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Free Intrusion Detection (IDS) and Prevention (IPS) Software
Tools and Utilities to Monitor Your Network For Suspicious or Malicious Activity

From Tony Bradley, CISSP-ISSAP, for About.com

Snort for Linux
Snort is an open source network intrusion detection system, capable of performing real-time traffic analysis and packet logging on IP networks. It can perform protocol analysis, content searching/matching and can be used to detect a variety of attacks and probes, such as buffer overflows, stealth port scans, CGI attacks, SMB probes, OS fingerprinting attempts, and much more.

Snort for Windows
Snort is an open source network intrusion detection system, capable of performing real-time traffic analysis and packet logging on IP networks. It can perform protocol analysis, content searching/matching and can be used to detect a variety of attacks and probes, such as buffer overflows, stealth port scans, CGI attacks, SMB probes, OS fingerprinting attempts, and much more.

Prevx Home
Home computer users remain vulnerable to each new (‘Zero Day’) cyber-attack during the critical period between the launch of a new attack and a “signature” update becoming available. Spyware tools only detect and clean up installed malware AFTER the infection has happened. Often threats are missed entirely by traditional security tools. Prevx Home STOPS ‘Zero Day’, Spyware and hack attacks and STOPS malicious software from installing on your PC.

SnoopNetCop Standard
SnoopNetCop Standard is a program that can detect possible packet sniffing attack on your network. LAN cards has two oprating modes, 'normal mode' and 'promiscuous mode'.

AIDE (Advanced Intrusion Detection Environment) AIDE (Advanced Intrusion Detection Environment) is a free replacement for Tripwire. It does the same things as the semi-free Tripwire and more.

Prelude
Prelude is a new innovative Hybrid Intrusion Detection system designed to be very modular, distributed, rock solid and fast.

Foundstone Attacker
A TCP/UDP port listener.

Foundstone Carbonite
A Linux Kernel Module to aid in RootKit detection.

Foundstone Filewatch
A file change monitor. Used with BlackICE Defender.

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