The new NetLitmus tool from the Alliance for Internet Security is designed to determine if your corporate network is vulnerable to involvement in cyber attacks.

While network administrator concerns grow over their systems potentially being used as part of a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack to assail another organization's computers, the alliance is offering NetLitmus free to anyone who joins it.

"NetLitmus is the first tool of its kind and a critical first step in solving some of the most pressing security issues today," said Peter Tippett, chairman of the Alliance for Internet Security. "While the solution to Distributed Internet attacks may be a long way off, the introduction of this detection tool is a sign that progress is being made."

NetLitmus was created by ICSA.net, the founding company of the Alliance for Internet Security. It works by scanning Web sites to see if the right filters -- routers and firewalls -- are in place and are appropriately configured to keep a system from being enlisted in a DDoS assault. It can also be used by Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to check on customer-facing routers.

While the alliance notes that there is no technology now available to essentially secure Internet-connected systems from DDoS attacks, there are ways to prevent systems from being enlisted as "slaves" in a DDoS attack. Those methods include reconfiguring routers and firewalls to deploy the right filtering tools.

After the filters are configured, ISPs and corporate administrators can use a tool such as NetLitmus to quickly determine if the filters function properly.

The alliance was created in February 2000, following high-profile DDoS attacks against Yahoo, eBay and other prominent Web sites. It now boasts more than 650 members -- ISPs, security vendors, major corporations, and industry leaders.