Demystifying security tools: Should I use commercial or freeware?

As network security concepts are becoming more advanced, so are the tools used to detect, prevent, and repair security breaches. Many network administrators are unaware of what tools to use, and whether or not to use freeware, commercial, or a combination of both. Determining which security tools to use in the defense against unauthorized access can be intimidating. One realizes that all security tools are not created equal and an 'all-in-one' tool does not exist. In this paper I will touch upon why all network administrators need to incorporate security tool usage into their daily practices to help secure their environment. Security tools not only assist in providing defense in depth against unauthorized users but also provide an automated means to identifying security issues. This paper will identify what tools to use in performing vulnerability assessments in various scenarios to give network administrators an idea of what security holes a hacker would most likely target; and also walk you through the methodology used to conduct vulnerability assessments along with the tools for each step. The idea is to demystify security tools; both commercial and freeware to show these concepts are not intimidating and imperative they be incorporated as best practices in network administration.