What are OSS incident response tools?
Open-source software (OSS) incident response (IR) tools are publicly available tools enterprises use to effectively manage and respond to numerous security threats. Because they’re open-source, companies don't have to break the bank to detect, analyze, and respond to active security events.
Organizations realize the true value of security IR tools when they recover quickly from a security event, as they’re vital for automating processes, facilitating coordination, and providing critical insights. However, it’s important to note that OSS often comes with integration challenges, limited resources and support, customization complexities, and security concerns.
As they are publicly available, malicious actors can also use OSS tools to discover and exploit potential vulnerabilities. This means organizations have to be vigilant regarding patches and updates to mitigate any potential security risks related to OSS tools.
This article explores top OSS IR tools that enterprises can integrate into their security stack.
An Actionable Incident Response Plan Template
A quickstart guide to creating a robust incident response plan – designed specifically for companies with cloud-based deployments.
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What do OSS IR tools bring to the table?
When it comes to getting businesses back on track and ensuring business continuity, incident response teams with well-thought-out plans and tried-and-tested incident remediation tools play a vital role.
Many automated IR tools in the marketplace today cost-effectively automate routine tasks and provide comprehensive documentation and post-incident analysis. OSS IR tools further support disaster recovery and response plans by facilitating collaboration and accelerating response times. They also make the response process more structured and consistent, plus provide insights to continuously improve backup and disaster recovery plans.
Additional benefits include:
Flexibility and customization
Proactive threat management
Rapid incident detection and notification
Streamlined cyber IR management
Reduced downtime
Lower overall incident impact
How we chose top incident response tools
IR tools can either be commercial or open-source. When selecting any IR tool, it's critical to evaluate key features like automated alerts and notifications, integration capabilities, flexible reporting and analytics, customization options, and scalability. For OSS, it also helps to look for community support, documentation, and a user-friendly interface.
We focus on seven top open-source software IR tools by breaking them down into four categories based on their core functions and features:
Digital forensics and live response
Incident management and case collaboration
Security monitoring and threat detection
System querying and monitoring
We then present their primary features, pros, and cons.
Digital forensics and live response tools
IR tools in the digital forensics and live response category help security teams investigate and mitigate cybersecurity incidents. Real-time analysis and immediate remediation enable proactive management of security events.
Velociraptor
Velociraptor enhances visibility by collecting and analyzing data from endpoints. This advanced IR tool helps conduct targeted investigations, making it highly suitable for digital forensics and IR.
Core features
Continuously monitors endpoints
Collects data, e.g., file changes, process activities, and event logs
Leverages Velociraptor Query Language (VQL) to create adaptable and customized queries for specific artifacts
Collects forensic data across multiple endpoints to respond quickly during active security events
Searches for suspicious behavior and indicators of compromise (IOCs) using forensic artifacts
Tailors searches to meet specific threat detection requirements
Collects events and stores data centrally for historical review and long-term analysis
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Enhances efficiency by pushing queries directly to endpoints | Involves complex setup and configuration |
| Integrates seamlessly with other security platforms | Consumes significant system resources |
| Scales effectively with cloud-native capabilities | Has a steep learning curve for those unfamiliar with VQL |
GRR Rapid Response
The fast and scalable IR framework GRR Rapid Response is perfect for remote live forensics. Security analysts can leverage this tool to quickly triage attacks and conduct in-depth analysis remotely.
Core features
Searches across a fleet of machines to quickly identify compromised systems
Supports Linux, macOS, and Windows
Conducts live memory analysis and collects forensic artifacts from remote machines without physical access
Collects a wide range of digital forensic artifacts, including registry data, memory dumps, and file downloads
Features a user-friendly interface and RESTful API for viewing collected data and managing clients
Enhances ongoing monitoring by automating and scheduling recurring tasks for regular endpoint checks
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Operates under open-source Apache License 2.0 and allows customization | Involves complex setup and configuration |
| Collects forensic data quickly | Consumes significant system resources and impacts performance when running multiple clients |
| Handles large deployments seamlessly | Presents a steep learning curve for mastering all features and functionalities |
Sans Investigative Forensics Toolkit (SIFT) Workstation
SIFT Workstation comprises a collection of digital forensic IR tools used to perform detailed forensic analysis. It offers an extensive environment where security teams can analyze network evidence, file systems, memory images, and more.
