What are OSS incident response tools?
Open-source software (OSS) incident response (IR) tools are publicly available tools enterprises use to manage and respond to numerous security threats.
Organizations see value when tools help streamline response and recovery by automating processes, coordinating stakeholders, and providing investigative insights. It’s important to note that open-source projects vary in community support and integration depth; some organizations supplement them with commercial or managed offerings for additional support and features.
Because OSS is widely available, organizations should maintain timely patching and updates, as with any software. This means organizations have to be vigilant regarding patches and updates to mitigate any potential security risks related to OSS tools.
This article introduces OSS IR tools (listed in no particular order) that organizations often include in their security stack.
What capabilities can OSS IR tools provide?
When it comes to getting businesses back on track and ensuring business continuity, incident response teams with well-thought-out plans and tried-and-tested incident remediation tools can play an important role.
Many automated IR tools in the marketplace today can automate routine tasks and centralize documentation and post-incident analysis. OSS IR tools further support disaster recovery and response plans by facilitating collaboration and accelerating response times. They also make the response process more structured and consistent, plus provide insights to continuously improve backup and disaster recovery plans.
Potential benefits include:
Support for proactive detection workflows
Timely alerting and notifications
May help reduce response time
May help lessen incident impact
An Actionable Incident Response Plan Template
A quickstart guide for creating an incident response plan for cloud-based deployments.
How to chose incident response tools
IR tools can either be commercial or open-source. When selecting any IR tool, it’s helpful to evaluate key features like automated alerts and notifications, integration capabilities, flexible reporting and analytics, customization options, and scalability. For OSS, it also helps to look for community support, documentation, and a user-friendly interface.
We focus on seven open-source software IR tools (in no particular order) by breaking them down into four categories based on their core functions and features:
Digital forensics and live response
Incident management and case collaboration
Security monitoring and threat detection
System querying and monitoring
Digital forensics and live response tools
IR tools in the digital forensics and live response category help security teams investigate and mitigate cybersecurity incidents. These tools can support near-real-time analysis and faster remediation workflows to help teams manage security events.
Velociraptor
Velociraptor collects and analyzes endpoint data to support targeted investigations in digital forensics and IR. This advanced IR tool helps conduct targeted investigations, making it highly suitable for digital forensics and IR.
Core features
Continuously monitors endpoints
Collects data, e.g., file changes, process activities, and event logs
Leverages Velociraptor Query Language (VQL) to create adaptable and customized queries for specific artifacts
Collects forensic data across multiple endpoints to respond quickly during active security events
Searches for suspicious behavior and indicators of compromise (IOCs) using forensic artifacts
Tailors searches to meet specific threat detection requirements
Collects events and stores data centrally for historical review and long-term analysis
GRR Rapid Response
The fast and scalable IR framework GRR Rapid Response is designed for remote live forensics. Security analysts can leverage this tool to triage attacks and conduct remote analysis.
Core features
Searches across a fleet of machines to quickly identify compromised systems
Supports Linux, macOS, and Windows
Conducts live memory analysis and collects forensic artifacts from remote machines without physical access
Collects a wide range of digital forensic artifacts, including registry data, memory dumps, and file downloads
Features a user-friendly interface and RESTful API for viewing collected data and managing clients
Enhances ongoing monitoring by automating and scheduling recurring tasks for regular endpoint checks
Sans Investigative Forensics Toolkit (SIFT) Workstation
SIFT Workstation comprises a collection of digital forensic IR tools used to perform detailed forensic analysis. It provides a curated environment of forensic tools and can be deployed as a pre-built VM image.
Core features
Provides a stable environment built on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS
Accommodates a 64-bit architecture to enhance memory utilization and performance
Includes various forensic tools, such as The Sleuth Kit, Volatility, Rekall, and Plaso/Log2Timeline
Enables deployment in virtualized environments through a pre-built virtual machine (VM) appliance
Incident management and case collaboration tools
These tools provide a centralized platform where security teams can maintain clear communication and documentation during an incident.
TheHive
TheHive assists security operations center (SOC) and IR teams by providing a collaborative environment to track incidents, share information, and automate workflows.
