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

Astra is likely one of the few safety corporations that mixes automated and guide 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 embrace — Internet App Pentest, Cloud Security Pentest, Cell App Pentest, and API Pentest.

Whereas Astra Safety is costlier in comparison with related 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 gives no free trial for its clients. Nevertheless, it does have paid plans for net apps, cellular apps, and cloud safety customers, and a few of them cowl each vulnerability scanning and penetration testing.

Internet app plans

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

Scanner: Prices $199 per goal month-to-month or $1,999 per goal per 12 months. Customers can take pleasure in 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 strive it at a cheaper price — $7 per week — earlier than committing their cash.

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

Pentest: Prices $5,999 per goal per 12 months, billed solely yearly. Covers all the things within the Scanner plan, plus cloud safety evaluate, compliance reporting, and publicly verifiable pentest certificates.

Enterprise: Greatest for various infrastructure, prices $9,999 per 12 months for a number of targets. Covers all the things within the Pentest plan, plus Buyer Success Supervisor, help by way of 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 12 months. Advantages embrace one vulnerability evaluation and penetration check, 250+ check instances, and professional help.

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

Enterprise: Begins from $3,999 per goal per 12 months. Covers all the things 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 talking to gross sales. A few of the advantages embrace 180+ safety assessments, IAM configuration evaluate, and one rescan.

Elite: This additionally requires that you just get a customized quote by talking to gross sales. It covers all the things within the Fundamental plan, plus 5 group members, two re-scans, and professional 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 Distinction? (TechRepublic)

Vulnerability scanner

Astra’s vulnerability scanner can carry out as much as 9,300 assessments, together with checking for recognized CVEs, OWASP Prime 10, and SANS 25. Once I used the instrument to scan for progressive net 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 characteristic 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 integration

Astra’s Pentest can can help you transfer from DevOps to DevSecOps by integration with CI/CD platforms. This implies you may 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 by way of Slack and to collaborate and flag vulnerabilities by Jira. You possibly can join your Jira account to a venture in only a few clicks.

Vulnerability administration dashboard

It is a characteristic that takes Astra a notch greater than most of its rivals. 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 widespread buyer ache factors very critically whereas designing the UX. Additionally, I seen you may centrally handle the group members who’ve entry to your numerous targets. One other factor is that you could converse to the Astra-naut bot 24×7 and get prompt solutions to security-related subjects.

Guide pentest

This characteristic is included in Astra’s prime plan, and it will probably care for your small 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 eventualities of enterprise logic vulnerabilities in functions. Aside from testing for enterprise logic errors, Astra’s guide pen testing additionally assessments for issues like blind SQL injection, cost manipulation vulnerabilities, and template injection.

Astra Safety execs

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

SEE: Learn how to Run a Cybersecurity Danger Evaluation in 5 Steps (TechRepublic Premium)

Astra Safety cons

• No free trial.
• The month-to-month subscription is just 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 net functions. Whereas Astra gives 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 courses, similar to important, 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 industrial choice 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 net interface and free version for builders and researchers imply it’s nonetheless in a great 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 largely 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 shoppers. Whereas the instrument solely helps about 600 penetration testing utilities, its utterly free pricing means it’s a great various for individuals 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, consumer 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 may also 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 resolution — 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 prompt solutions to safety questions. All these components knowledgeable our determination to price the product among the many finest vulnerability scanners in 2024.