What's the best tool to get started security testing?

What's the best tool to get started security testing?

There are so many application security tools. What are the basic ones used to get started security testing?

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Port scanning using Nmap and netcat (called the "TCP/IP Swiss Army knife") are great tools to begin with. Attackers will usually examine the environment for vulnerabilities when planning an attack. Port scanning allows developers to attempt to connect to specified ports or port ranges on specified remote computers. This way, you can determine which ports are listening and which services they represent. This strategy also helps identify potential vulnerabilities in server configurations.

This was first published in January 2006