Astra Vulnerability Scanner Overview (2024): How Good Is Astra?

Astra is likely one of the few safety corporations that mixes automated and handbook penetration testing (pentest) to create all-in-one safety options. The platform can run over 9,000 assessments and combine with CI/CD instruments to determine DevSecOps. Astra’s safety checks embody — Net App Pentest, Cloud Safety Pentest, Cell App Pentest, and API Pentest.

Whereas Astra Safety is dearer in comparison with comparable options like Wireshark and Kali Linux, its dynamic vulnerability administration dashboard can handle, monitor, assign, and replace vulnerabilities higher than most opponents.

Astra Safety pricing

Astra gives no free trial for its prospects. Nevertheless, it does have paid plans for internet apps, cellular apps, and cloud safety customers, and a few of them cowl each vulnerability scanning and penetration testing.

Net app plans

Astra has subscriptions for internet apps, together with plans for scanning, pentest, and enterprise.

Scanner: Prices $199 per goal month-to-month or $1,999 per goal per yr. Customers can get pleasure from limitless vulnerability scans with 9,300+ assessments and limitless integrations with some third-party instruments. Plus, it has AI-powered fixing help. One factor I like about this plan is that customers can attempt it at a cheaper price — $7 per week — earlier than committing their cash.

SEE: The 8 Finest Penetration Testing Instruments for 2024 (TechRepublic)

Pentest: Prices $5,999 per goal per yr, billed solely yearly. Covers every little thing within the Scanner plan, plus cloud safety overview, compliance reporting, and publicly verifiable pentest certificates.

Enterprise: Finest for numerous infrastructure, prices $9,999 per yr for a number of targets. Covers every little thing within the Pentest plan, plus Buyer Success Supervisor, help through Slack Join or MS Groups, customized SLA/contracts, and a three-month rescan interval.

Cell app plans

This is available in two subscription plans — Pentest and Enterprise.

Pentest: Priced at $2,499 per goal per yr. Advantages embody one vulnerability evaluation and penetration take a look at, 250+ take a look at instances, and skilled help.

SEE: What Is Cloud Penetration Testing & Why Is it Essential? (TechRepublic)

Enterprise: Begins from $3,999 per goal per yr. Covers every little thing within the Pentest plan, plus a number of targets, CSM, and customized SLA/contracts.

Cloud safety plans

That is provided in two plans — Fundamental and Elite.

Fundamental: Requires customized quote by chatting with gross sales. Among the advantages embody 180+ safety assessments, IAM configuration overview, and one rescan.

Elite: This additionally requires that you simply get a customized quote by chatting with gross sales. It covers every little thing within the Fundamental plan, plus 5 group members, two re-scans, and skilled help.

Astra Safety’s key options

As a part of the suite, Astra Pentest and Astra Vulnerability Scanner work collectively to supply steady vigilance, safety posture evaluation, and different capabilities. Listed below are some Astra options I discovered very fascinating.

SEE: Vulnerability Scanning vs Penetration Testing: What’s the Distinction? (TechRepublic)

Vulnerability scanner

Astra’s vulnerability scanner can carry out as much as 9,300 assessments, together with checking for identified CVEs, OWASP High 10, and SANS 25. After I used the instrument to scan for progressive internet apps and single-page apps utilizing the one-week trial, I seen the scanner analyzes pages behind my login display screen to make sure each potential space of my software is safe. One factor I like about this function is that you could additionally buy it individually as a plug-and-play software program that requires zero to little human involvement.

Steady scanning by means of integration

Astra’s Pentest can can help you transfer from DevOps to DevSecOps by means of integration with CI/CD platforms. This implies you may automate scans so that each code replace is preceded by a hacker-style safety take a look at. I seen throughout testing that Astra makes it straightforward to trace scanning progress through Slack and to collaborate and flag vulnerabilities by means of Jira. You possibly can join your Jira account to a venture in only a few clicks.

Vulnerability administration dashboard

This can be a function that takes Astra a notch increased than most of its opponents. Astra can can help you have full visibility into your pentest so you may perceive the important thing metrics of every vulnerability. When utilizing the dashboard, I noticed that Astra has taken some frequent buyer ache factors very significantly whereas designing the UX. Additionally, I seen you may centrally handle the group members who’ve entry to your varied targets. One other factor is that you could communicate to the Astra-naut bot 24×7 and get immediate solutions to security-related subjects.

Handbook pentest

This function is included in Astra’s prime plan, and it could handle what you are promoting logic errors and points which might be undetectable by an automatic scanner. Astra does this through the use of AI to emulate the hacker mindset and establish situations of enterprise logic vulnerabilities in functions. Other than testing for enterprise logic errors, Astra’s handbook pen testing additionally assessments for issues like blind SQL injection, fee manipulation vulnerabilities, and template injection.

Astra Safety professionals

• Scans your belongings with 9300+ assessments.
• Can test for ISO 27001, HIPAA, SOC2, or GDPR compliance.
• The dashboard means that you can observe your group’s progress with good reporting.
• Affords a novel, publicly verifiable safety certificates.
• Limitless integrations with CI/CD instruments, Slack, Jira, and extra.

SEE: Easy methods to Run a Cybersecurity Threat Evaluation in 5 Steps (TechRepublic Premium)

Astra Safety cons

• No free trial.
• The month-to-month subscription is simply out there within the Scanner plan.
• Might be costly in comparison with the opponents.

Alternate options to Astra Safety

Acunetix

Acunetix by Invicti is a robust pen-testing instrument for internet functions. Whereas Astra gives each vulnerability scanning and handbook pen testing collectively, Acunetix is finest suited to pentest automation. I like that Acunetix comes with a dashboard that may kind vulnerabilities into lessons, equivalent to vital, excessive, medium, and low. It additionally permits limitless customers and scans.

Metasploit

Metasploit is one other dependable various to Astra Safety. The truth that Metasploit gives each an open-source and business choice gives the client with the selection of what sort of pen testing answer they require. The 30-day free trial of the instrument is a giant benefit over Astra Safety, which doesn’t provide any free trial. Whereas the framework model is restricted in performance, its easy internet interface and free version for builders and researchers imply it’s nonetheless in a very good place to compete with Astra Safety.

Kali Linux

Kali Linux is an open-source pen testing answer that runs on the Debian-based Linux distribution. It’s constructed for principally superior customers who perceive command-line prompts. I significantly admire how the model is upfront in saying that the instrument is made for veteran pen testers and skilled Linux customers, not on a regular basis shoppers. Whereas the instrument solely helps about 600 penetration testing utilities, its fully free pricing means it’s a very good various for many who don’t have the funds to acquire Astra Safety.

Methodology

I reviewed this product utilizing two standards — hands-on expertise with the instrument and knowledge from Astra Safety’s official product documentation, consumer critiques, and case research. Throughout testing utilizing the $7 one-week trial, I seen the scanner analyzes pages behind my login display screen to make sure each potential space of my software is secured. Astra also can can help you have full visibility into your pentest so you may perceive the important thing metrics about every vulnerability, and that’s one thing I like in any safety answer — full visibility. Its user-friendly dashboard additionally permits for monitoring of groups’ progress with good reporting. I used to be additionally capable of set up help with the Astra-naut bot 24×7, which gave me immediate solutions to safety questions. All these components knowledgeable our choice to fee the product among the many finest vulnerability scanners in 2024.