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

Astra is among the few safety firms that mixes automated and guide penetration testing (pentest) to create all-in-one safety options. The platform can run over 9,000 checks and combine with CI/CD tools to ascertain DevSecOps. Astra’s safety checks embrace — 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 rivals.

Astra Safety pricing

Astra presents no free trial for its clients. 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+ checks 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 strive it at a cheaper price — $7 every week — earlier than committing their cash.

SEE: The 8 Best Penetration Testing Tools for 2024 (TechRepublic)

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

Enterprise: Finest for various infrastructure, prices $9,999 per yr for a number of targets. Covers every 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 embrace one vulnerability evaluation and penetration check, 250+ check circumstances, and skilled help.

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

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

Cloud safety plans

That is provided in two plans — Primary and Elite.

Primary: Requires customized quote by chatting with gross sales. A few of the advantages embrace 180+ safety checks, IAM configuration evaluate, and one rescan.

Elite: This additionally requires that you simply get a customized quote by chatting with gross sales. It covers every thing within the Primary 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 here are some Astra options I discovered very attention-grabbing.

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

Vulnerability scanner

Astra’s vulnerability scanner can carry out as much as 9,300 checks, together with checking for identified CVEs, OWASP Prime 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 to make sure each attainable space of my utility is safe. One factor I like about this function is you could additionally buy it individually as a plug-and-play software program that requires zero to little human involvement.

Steady scanning via integration

Astra’s Pentest can help you transfer from DevOps to DevSecOps via integration with CI/CD platforms. This implies you’ll be able to automate scans so that each code replace is preceded by a hacker-style safety check. I seen throughout testing that Astra makes it straightforward to trace scanning progress through Slack and to collaborate and flag vulnerabilities via Jira. You possibly can join your Jira account to a challenge in just some clicks.

Vulnerability administration dashboard

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

Guide pentest

This function is included in Astra’s high plan, and it may well deal with your online business logic errors and points which can be undetectable by an automatic scanner. Astra does this through the use of AI to emulate the hacker mindset and determine situations of enterprise logic vulnerabilities in functions. Aside from testing for enterprise logic errors, Astra’s guide pen testing additionally checks for issues like blind SQL injection, cost manipulation vulnerabilities, and template injection.

Astra Safety execs

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

SEE: How to Run a Cybersecurity Risk Assessment in 5 Steps (TechRepublic Premium)

Astra Safety cons

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

Alternate options to Astra Safety

Acunetix

Acunetix by Invicti is a robust pen-testing instrument for internet functions. Whereas Astra presents each vulnerability scanning and guide pen testing collectively, Acunetix is finest suited to pentest automation. I like that Acunetix comes with a dashboard that may type vulnerabilities into lessons, equivalent to crucial, 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 presents each an open-source and industrial possibility supplies the shopper with the selection of what sort of pen testing resolution they require. The 30-day free trial of the instrument is a giant benefit over Astra Safety, which doesn’t supply 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 place to compete with Astra Safety.

Kali Linux

Kali Linux is an open-source pen testing resolution that runs on the Debian-based Linux distribution. It’s constructed for principally superior customers who perceive command-line prompts. I notably 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 customers. Whereas the instrument solely helps about 600 penetration testing utilities, its fully free pricing means it’s various for many who don’t have the funds to obtain 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, person evaluations, and case research. Throughout testing utilizing the $7 one-week trial, I seen the scanner analyzes pages behind my login display to make sure each attainable space of my utility is secured. Astra can even help you have full visibility into your pentest so you’ll be able to perceive the important thing metrics about every vulnerability, and that’s one thing I like in any safety resolution — full visibility. Its user-friendly dashboard additionally permits for monitoring of groups’ progress with sensible 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 price the product among the many finest vulnerability scanners in 2024.