WIKI webhosting

Securing web applications is a paramount concern in today's digital landscape. Implementing and configuring security scanners such as OWASP ZAP (Zed Attack Proxy) and Nikto on servers running CentOS 7 can significantly contribute to the detection and mitigation of potential security threats. This article provides a detailed guide to configuring these tools for regular security audits.

Installation and Basic Configuration

OWASP ZAP

1. Prerequisites: Ensure you have Java Runtime Environment (JRE) 8 or higher installed.

2. Installation:

   • Download the latest version of OWASP ZAP from the official website.
   • Extract the downloaded archive to a suitable directory.
   • Launch ZAP using the zap.sh script in the extracted directory.

3. Configuration:

   • Launch ZAP and navigate to Options > Local Proxy to customize according to your web application's needs.
   • Configure your web browser to use ZAP as a proxy server to route all communication through ZAP.
   • For initial setup, consider enabling passive scanning and disabling active scanning to prevent potential disruption of the application's functionality.

Nikto

1. Installation:

   • Nikto is available in CentOS repositories and can be installed using the command: sudo yum install nikto.

2. Basic Usage:

   • Run Nikto with basic parameters to scan your web application: nikto -h http://your.web.application.
   • Explore advanced Nikto options using nikto -H to tailor the scanning process.

Regular Security Audits

To automate regular security audits using OWASP ZAP and Nikto on CentOS 7, you can utilize cron tasks.

1. Script Creation:

   • Create bash scripts for running OWASP ZAP and Nikto with predefined parameters.
   • Ensure the scripts have appropriate permissions for execution.

2. Cron Configuration:

   • Open the crontab for the current user using crontab -e.
   • Add lines to schedule the execution of your scripts, for example, 0 3 * * * /path/to/owasp-zap-script.sh to run every day at 3 AM.

Implementing and configuring OWASP ZAP and Nikto security scanners on CentOS 7 are essential steps towards securing your web applications. Regular security audits help identify and address vulnerabilities before they can be exploited by attackers. Thorough configuration and automation of processes enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of your security measures.