If you are a professional in security and interested in this particular field of knowledge, you need to be aware of these top ten Linux distro that fit your needs. Note that a security-focused OS lets hackers find a device or network vulnerabilities.
Here’s a list of some of the best Linux tools for ethical hacking and penetration tests.
Kali Linux:
It was developed by Offensive Security as a BackTrack rewriting and topped our ranking as one of the best hacking operating systems. This Debian-based OS comes with 500 and more pre-installed tools and applications for pen testing that enhance your security toolbox. These flexible tools are often updated and available for various platforms such as ARM and VMware. Kali Linux can also be used for the forensic tasks because it provides a live booting feature that offers an excellent environment for sensing vulnerability.
BackBox:
BackBox Linux is an operating system based on Ubuntu used for security assessment and penetration testing. BackBox Linux offers a wide variety of tools for web application analysis, network analysis, etc. Linux distro is fast and simple to use, which is well-known among hackers who come with a full desktop environment. The software applications provided by the OS are updated with the most stable versions regularly.
Samurai Web Testing Framework:
The Samurai Web Test System is mainly a Linux live environment preconfigured as a web penetration testing tool. It includes numerous free and open-source hacking tools for web vulnerability detection. It is also recognized as the best site penetration testing operating system.
Parrot Security OS:
It is also a Debian-based OS developed by the team of Frozenbox. Parrot Security is an ethically-hacking, pen checking, computer forensics, cryptography, etc. cloud-friendly operating system. Parrot Protection OS is a lightweight operating system that operates very well in comparison with others. Parrot Protection OS is a Frozen box OS and Kali Kernel mixture. Also, this highly customizable hacking program provides broad community support.
Pentoo Linux:
Pentoo is a Gentoo, Linux-based pen research operating system. It can be used in addition to an existing installation for Gentoo Linux. Pentoo is an XFCE-based distro that supports persistence that allows you to save all changes before running a USB stick. It comes with a wide range of tools, including hacks, crackers, databases, and scanners.
Caine:
Security-centric distro “Caine” is an operating system based in Ubuntu that is available as a live disk. It stands for the environment of computer-aided research. The Linux distro offers many tools to support you in computer forensics. Caine comes with a range of applications for database, memory, forensics, and network analysis.
Bugtraq:
Bugtraq is known for its electronic mailing list dedicated solely to computer safety. This can be used in Debian, Ubuntu, and OpenSUSE. The development team of Bugtraq consists of seasoned hackers and developers who provide a superb service for responsible pen testers. It includes a range of penetration testing tools including mobile forensic tools, malware testing tools, and other Bugtraq Community software.
BlackArch Linux:
BlackArch Linux is a free Linux distribution for security and ethical researchers. This is derived from Arch Linux, and the BlackArch Linux components can be built on top of it. It offers over 1400 tools that are thoroughly tested before the code base is added. Also, it is becoming increasingly popular among operating systems for hacking purposes.
Network Security Toolkit (NST):
The Network Security Toolkit, Fedora-based Linux Distro, is running on 32 and 64-bit platforms. This bootable live CD has been created to allow you to use the best open-source network safety applications for pen testing purposes. Easily convert the x86 systems to an ethical hacker who is helpful in intrusion detection, sniffing network traffic, generated network packets, network/host scanning, etc.
DEFT Linux:
Digital Evidence and Forensic Toolkit is the open-source Linux distribution “DEFT.” DEFT is an Ubuntu-based software based on DART software (Digital Advanced Response Toolkit). It is preconfigured with many popular forensic instruments and documents that can be used by ethical hackers, testers of penetration, IT safety specialists, and others.
