Network security tool Nessi 2 becomes open source
Summary
In January 2009 TU Berlin released the network security simulator Nessi 2 as free software under the Apache License 2.0. Administrators can use it to model networks, simulate attacks using profiles and test countermeasures. Nessi 2 was created at the DAI-Labor on the basis of software for Deutsche Telekom Laboratories.
Ideas
- Simulation allows defensive measures to be tested without risk to the real network.
- Attack profiles make scenarios repeatable.
- A modular design is meant to make extensions easier.
Insights
- Free licences make publicly funded research software reusable.
- Whoever can simulate attacks plans defence more precisely.
Facts
- The backend ran under Windows, Linux and Mac OS X, the frontend under Windows and Linux.
- A beta version was released.
References
Critique
- The report does not say how realistic the simulation is compared with real networks.
Recommendations
- Test firewall and IDS rules in a simulation or lab environment before putting them into production.
- Today, use maintained tools such as GNS3 or containerlab for network simulations.
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