Core features
Provides a stable environment built on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS
Accommodates a 64-bit architecture to enhance memory utilization and performance
Includes various forensic tools, such as The Sleuth Kit, Volatility, Rekall, and Plaso/Log2Timeline
Enables seamless deployment in virtualized environments through a pre-built virtual machine (VM) appliance
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Open-source and customizable without licensing costs | Complex for beginners |
| Built on Ubuntu and is accessible to Linux users | Resource-intensive when running multiple forensic tools |
| Equipped with an extensive range of pre-installed forensic tools | Can be deployed in cloud environments, though not cloud-native |
Incident management and case collaboration tools
These tools provide a centralized platform where security teams can maintain clear communication and documentation during an incident.
TheHive
TheHive assists security operations center (SOC) IR teams by providing a collaborative environment to track incidents, share information, and automate workflows.
Core features
Creates, manages, and tracks security events to facilitate organized incident response
Integrates with different threat intelligence platforms and analysis tools, supplementing incident data and streamlining workflows
Supports collaboration between multiple users so teams can share notes and assign tasks while working on real-time incidents
Customizes templates for incident reports and tasks, standardizing documentation and efficient case handling
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Open-source and supported by the community | Introduces potential failure points through complex integrations |
| Features a scalable architecture that can handle a large number of cases and users simultaneously | Complicates initial configuration with intricate setup procedures |
| Offers an intuitive web interface for consistent case management and navigation | Demands significant time investment from new users |
IRIS (Incident Response Information Sharing)
The collaborative platform IRIS supports incident responders by helping them quickly share important technical information during investigations. As it's designed to streamline and organize the incident response process, security teams can collaborate effectively while managing alerts, cases, and evidence.
Core features
Organizes alerts into cases for detailed incident tracking and management from detection to resolution
Helps incident responders collaborate in real time, sharing insights and updates during an active investigation
Integrates with external tools like VirusTotal and MISP, enriching data and enhancing investigative capabilities
Provides a full-featured API for programmatic investigation management, allowing for automation and integration with existing workflows
Receives alerts from various sources, e.g., security information and event management (SIEM) systems, and triages, comments on, and links to cases
Offers comprehensive reporting capabilities to document incidents for compliance and post-incident reviews
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Open-source and customizable without licensing costs | Deploys quickly through Docker but demands technical expertise for initial configuration |
| Features a flexible and modular architecture, enabling customization for unique requirements | Lacks advanced features standard in mature platforms |
| Operates as a centralized platform for sharing information and tracking progress, encouraging teamwork among incident responders | Experiences performance issues at scale, especially with numerous integrations |
Security monitoring and threat detection tools
IR tools in this category serve as the first line of defense by quickly identifying and analyzing potential security events. They offer a range of functionalities, including SIEM systems, endpoint detection and response (EDR), and extended detection and response (XDR). Here, we have oneopen-source option.
Graylog
Graylog is a powerful tool used by security teams to centralize log data collection, analysis, and monitoring. This SIEM solution helps enterprises efficiently manage, analyze, and visualize machine-generated data from disparate sources, as well as trigger alerts.
