Zeek Becoming Part of Microsoft Windows

First released in 1998, the BSD-licensed software Zeek (originally named 'Bro') is about to get more widely adopted, writes long-time Slashdot reader skinfaxi:

Zeek, the open source network security monitoring platform, is being integrated into Windows and 'is now deployed on more than one billion global endpoints,' according to an announcement from Corelight.

From Corelight's press release:
Corelight, the leader in open network detection and response, today announced the integration of Zeek, the world's most popular open source network security monitoring platform, as a component of Microsoft Windows and Defender for Endpoint. The integration will help security teams respond to the most challenging attacks by providing 'richer signals for advanced threat hunting, complete and accurate discovery of IoT devices, and more powerful detection and response capabilities.'

Originally created by Corelight co-founder and chief scientist Dr. Vern Paxson while at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Zeek transforms network traffic into compact and high-fidelity logs, file content, and behavioral analytics to accelerate security operations. Vital funding for Zeek came initially from the National Science Foundation and the US Department of Energy's Office of Science. As adoption increased, Corelight was founded to provide a financial model and corporate sponsor for the project....

'Microsoft is strongly committed to supporting open source projects and ecosystems,' said Rob Lefferts, corporate vice president for Microsoft. 'We're proud to be working with Zeek and are thrilled to bring this level of network intelligence and monitoring to our customers.'

'This is an amazing development for Zeek and its community of contributors and users,' said Paxson. 'I never imagined that the tool I developed for network monitoring would find broader application in defending endpoints — but that's part of the creative magic of open source development.

'We are grateful for Microsoft's contributions and support, and we are excited that the project's impact, and that of the community of contributors, will increase so dramatically.'

Read more of this story at Slashdot.