Open-source host intrusion detection
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11 reviews trackedThe Bottom Line
Entry price
Free, no paid tier
Biggest pro
Open source HIDS
Biggest con
Complex setup
TL;DR - OSSEC
- OSSEC is an open-source host-based intrusion detection system
- It monitors logs, performs file integrity checking, and detects rootkits
- Completely free and open-source
Pricing: Free forever
Best for: Individuals & startups
4.7/5 across review platforms
What is OSSEC?
OSSEC detects intrusions and monitors hosts. Open-source host intrusion detection-security monitoring that's free and proven.
The detection is file and log based. The open-source is genuine. The deployment is flexible.
Security teams wanting host monitoring use OSSEC for open-source intrusion detection.
Available on: Windows, macOS, Linux
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Open source HIDS
- Good intrusion detection
- Self-hostable
- Active community
- Free
Cons
- Complex setup
- Learning curve
- UI limited
- Documentation dated
- Resource usage
Ratings Across the Web
4.7(11 reviews)
Ratings aggregated from independent review platforms. Learn more
Key Features
Host IDSLog analysisFile integrityRootkit detectionActive responseOpen source
Pricing Plans
Free
Free
- Open source HIDS
- Host-based intrusion detection
- Log analysis
- File integrity monitoring
Reviews
4.7/5
Across 11 verified user reviews on G2, Capterra
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OSSEC FAQ
Is OSSEC free?
OSSEC is completely free and open source. You can run it on your own infrastructure for host-based intrusion detection without any licensing costs.
What is OSSEC?
OSSEC is a host-based intrusion detection system (HIDS). It performs log analysis, file integrity monitoring, rootkit detection, and real-time alerting for security monitoring.
OSSEC vs Wazuh?
Wazuh is a fork of OSSEC with more active development and additional features. Wazuh is recommended for new deployments as it's more feature-rich and better maintained.
Source: ossec.net