Security Assessment

There's two categories applicable here:
* Security reporting tools like Symantec ESM and BindView BV-Control for NT. They compare with all kinds of templates.
* Vulnerability scanners. They 'assess' by simulating hundreds of attacks. Names are NetIq (Webtrends) Security Analyzer, BindView BV-Control for Internet, Polivec, Vigilante.
Most of these tools I've tested in the lab, and do score 'good enough'. Price will be a major issue in many cases, so do compare welll..

Hope this helps,

- The Netherlands

An assessment is really just the start. As is locking down your software. Locking down the network is a little more difficult and design is a huge part of the issue. Clearly a firewall is important. Checkpoint or Cisco are the market leaders here,and Cisco now have a low priced one aimed at small office areas, the pix 501.

Then as any firewall can be breached given time you should look at IDS devices, these can come as host based or network based. recommend Host based for servers. Cos that is where business value is.

ISS and Cisco both make assessment and IDS tools.check out their web sites. Cisco has some good stuff in their SAFE blueprint white papers.