Zeek
Zeek (formerly Bro) is an open-source network security monitor that can passively inspect network traffic for suspicious activity. It detects intrusions, malware, and policy violations and generates logs for network forensics and analysis.
network-security
intrusion-detection
forensics
monitoring
Zeek (formerly Bro) Network Security Monitor
Open-source network security monitor detecting intrusions, malware, and policy violations with logs for network forensics and analysis
What is Zeek?
Zeek (formerly known as Bro) is an open-source network security monitor designed to detect suspicious traffic patterns and activities on networks. Developed by the National Center for Supercomputing Applications, Zeek passively monitors network traffic in real-time and generates logs for further analysis.
Some key capabilities and features of Zeek include:
- Traffic analysis - Zeek can analyze all types of traffic including HTTP, DNS, SMTP, SSH etc. for signs of intrusions, malware infections, compromised hosts, and more.
- Event logging - Zeek logs contain detailed records of all the events and activities it detects on the network like connections, files transferred, authentication attempts etc.
- Policy monitoring - Custom policies can be created to trigger specific actions when defined traffic patterns occur on the network.
- Scalability - Zeek is highly scalable and can monitor networks with very high traffic volumes and bandwidth.
- Customization - Zeek's event engine allows users to develop custom scripts and plugins using languages like C++ and Python to extend functionality.
Zeek generates rich log files which contain transaction details and can be used for in-depth investigations and forensic analysis. It is commonly used to detect attacks, malware infections, suspicious insider activities, performance issues and policy violations on corporate networks.
Zeek Features
Features
- Real-time traffic analysis
- Protocol analysis
- Custom protocol detection
- Dynamic protocol detection
- File extraction
- Asset tracking
- Anomaly detection
- Signature-based detection
Pricing
- Open Source
Pros
Open source and free
Powerful scripting capabilities
Large user community and support
Integrates well with other tools
Can handle high bandwidth
Good at detecting anomalies
Cons
Steep learning curve
Requires expertise to configure and customize
Generates large amounts of log data
Limited built-in reporting capabilities
Does not block attacks in real-time
Official Links
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