Core features
Collects logs from diverse sources, e.g., applications, network devices, and servers, and centralizes data for management and analysis
Searches through logs using simplified query language to access relevant information quickly
Builds customizable dashboards with various widgets to visualize log data, trends, and key metrics
Categorizes and routes incoming messages in real time for efficient log data organization and prioritization
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Open-source with active community support | Takes users time to become familiar with features and functionalities and be able to create custom queries or dashboards |
| Features an intuitive user interface that simplifies log analysis and management | Sends logs to Graylog through configured inputs, as it cannot read from syslog files directly |
| Enables scalability and customization to fit organizational needs with its flexible architecture | Becomes time-intensive and complex to manage and maintain a Graylog environment as a business scales and data volumes grow |
System querying and monitoring tools
IR solutions for system querying and monitoring offer deep visibility into system states, processes, and artifacts during investigations. They provide immediate access to endpoint data and support proactive threat hunting and reactive incident response through highly customizable querying capabilities and automated data collection. Here, again, we present one top option.
Osquery
Osquery isn’t a fully fledged OSS IR tool but plays a critical role in providing detailed visibility into operating system states. Because Osquery treats the operating system as a high-performance relational database, users can quickly extract and analyze data about installed software, network connections, system processes, and more.
Core features
Interacts with the underlying system to extract data from the operating system by writing SQL queries
Uses an interactive query console to allow ad-hoc queries and prototype queries, and explores the current state of the OS
Works on leading operating systems, including macOS, Windows, Linux, and FreeBSD
Configures and runs specific queries at set intervals to maintain ongoing visibility into system health and security
Integrates with logging and monitoring tools like Splunk or ELK (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana) for enhanced data analysis and visualization
Supports tailor-made extensions through a plugin architecture, allowing users to add new tables or functionalities tailored to their specific needs
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Writes SQL-like queries to extract detailed information from the operating system | Requires a complex setup and configuration |
| Compatible with leading operating systems, including macOS, Windows, and multiple Linux distributions | Lacks advanced reporting features compared to commercial SIEM solutions, potentially impeding compliance efforts |
| Features a vibrant community for support, knowledge sharing, and development contributions | Generates real-time insights into system activities through its daemon mode (osqueryd) and executes scheduled queries continuously |
How to choose the right IR tool
Companies must consider various factors before they commit to an IR tool to make sure it aligns with their organizational requirements.
Seamless integration
An IR tool must seamlessly integrate with existing threat intelligence platforms, communication systems, and other security tools and measures.
Effective integration ensures:
Streamlined workflows
Consistent data flow with minimal human intervention
Increased incident detection and remediation speed
A holistic view to improve risk assessment and incident management across an organization
Improved tracking of incidents from detection to resolution, creating a culture of accountability while providing learning opportunities
Integration also helps eliminate potential silos within an organization, enabling seamless access to all relevant information. This enhances shared responsibility and collaboration among all stakeholders.
Cloud-native capabilities
For organizations running workloads in the cloud, it's crucial to choose IR tools that are cloud-native or offer robust support for cloud platforms. Cloud-native IR tools provide advantages such as:
Scalability: Tools designed for the cloud can easily scale as your cloud infrastructure grows, ensuring they can handle larger amounts of data and more complex environments.
Visibility: In the cloud, visibility into assets and incidents can be more challenging. IR tools must provide deep insight into cloud infrastructure, including real-time monitoring of cloud workloads and storage systems.
API Integration: Cloud-native IR tools should easily integrate with your cloud provider's APIs (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP) to enhance detection, incident containment, and forensics across the cloud stack.
When choosing an IR tool, organizations need to prioritize tools that have built-in integrations with cloud platforms and can respond to incidents in multi-cloud or hybrid environments.
Scalability
As your business grows and systems expand, your IR tool must be able to handle increasing user numbers, data volumes, and security events without impacting overall performance. When tools can't scale, you are left with bottlenecks that delay incident response.
Customization and collaboration
Every organization has its own team structures, operational requirements, and unique workflows. The security IR tool must be able to adapt,, with customizable alert rules, escalation policies, and reporting capabilities. Budgets, existing skill sets, and onboarding time are all additional key factors in the decision-making process.
A robust IR plan often requires different teams to collaborate. Features like collaborative dashboards, integrated chat, and virtual "war rooms" are all important during an active security event.
