Research Article
Extended Evaluation of Cybersecurity Tools
- By Godsproof Kindness, Philip Asuquo, Israel Sylvester Umana, Uwakmfonabasi Ette, Godwin Chukwukaeze, Egbaji Wiseman Ike-Ochowo, Bliss Utibe-Abasi Stephen - 11 Jan 2026
- Computational Methods, Volume: 3, Issue: 1, Pages: 1 - 7
- https://doi.org/10.58614/cm311
- Received: 1.12.2025; Accepted: 02.01.2026; Published: 11.01.2026
Abstract
This research evaluates five cybersecurity tools: NMAP, Wireshark, Nessus, Metasploit, and John the Ripper, using controlled testbed environments and simulated enterprise networks to address the need for improved assessment methodologies. With cybercrime costs projected to reach $10 trillion by the end of 2025, organizations require evidence-based frameworks to select security tools. The results show that each tool excels in its primary function: NMAP for network discovery, Nessus for vulnerability assessment, Wireshark for traffic analysis, Metasploit for exploit validation, and John the Ripper for password auditing. However, significant limitations were identified, like NMAP’s detection by security systems, Metasploit’s ineffectiveness against zero-day threats, Wireshark’s data volume problems, John the Ripper’s time-consuming operations, and Nessus’s false positive rates. The study proposes standard measures to follow when choosing cybersecurity tools for different purposes and capacities.