Infection Monkey vs OpenAEV

Infection Monkey is an open-source breach and attack simulation tool for checking data center resilience to perimeter breaches and internal server infection. Monkey Agent scans systems and simulates attack techniques, while Monkey Island Server provides a command-and-control web interface. The tool maps visible machines, accessible services, and possible routes through a network, then reports security issues the agents discover or exploit. It supports on-premises environments, containers, and public and private clouds. The documented AWS integration uses Systems Manager to run Infection Monkey on EC2 instances, and plugins can be installed, updated, removed, or uploaded through the Monkey Island interface. Internet access is not required; when available, it is used to check for updates and whether machines can reach the internet. The FAQ says sensitive data is encrypted in the Island database and sent to agents over HTTPS, and that first launch requires creating credentials for access to the server. It also says the tool avoids exploits or attacks that may affect target systems, including EternalBlue. The Free plan is free.

OpenAEV is an Adversarial Exposure Validation platform for creating cyberattack simulations, stress tests, and crisis exercises. Its breach and attack simulations draw on cyber threat intelligence and map scenarios to MITRE ATT&CK and ATLAS. Attack Chaining links actions into paths based on findings; teams can orchestrate these manually or use dedicated agents. Structured tabletop exercises are available for evaluating readiness, escalation, coordination, communication, and response. Adversarial Exposure Scoring tracks posture over time and maps coverage to MITRE ATT&CK and domain-based controls. The product lists more than 30 integrations and connections to OpenCTI, threat feeds, EDR/XDR, SIEM, and SOC playbooks. Deployment options include cloud, on-premise, and multi-tenant setups, with air-gapped and bring-your-own-cloud options listed for Enterprise Edition. Community Edition is free forever for on-premise core simulations and tabletop exercises, with community support. Enterprise Edition pricing is quote-based, and its SaaS trial lasts 30 days. Components are available as Docker images and manual installation packages; Kubernetes is recommended for production deployments.