Core features
Creates, manages, and tracks security events to facilitate organized incident response
Integrates with different threat intelligence platforms and analysis tools, supplementing incident data and streamlining workflows
Supports collaboration between multiple users so teams can share notes and assign tasks while working on real-time incidents
Customizes templates for incident reports and tasks, standardizing documentation and efficient case handling
IRIS (Incident Response Information Sharing)
The collaborative platform IRIS supports incident responders by helping them share important technical information during investigations. As it's designed to streamline and organize the incident response process, security teams can collaborate effectively while managing alerts, cases, and evidence.
Core features
Organizes alerts into cases for detailed incident tracking and management from detection to resolution
Helps incident responders collaborate in real time, sharing insights and updates during an active investigation
Integrates with external tools like VirusTotal and MISP, enriching data and enhancing investigative capabilities
Provides a full-featured API for programmatic investigation management, allowing for automation and integration with existing workflows
Receives alerts from various sources, e.g., security information and event management (SIEM) systems, and triages, comments on, and links to cases
Offers comprehensive reporting capabilities to document incidents for compliance and post-incident reviews
Security monitoring and threat detection tools
IR tools in this category support early identification and analysis of potential security events. by quickly identifying and analyzing potential security events. They offer a range of functionalities, including SIEM systems, endpoint detection and response (EDR), and extended detection and response (XDR). Here, we cover one open-source option.
Graylog
Graylog is a powerful tool used by security teams to centralize log data collection, analysis, and monitoring. This SIEM solution helps enterprises efficiently manage, analyze, and visualize machine-generated data from disparate sources, as well as trigger alerts.
Core features
Collects logs from diverse sources, e.g., applications, network devices, and servers, and centralizes data for management and analysis
Searches through logs using simplified query language to access relevant information quickly
Builds customizable dashboards with various widgets to visualize log data, trends, and key metrics
Categorizes and routes incoming messages in real time for efficient log data organization and prioritization
System querying and monitoring tools
IR solutions for system querying and monitoring offer deep visibility into system states, processes, and artifacts during investigations. They provide immediate access to endpoint data and support proactive threat hunting and reactive incident response through highly customizable querying capabilities and automated data collection. Here, we present one option.
Osquery
Osquery provides detailed visibility into operating system state that can support IR. Because Osquery treats the operating system as a high-performance relational database, users can quickly extract and analyze data about installed software, network connections, system processes, and more.
Core features
Interacts with the underlying system to extract data from the operating system by writing SQL queries
Uses an interactive query console to allow ad-hoc queries and prototype queries, and explores the current state of the OS
Works on leading operating systems, including macOS, Windows, Linux, and FreeBSD
Configures and runs specific queries at set intervals to maintain ongoing visibility into system health and security
Integrates with logging and monitoring tools like Splunk or ELK (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana) for enhanced data analysis and visualization
Supports tailor-made extensions through a plugin architecture, allowing users to add new tables or functionalities tailored to their specific needs
How to choose the right IR tool
Companies must consider various factors before they commit to an IR tool to make sure it aligns with their organizational requirements.
Seamless integration
It helps when an IR tool integrates with existing intelligence, communications, and security tools.
Effective integration helps ensure:
Streamlined workflows
Consistent data flow with minimal human intervention
Increased incident detection and remediation speed
A holistic view to improve risk assessment and incident management across an organization
Improved tracking of incidents from detection to resolution, supporting accountability and knowledge sharing during and after incidents.
Integration also helps eliminate potential silos within an organization, enabling seamless access to all relevant information. This enhances shared responsibility and collaboration among all stakeholders.
Cloud-native capabilities
For organizations running workloads in the cloud, organizations often prefer to choose IR tools that are cloud-native or offer robust support for cloud platforms. Cloud-native IR tools provide advantages such as:
Scalability: Tools designed for the cloud can easily scale as your cloud infrastructure grows, ensuring they can handle larger amounts of data and more complex environments.
Visibility: In the cloud, visibility into assets and incidents can be more challenging. IR tools must provide deep insight into cloud infrastructure, including real-time monitoring of cloud workloads and storage systems.
API Integration: Cloud-native IR tools should easily integrate with your cloud provider's APIs (e.g., AWS, Azure, GCP) to enhance detection, incident containment, and forensics across the cloud stack.
