MIT Lincoln Laboratory has developed a Network Security Analysis application known as NetSPA. It uses information about networks and the individual machines and programs running on them to create a graph that shows how hackers could infiltrate them. NetSPA analyzes the graph and offers recommendations about how to fix the most important weaknesses in the network. The application relies on vulnerability scanners, such as Nessus, to identify known vulnerabilities in network-accessible programs that might allow an unauthorized person access to a machine. Fast-spreading worms often take advantage of weaknesses in servers or operating systems to spread from one machine to another.
Source: https://threatpost.com/mit-lincoln-lab-releases-network-security-tool-022609/72375/