In the information security paradigm, exposure to hacking tricks is quite a necessary tool. For this purpose, many hackings software and tools exist on which the programmers and information technology enthusiasts learn the tricks and procedures to investigate a network or an operating system’s (OS) health. For Linux users, some Linux distributions have been rated as the best choice for hacking. These distributions are used by not only the professionals of the field but also are proven and declared best for learning the nitty-gritty details and exploring the depths of the information security field. Linux operating system is one of the leading operating systems in the world and its users are growing everywhere, in every region of the world. The server-side coding and development are majorly based on Linux and so learning and getting exposure to this paradigm are quite necessary. Therefore, in this article, we particularly focus on Linux and its best distributions for hacking.
BackBox
BackBox is a free and open-source Ubuntu-based operating system. BackBox is a recommended OS for security assessment and penetration testing. The OS comes equipped with a network analysis toolkit that provides an integrated environment catering to one’s security and IT requirements. With BackBox, users are able to perform vulnerability assessment, computer forensic analysis, simulate an attack on a network or an application, perform ethical hacking tasks in an accurately designed environment that ensures minimal redundancies, minimum resource consumption, user-friendly, stable, and efficient environment. BackBox features its own repository and is known for providing its users a fast and minimal environment to efficiently perform and learning ethical hacking along with using and utilizing this OS for other ordinary purposes.
Get it now from https://www.backbox.org/download/
Kali Linux
Kali Linux, formerly known as BackTrack, is an open-source Debian-derived Linux distribution. The OS comes under the GPLv3 license. The product was designed for forensic experts and pen-testing purposes. Security tools such as Aircrack-ng, Wireshark, kismet, Ettercap, maltgeo, foremost, and such other tools come equipped in the OS thereby ensuring privacy and anonymity via vast enhancements, features, and capabilities enabled in the OS. Kali Linux also provides an integrated graphical cyber attacking tool called Armitage. Kali Linux can be booted via USB or DVD. Despite all the amazing capabilities and services provided and enabled in the OS, Kali Linux provides the best environment and its services for hackers and the hacking-newbies.
Get it now from https://www.kali.org/get-kali/
Fedora Security Lab
Designed by the Fedora Project experts, the Fedora Security environment provides all the necessary tools and means to learn and get one’s hands on the hacking tasks and expertise. The Fedora Security environment comes equipped with numerous capabilities such as computer forensics, security auditing, and hacking. Fedora is known for providing an efficient, speedy, and easy-to-use environment to its users from around the globe. It comes with a clean and fast desktop environment. These quintessential networking tools come enabled in the fast and efficient OS such as Medusa, Wireshark, Sqlninja, Yersinia, etc. With Fedora Security, security testing and pen-testing are most simple and easy to perform.
Get it now from https://labs.fedoraproject.org/security/download/index.html
Parrot OS
The free and open-source operating system was released in 2013 and comes under the GNU GPL and Creative_Commons license. The advanced Debian-based Linux distribution was designed with security in mind and therefore ensures and provides optimal measures for security, privacy, and development. The OS was designed to detect, identify and refrain from any unauthorized simulated attacks along with any external or internal system vulnerabilities. Parrot OS comes equipped with a portable laboratory that provides system protection from unwanted diseases and is also a forensic expert. With Parrot OS, users can enjoy a seamless browsing experience and an environment for learning and getting hacking expertise.
Get it now from https://parrotsec.org/download/
BlackArch Linux
BlackArch is a penetration testing Linux distribution that is known for its penetration testing capabilities. The tool, despite offering its users the best platform for penetration testing, also provides a list of features that provides and ensures data security and minimizes one’s system’s vulnerability to threats and malware. The enhanced and advanced penetration testing is a free and open-source operating system that comes with no less than 2600 tools and features to provide utmost security and privacy to one’s network and computer system along with providing an environment to perform seamless hacking. Despite offering all the commendable functionalities, the tool is significantly lightweight and guarantees an enhanced user experience.
Get it now from https://blackarch.org/downloads.html
Dracos Linux
Dracos Linux is an open-source OS that offers a seamless environment for penetration testing. It is packed with a wide range of tools, for information gathering, computer forensics, malware analysis, etc. With Dracos, users are able to study, modify, and perform redistribution, get hands-on one of the most fast, efficient, and speedy OS for malware analysis, one of the highly integrated and easy-to-use distribution for ethical hacking and security research. Furthermore, Dracos OS does not collect and track any personal or sensitive user information or data.
Get it now from https://www.dracos-linux.org/downloads.php
Closing Remarks
Hacking, penetration testing, and security testing are some of the key elements of the information security paradigm. Learning and getting the expertise of the discussed are needed more than ever in such times of the growing cybercrime rate. Getting acquainted with such information and expertise provides one the knowledge about their network or their OS health. The article here discusses the best Linux distributions that provide the most efficient and capable platform to learn and perform ethical hacking tasks. The best Linux distributions for ethical hacking are BackBox, Kali Linux, Fedora Security Lab, Parrot OS, BlackArch Linux, and Dracos Linux. All these Linux distributions are free and open-source and are highly recommended for security testing and ethical hacking.
Karim Buzdar holds a degree in telecommunication engineering and holds several sysadmin certifications including CCNA RS, SCP, and ACE. As an IT engineer and technical author, he writes for various websites.