When choosing an IR tool, many organizations prioritize tools with built-in integrations with cloud platforms and can respond to incidents in multi-cloud or hybrid environments.
Scalability
As your business grows and systems expand, your IR tool should be evaluated for performance as users and data volumes grow. When tools can't scale, you are left with bottlenecks that delay incident response.
Customization and collaboration
Every organization has its own team structures, operational requirements, and unique workflows. The security IR tool should be adaptable, with customizable alert rules, escalation policies, and reporting capabilities. Budgets, existing skill sets, and onboarding time are all additional key factors in the decision-making process.
A robust IR plan often requires different teams to collaborate. Features like collaborative dashboards, integrated chat, and virtual "war rooms" are all important during an active security event.
Automation and support
Automating routine tasks, including ticket creation and escalation, will minimize human error and reduce response time. This also allows security teams to focus on complex tasks without wasting time and resources on repetitive tasks. Community or vendor support is critical to help security teams use the tool effectively.
Need a starting point for building or refining your incident response plan? Check out our roundup of free Incident Response Plan Templates – practical, cloud-ready examples to help you move faster.
How Wiz enhances cloud incident response
Open-source IR tools provide valuable capabilities; we've observed that some organizations also add cloud-native platforms for broader context and managed workflows. This is where Wiz Defend comes in.
As part of Wiz’s Cloud-Native Application Protection Platform (CNAPP), Wiz Defend provides cloud-context visibility, near-real-time detections, and automated response workflows across cloud resources from development to runtime.
By integrating Wiz Defend into your security strategy, organizations can help manage cloud incidents and strengthen protection efforts as part of a broader security strategy.
Real-Time Cloud Threat Detection
Wiz Defend provides timely detections across cloud infrastructure and focuses on cloud-centric context and detections
Key capabilities include:
Visibility into cloud workloads and services to help surface vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and potential exposures.
Detections for cloud-specific techniques such as identity compromise, privilege escalation, or insecure APIs.
Correlation of events to highlight patterns that may warrant investigation.
This cloud-native approach complements OSS tools by adding cloud-specific context and detections.
Unified Incident Response with Cloud-Native Context
Wiz Defend enhances incident response by providing a unified view of cloud security risks, which can help teams prioritize and respond based on cloud context. Wiz Defend focuses on cloud-centric insights, including:
Context-aware alerts that help you understand the full scope of a threat, including the associated cloud resource, workload, identity, and network context.
Comprehensive risk mapping that highlights where critical vulnerabilities intersect with business-critical assets, reducing noise and focusing the IR team’s efforts on high-impact issues.
Automated Remediation and Containment
A critical aspect of incident response is not just detection but rapid containment and remediation. Wiz Defend offers automated workflows that streamline the remediation of security incidents, enabling your teams to respond faster without manual intervention. Key features include:
Automated incident response actions: Wiz Defend can rigger actions such as isolating systems or revoking access to help contain threats and reduce potential lateral movement.
Remediation guidance: Wiz provides detailed remediation recommendations, directly integrated into your cloud workflows. This helps teams resolve vulnerabilities faster and ensures consistency across cloud environments.
By automating these critical tasks, Wiz Defend reduces incident response time and minimizes the impact of security events.
Cloud Detection and Response (CDR) for Enhanced Forensics
When a security incident occurs, forensic investigation is key to understanding the scope and root cause of the issue. Wiz’s CDR capabilities support forensic workflows with point-in-time snapshots, historical context, and detailed audit logs.
Forensic snapshots: Wiz Defend can take forensic snapshots of cloud workloads at the time of an incident, preserving critical evidence for further analysis.
Historical analysis: Gain visibility into past events and configurations across your cloud environment, enabling your team to investigate incidents that may have developed over time or were initially undetected by OSS IR tools.
Comprehensive audit logs: Wiz Defend maintains detailed audit logs of security incidents, helping security teams track activity and maintain compliance with regulatory requirements.
These capabilities empower incident responders to perform in-depth investigations and make informed decisions on remediation, helping supplement traditional OSS forensic tools.
To learn more, explore Wiz docs (login needed). Or watch Wiz in action via a live demo today.