Extreme Trix

We have the open source software movement to thank for a variety of amazing computing tools. It’s hard to imagine what the internet would be like without Mozilla and Firefox, and many a small business would have a lot of trouble paying for office suites if not for the wonderful OpenOffice.org. There’s more to open source software than browsers and Microsoft Office clones, however. Read on to discover the best open source security tools.

1. SpamAssassin (Free, Windows / OS X / Linux)

Everybody hates spam. Unfortunately, the spammers are always finding new ways to sneak their scams and non sequiturs into our inboxes. Thankfully, SpamAssassin by Apache is on the lookout. SpamAssassin is a wide-spectrum spam detection tool, which means that it uses both local and network tests to weed out spam. SpamAssassin has a devoted following, in large part because of how easy it is to configure, and how it will work on just about any e-mail client and on just about any platform. There are loads of different versions, too. Check out the website to see what’s available.

Also Read: How to know if a link is safe to visit or not?

2. ClamAV (Free, Windows / Linux)

The only thing more painful than suffering data loss or theft as a result of computer viruses is having to shell out the heaps of cash necessary to pay for commercial anti-virus software like Norton and McAfee. Fortunately, the good folks behind ClamAV, also known as Clam Anti Virus, have the answer. ClamAV is a toolkit for UNIX, and it scans for viruses on e-mail gateways with a command-line scanner and a fast, multi-threaded daemon, among other features. Confused by the jargon? Not to worry: ClamAV is easy to set-up and there is a helpful community willing to help troubleshoot, should anything go wrong.

3. IPCop (Free, Linux only)

IPCop is a firewall distribution aimed at small businesses and home offices. Though Linux users tend to be very tech-savvy, IPCop takes no chances: the web interface is very intuitive and easy to use. Best of all, IPCop is free, something that cost-cutting small business owners will be very glad to hear.

4. SmoothWall Express (Free, Linux only)

Like IPCop, SmoothWall Express is a Linux-based firewall distribution, and like IPCop, it is also free and open source. The similarities do not end there. SmoothWall Express is very easy to install and configure, and it is very light on system resources. Even older machines will be able to run SmoothWall with ease. If you own a small business, have almost no budget for IT expenses, and need a solid and reliable firewall solution, give IPCop and SmoothWall Express a try to see which is right for you.

5. OpenVPN (Free for two clients, Windows / OS X / Linux)

A virtual private network, or VPN, is an excellent cost-saving tool in its own right. A VPN allows a business to use the pre-existing infrastructure of the internet to host and access a private organizational network. This means a business no longer has to pay for costly private lines. OpenVPN takes the savings even further, by eliminating the need to pay for expensive proprietary VPN software. OpenVPN is easy to use and available on every platform imaginable. Try it for free on up to two clients.

6. Untangle (Plans starting at free, no operating system required)

Untangle is yet another firewall solution for small businesses. Like IPCop and SmoothWall Express, Untangle is free to use. Unlike the others, however, Untangle also offers paid plans that grant more control and more web filtering options. What also sets Untangle apart is that it does not require any operating system to run: Untangle requires a dedicated PC, and during the installation process it will install its own operating system. Untangle’s paid plans are free to try for two weeks, so give it a shot– you have nothing to lose.

7. SpamPal (Free, Windows only)

SpamPal is a lightweight anti-spam tool for windows, and makes a fine alternative to SpamAssassin if you want something a little more basic. SpamPal is a mail classification program that works for all POP3 and IMAP e-mail accounts, and it has dozens of plugins available in a variety of languages. Like everything else in this list, SpamPal is free to use.

This is a guest post by Kip, who writes about technology for one of the leading broadband comparison websites based in Australia where users can find exhaustive overviews of mobile broadband plans. If you would like to write for Extreme Trix, read Guest posting guidelines.

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