Health Information Management

Which security tools will help me test my systems now and during future security assessments?

HIPAA Weekly Advisor, November 22, 2004

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Testing your computers, networks, and applications for security vulnerabilities usually requires freeware, open source, and commercial tools. There is not one best tool. I recommend using as specific a tool as possible to get the best results.

For example, when testing a Web application for security weaknesses, a general vulnerability assessment tool will work, but a dedicated Web application vulnerability assessment tool will get better results.

Find the right tool for the task and make sure that you and/or your team members really understand how to use each tool. Remember that no security-testing tool can replace good old-fashioned experience, as you'll need someone to interpret the results and filter out the true vulnerabilities from the rest of the noise that most tools generate.

Editor's note: This question was answered by Kevin Beaver, CISSP. This is not legal advice. Consult with your facility's legal counsel for legal matters.



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