7 Low-Cost Security Tools
Security hardware doesn't have to be expensive or complex to do the job. Here are seven examples of low-cost hardware that could fill a need in your security operations.
March 15, 2019
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Dark Reading has looked at free and low-cost software for security. And we have pointed out low-cost and free ways to improve your security knowledge. Now we turn the spotlight on low-cost hardware, which offers a great option for those willing to invest a bit of time or accept some limitations in speed or functionality.
Low-cost security hardware can be purchased or built from single-board computers, to be used for reconnaissance, education, network security, or a combination of tasks. The odds are favorable that implementing one of the seven low-cost options we're about to present will teach you a thing or two about how security happens, too.
Our selections provide different aspects of security. You'll notice that the Raspberry Pi is seen often — it's hard to beat the board's combination of power, flexibility, and price. These hardware options can be found in forms that make experimentation, learning, and practical security for smaller networks or network segments much more affordable.
What low-cost options have you found? Share them in the Comments section, below.
(Image: BillionPhotos.com VIA Adobe Stock)
IoT security is such an expansive topic that we found two similar projects to include here. This time, the edge devices on the local IoT use LoRaWan to connect to a cloud service running Window IoT Core.
If you haven't worked with LoRaWAN before, this gateway, which forwards packets from the edge back to the core (but not the other way around) is a very low-cost way to explore the technology. With the Raspberry Pi included, the hardware cost for this should be less than $150, and production-ready gateways and secure LoRaWAN deployments will be possible for small additional expenditures.
This is also an introduction to The Things Network, a global system of open gateways that allow for encrypted IoT transmission from remote sensors and controllers across RF repeaters back to the Internet. For IoT deployments that may need remote access without the expense of a dedicated radio WAN (or ongoing cell or satellite data plans), The Things Network can be an interesting option. It's worth checking out if you can deploy in a secure fashion.
For modern hardware and IoT experimenters, the Arduino is the very definition of low-cost computing. Looking through thousands of examples of how the Arduino is used for security in the field brings lots of physical security examples; if you want to bring intelligence to a door lock or building IDS, there are hundreds to choose from. When it comes to cybersecurity, though, the options are more limited. That's why a simple system to add SSL/TLS encryption to an IoT deployment is so interesting.
This example, based on Arduino and Python, is an easy way to make sure that the traffic from an IoT segment filled with unencrypted devices is secure as it moves to central command-and-control systems. The certificate itself is not included in the code here, but certificates can be had for free, or a certificate from your company's certificate authority can be used. In either case, for less than $50, you've added security to your IoT and learned something about how network encryption works in the process.
Just because hardware is low cost doesn't mean it's "do it yourself." In this case, a low-cost piece of hardware can provide simple gateway routing and VPNs for up to 120 users.
FS ES-5 VPN router provides the horsepower that a small business or branch office could find sufficient. Perhaps more likely, at $82, this would be a near-perfect solution for field work, emergency operations, or other situations where a mobile networking kit was bundled into a box, ready to be deployed on short notice.
Just because hardware is low cost doesn't mean it's "do it yourself." In this case, a low-cost piece of hardware can provide simple gateway routing and VPNs for up to 120 users.
FS ES-5 VPN router provides the horsepower that a small business or branch office could find sufficient. Perhaps more likely, at $82, this would be a near-perfect solution for field work, emergency operations, or other situations where a mobile networking kit was bundled into a box, ready to be deployed on short notice.
Dark Reading has looked at free and low-cost software for security. And we have pointed out low-cost and free ways to improve your security knowledge. Now we turn the spotlight on low-cost hardware, which offers a great option for those willing to invest a bit of time or accept some limitations in speed or functionality.
Low-cost security hardware can be purchased or built from single-board computers, to be used for reconnaissance, education, network security, or a combination of tasks. The odds are favorable that implementing one of the seven low-cost options we're about to present will teach you a thing or two about how security happens, too.
Our selections provide different aspects of security. You'll notice that the Raspberry Pi is seen often — it's hard to beat the board's combination of power, flexibility, and price. These hardware options can be found in forms that make experimentation, learning, and practical security for smaller networks or network segments much more affordable.
What low-cost options have you found? Share them in the Comments section, below.
(Image: BillionPhotos.com VIA Adobe Stock)
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