Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer. Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA) allows administrators to scan local and remote systems for missing security updates as well as common security misconfigurations. For more information about.

MBSA, now in version 2.1 is actually pretty decent. It not only tests for missing patches (what it's well-known for) but also uncovers other weaknesses in your Windows-based systems such as: • Users in the Administrator group • Open file shares • • Automatic Update status • IIS lockdown status • Login auditing status • Blank or weak Windows and SQL Server passwords • Weak Internet Explorer zone and Microsoft Office macros security settings MBSA is free and relatively painless to run. You can download and run it on your local computer or, if you have administrative rights and are currently connected, run it against a single networked system or your entire network for that matter. To show you how MSBA works, I ran it against my network (Figure 1). As it turns out, it found some missing updates on my test system that I assumed were up-to-date -- after all, Automatic Updates were enabled. Figure 1 MBSA can highlight missing patches assumed to have been taken care of elsewhere. ( Click on image for enlarged view.) This is a perfect example of how assuming your patches are current simply because you use WSUS, Automatic Updates, or third-party tool can really come back to bite you.

Yet, even with all of MBSA's positive traits, I have found some downsides: • MBSA is not a full-fledged vulnerability scanner that you can rely on to detect everything (never assume that just because MBSA has checked for the basics that you're in the clear). • MBSA is not a vulnerability scanner that's going to check for third-party software weaknesses, Web application flaws, or really anything outside of the out-of-the-box Microsoft-delivered realm (the source of many vulnerabilities in Windows).

• MBSA is not a penetration testing tool that's actually going to exploit the weaknesses it uncovers (this requires higher-end commercial tools and, in many cases, some hacking know-how). • MBSA is not a tool that's going to generate fancy and easily-customized security assessment reports (they may be good enough for you but probably not enough for your managers, auditors, and business partners). Despite these downsides, MBSA does provide a general security snapshot of your Microsoft systems. It highlights the low-hanging fruit and shows you where you're not following sound security practice – at least in the eyes of Microsoft.

But, again, it's still better than nothing and a good starting point that I highly recommend if you've yet to test your systems for security vulnerabilities. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Kevin Beaver Kevin Beaver is an with Atlanta-based Principle Logic, LLC. Kevin specializes in performing independent security assessments. Kevin has authored/co-authored seven books on information security including and (Wiley).

He's also the creator of the Security On Wheels and providing security learning for IT professionals on the go. Kevin can be reached at kbeaver /at/ principlelogic.com.

We know administrators love tools that make life easier – especially when they’re free! So here are 101 of them! System and network analysis 1. NTFS Permissions Explorer Using this MMC snap-in you can quickly visualize the user and group permissions of a local or remote folder or drive in a hierarchical format to help identify problems.

Xirrus Wi-Fi Inspector Wi-Fi Inspector is a powerful Wi-Fi management and troubleshooting tool that allows you to locate and verify Wi-Fi devices, detect rogue Access Points, troubleshoot connections, and search for Wi-Fi networks. Whois Whois performs a lookup of the registration information of a given IP address or domain name. ShareEnum ShareEnum allows you to scan and view the security settings of file shares on your network.

PipeList PipeList displays a list of named pipes on your system, including the number of active instances and the instance threshold. TcpView TCPView allows you to view detailed TCP and UDP connection information in a user friendly format.

The Dude The Dude from MicroTik can automatically scan all devices within a given subnet and then draw and layout a map of your network. Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer The MBSA is a tool that can be used to detect missing security updates and typical security misconfigurations. WireShark WireShark is an interactive network protocol analyser and capture utility. It provides for in-depth inspection of hundreds of protocols and runs on multiple platforms.

Look@LAN Look@LAN allows you to quickly scan your network looking for active nodes. It provides monitoring, reporting, logging and OS detection features. RogueScanner RogueScanner will scan your network looking for rogue devices and access points, classifying them in a way that allows you to quickly see what’s on your network. Capsa Free Network Analyzer Using this tool you can monitor, troubleshoot and diagnose issues on your network. It has a Microsoft Office-like user interface. SuperScan SuperScan is a fast connection-based TCP port scanner, pinger and hostname resolution tool. Blast Blast is a lightweight TCP service stress test tool that can help pinpoint weaknesses in your network.

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