designed for network traffic analysis, intrusion detection, network packet generation, wireless network monitoring, a virtual system service server, or a sophisticated network/host scanner. This can all be done without disturbing or modifying any underlying sub-system disk. NST can be up and running on a typical x86 notebook in less than a minute by just rebooting with the NST ISO CD. The notebook's hard disk will not be altered in any way.

NST also makes an excellent tool to help one with all sorts of crash recovery troubleshooting scenarios and situations.

Latest News

2008-Jun-27
We are pleased to announce the latest NST release: "v1.8.0". This release is based on Fedora 8 using the Linux Kernel: "2.6.25.6-27.fc8". Here are some of the highlights for this release:
  • The NST Web User Interface (WUI), has been greatly enhanced and cleaned up. Some note worthy enhancements include:
    • Multi-Tap Network Packet Capture and Management. Simultaneous network packet capture on up to 4 network interfaces per Multi-Tap session is supported. For example, one can capture network packets from the clean and dirty side of a firewall device and have the results automatically merged into a single capture file for analysis. See the "Multi-Tap Network Packet Capturing" page at the "NST Wiki" for further information.
    • An enhanced Network Packet Capture Mangement and Status Interface.
    • The use of AJAX and JSON to provide a more dynamic and interactive NST WUI. For example, the network interface label on the NST Start page can be clicked on to monitor that interface in real-time.
    • Support for WPA-PSK wireless connections.
    • Extensive tooltips and a new menu bar allowing one to quickly navigate the NST WUI.
    • A "NST JavaScript Console" has been added. This is an interactive interface and library of JavaScript objects, functions, methods and properties designed to help software engineers diagnosis and develop "JavaScript Code" for building dynamic web pages. It is located on the bottom footer of every page including the one you are on.
  • We transitioned from Fedora Core 5 to Fedora 8 as the underlying base of the NST.
  • The addition of wireless firmware packages to support several new wireless chipsets.
  • One should be able to boot the NST CD from SATA attached CD drives.
  • As always, most networking and security applications included have been updated to their latest version (See the "Change Log" for individual package updates).
2008-Jun-12
Its been a long haul, be we have finally completed most of work on the new additions and enhancements to the NST WUI. We encourage NST v1.5.0 users to give it a spin (look for the: "NST WUI Update Management" link on the NST WUI index page).
While we will continue to clean up and refine the NST WUI, we are now concentrating on nailing down the v1.8.0 release.
2008-Mar-01
Our revamp of the NST Web User Interface (WUI) is still on going. We have added a new menu based navigation system to both the NST WUI and Web Site. We are thinking two months until the next release (which will be based on Fedora 8). Here are some of the things you may be interested in:
  • We are continuing to make progress at adding extensive DOM Tooltips throughout the NST WUI (examples of some of these tool tips can be found on the header and footer bars used throughout the web site).
  • We have added DOM Menu to both the NST WUI and this Web Site to simplify the navigation process.
  • A development release of the NST WUI is available for installation. If you have a 1.5.0 release of the NST you can update it's NST WUI (from the NST WUI index page, go to the 'NST WUI Update Management' link in the 'Downloads & Updates' row of the 'System' table).
  • We have found ourselves making more and more use of JavaScript in our development. We've found that having the ability to turn on a 'JavaScript Console' at the bottom of any page under development to be particularily useful (try clicking on the JC icon at the bottom of this page as an example). It allows us to perform diagnostic tests in a consistent manner regardless of what browser we are currently testing. Use the "Tools" => "JavaScript" => "Browser JavaScript Information" page for additional information.
2007-Nov-13
Our revamp of the NST Web User Interface (WUI) is taking a long time (We are greatly enhancing the documentation via the use of DOM Tooltips). We still don't have an estimate for the next release (which will be based on Fedora 7), but we have had several users build there own ISO images via notes found on the: "NST Wiki".
2007-May-30
There have been two NST development tracks currently underway over the last few months:
  1. Enhancements to the NST WUI which is complete.
  2. Porting NST to FC6 which is now almost complete.
Old News
Follow this link for old news.
Getting
Started
-- Or --
Network Security
Latest NST Changes
  NST Change Log  

In The News
2008-Feb-08
Tom Bowers' Network Security Toolkit presentation at SearchSecurity.com.
2006-Jun-15
SECURITY MATTERS NST Goes Virtual Too
2005-Dec-01
Toolkits: All-in-one Approach to Security
2004-Dec-08
Tutorial on Installing and configuring Snort on Fedora core 2: An Intrusion Analyst's, developer's & a researcher's perspective
2004-Dec
A Bootable Network Security Toolkit
2004-May-2
Wilders Security Forums
2004-Apr-30
GEEK.com
2004-Apr-30
Insecure.Org
2004-Apr-28
Windows & .NET Magazine

CRYPTOGRAPHY DISCLAIMER

EXPORT/IMPORT AND/OR USE OF STRONG CRYPTOGRAPHY SOFTWARE, PROVIDING CRYPTOGRAPHY HOOKS OR EVEN JUST COMMUNICATING TECHNICAL DETAILS ABOUT CRYPTOGRAPHY SOFTWARE IS ILLEGAL IN SOME PARTS OF THE WORLD. WHEN YOU IMPORT THE PREBUILT NST ISO TO YOUR COUNTRY, RE-DISTRIBUTE IT FROM THERE OR EVEN JUST EMAIL TECHNICAL SUGGESTIONS OR EVEN SOURCE PATCHES TO THE AUTHOR OR OTHER PEOPLE YOU ARE STRONGLY ADVISED TO PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO ANY EXPORT/IMPORT AND/OR USE LAWS WHICH APPLY TO YOU. THE AUTHORS OF NST ARE NOT LIABLE FOR ANY VIOLATIONS YOU MAKE.