How to monitor web servers by checking their availability and integrity?

Lynow

2/9/24, 10:00 AM

Good morning,

My objective is therefore to monitor several web servers and ensure that each one is UP, available, but also to verify that they have not been victims of attacks.

The idea is to find OpenSource tools that could help me do this, but either way I think I should code a bit, and it will be in Python.

As for availability, it's very simple, I just have to send an HTTP request and see that the return code is indeed 200. I can also look at the response time to verify that there is no there is no DDOS type problem.

On the other hand, for integrity, it is more complex. I thought of several points:

check each file and compare hashes via VirusTotal
check the modifications of the web pages, with a hash for example / perhaps use a tool capable of detecting a defacing, URLSCAN?
check added pages
check the source code

Do you have any ideas for tools that could help me do this? Or perhaps any other suggestions as to the checks to be carried out?

1 + 3

monitoring

Gerald Schneider

2/9/24, 10:04 AM

Requests for product, service, or learning material recommendations are off-topic. There is [softwarerecs.se]. There is also a list with monitoring solutions on Wikipedia.

Lynow

2/9/24, 10:08 AM

Maybe my question is misdirected, but the focus for me is whether the methods I described are plausible or not. The tools are an additional contribution, which will then allow me to program the ideal software. However, before all that, I would like to have some help as to the verifications that they would be able to do. If you think it's still off topic, I'll move the topic, no problem.

user9517

2/9/24, 1:03 PM

Use your favourite search engine to look for 'monitoring tools' there are plenty that will do what you want at you price point.

Score:0

Server

Romeo Ninov

2/9/24, 10:39 AM

To check and monitor availability you can implement for example nagios. This can help you do a lot of remote check.

About integrity is much more complicated. One possible way is to have physically R/O storage where to keep the software and hash of files. But if you want to check really you should have downtime and run the OS from this r/o media to be sure no element of OS and software is changed. If your system is compromised this may include change your outgoing traffic so you can't trust check with VirusTotal.

+ 0

Elon Musk

I sit in a Tesla and translated this thread with Ai:

EN: How to monitor web servers by checking their availability and integrity?

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