Automation and support
Automating routine tasks, including ticket creation and escalation, will minimize human error and reduce response time. This also allows security teams to focus on complex tasks without wasting time and resources on repetitive tasks. Community or vendor support is critical to help security teams use the tool effectively.
How Wiz enhances cloud incident response
While open-source incident response (IR) tools provide valuable functionality, they often lack the depth needed to fully address the unique challenges of modern cloud environments. This is where Wiz Defend comes in.
As part of Wiz’s Cloud-Native Application Protection Platform (CNAPP), Wiz Defend goes beyond traditional tools by providing full cloud-native visibility, real-time threat detection, and automated incident response across your entire cloud stack—from code to runtime.
By integrating Wiz Defend into your security strategy, organizations can effectively manage cloud incidents and ensure complete protection throughout the lifecycle of cloud-native applications.
Real-Time Cloud Threat Detection
Wiz Defend offers real-time detection of threats across your entire cloud infrastructure, including workloads, identities, data, and configurations. Unlike traditional OSS IR tools that may focus on endpoint detection or log collection, Wiz Defend provides continuous visibility into cloud-native services, automatically detecting anomalies, suspicious activity, and misconfigurations across multi-cloud environments.
Key capabilities include:
Deep visibility into cloud workloads and services, enabling immediate detection of vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and potential breaches.
Cloud-native detections for cloud-specific attack vectors, such as identity compromise, privilege escalation, and insecure APIs.
Correlation of security events across different cloud services to identify patterns that may signal a breach or misconfiguration.
This cloud-native approach complements OSS tools, which may not provide as deep a level of visibility or detection for cloud-specific threats.
Unified Incident Response with Cloud-Native Context
Wiz Defend enhances incident response by providing a unified view of cloud security risks, allowing your team to prioritize and respond to threats more effectively. Unlike traditional incident response tools, Wiz Defend focuses on cloud-centric insights, including:
Context-aware alerts that help you understand the full scope of a threat, including the associated cloud resource, workload, identity, and network context.
Comprehensive risk mapping that highlights where critical vulnerabilities intersect with business-critical assets, reducing noise and focusing the IR team’s efforts on high-impact issues.
Automated Remediation and Containment
A critical aspect of incident response is not just detection but rapid containment and remediation. Wiz Defend offers automated workflows that streamline the remediation of security incidents, enabling your teams to respond faster without manual intervention. Key features include:
Automated incident response actions: Wiz Defend can trigger automated containment actions, such as isolating affected systems, suspending compromised cloud workloads, or revoking access to exposed cloud identities. This helps contain threats immediately before they spread, preventing lateral movement within the cloud.
Remediation guidance: Wiz provides detailed remediation recommendations, directly integrated into your cloud workflows. This helps teams resolve vulnerabilities faster and ensures consistency across cloud environments.
By automating these critical tasks, Wiz Defend reduces incident response time and minimizes the impact of security events.
Cloud Detection and Response (CDR) for Enhanced Forensics
When a security incident occurs, forensic investigation is key to understanding the scope and root cause of the issue. Wiz’s CDR capabilities enhance your incident response efforts by providing deep forensics into cloud workloads:
Forensic snapshots: Wiz Defend can take forensic snapshots of cloud workloads at the time of an incident, preserving critical evidence for further analysis.
Historical analysis: Gain visibility into past events and configurations across your cloud environment, enabling your team to investigate incidents that may have developed over time or were initially undetected by OSS IR tools.
Comprehensive audit logs: Wiz Defend maintains detailed audit logs of security incidents, helping security teams track activity and maintain compliance with regulatory requirements.
These capabilities empower incident responders to perform in-depth investigations and make informed decisions on remediation, helping supplement traditional OSS forensic tools.
To learn more, explore Wiz docs (login needed). Or watch Wiz in action via a live demo today.
Cloud-Native Incident Response
Learn why security operations team rely on Wiz to help them proactively detect and respond to unfolding cloud threats.
