Open source intrusion prevention test tool released

US security firm TippingPoint has released its Tomahawk test software platform to the open source community, claiming that the offering is the first test tool designed to evaluate the capabilities of network-based intrusion prevention systems (IPS).

"TippingPoint is contributing Tomahawk to the public to make IPS testing easier and more affordable for end users," said TippingPoint chief technology officer Marc Willebeek-LeMair.

He added that, by enabling users to evaluate security, performance and usability in real-world environments, the adoption of IPS will be accelerated.

"We believe the benefit of open sourcing the tool to facilitate IPS testing outweighs the potential benefits of commercialising the tool," said Willebeek-LeMair.

According to TippingPoint, customers should be confident that the IPS they buy will not adversely affect their network and will perform security functions accurately.

The firm dismissed existing IPS test tools as primitive, expensive, limited in functionality, and unable to simulate the heavy load of real networks under attack.

TippingPoint developed Tomahawk to test its first network-based IPS in 2002. The tool is designed to evaluate network performance (throughput and latency) with security accuracy while simulating real-world environments.

Tomahawk is freely available and can be downloaded here.