Whether you want to learn ethical hacking/penetration testing or want to pursue a career in information security, a decent operating system that fulfills your requirements is a must.
Linux is just better
The vast majority of the world runs Windows on their desktops. But if you want reliability for servers that run the internet, or store all of our cloud data, you should prefer Linux. Even the Windows distributer, Microsoft uses Linux to run Azure( a cloud platform). The user doesn’t require any license keys to buy and no specific hardware requirements to run Linux. Linux is a free and open-source operating system globally. Linux has a huge user community for support and increasing the reliability for Linux distros. In software management, Linux uses package managers like apt, Pacman, and rpm along with many others. They automate the process of software install and uninstall.
Linux also has a live kernel, which enables the user to update the whole system while running. Linux also has great performance, it can run on large supercomputers as well as smaller IoT(Internet of Things) devices like a toaster. The most important factor while choosing Linux is its security. Linux has fewer security vulnerabilities and open ports than Windows or OSX. So as per security practices, Linux gets always on the top.
How Linux Distros are built?
We have several bases or general use Linux distros. Examples would be Debian, Redhat, Arch, etc. These are stable Linux distros that have existed for a long period of time. Distros can generally be used as the base in order to build other Linux based operating systems. For example, the Ubuntu operating system is based on Debian based Linux distro. Ubuntu has a nicer graphical interface with its own software manager. It has a number of pre installed really useful programs. Ubuntu is known to be the most user friendly Linux based OS.
The top Linux OS for Penetration Testing
Several Linux flavors or distros are varying upon the purpose. There are ones for everyday use, there are ones for design or development, and the ones for hacking. So basically, distros get used for any purpose the user wants. But someone came in and pre-installed several hacking tools on them. Here is a list of top OSs used for penetration testing or ethical hacking.
Kali Linux
Kali Linux is a Debian based Linux Distribution. This is one of the advanced penetration testing and security auditing tool. It comes pre-installed with more than 600 penetration testing tools. Kali Linux can be installed as a host operating system, live USB, and run as a virtual machine using various virtualization software like VMware or Virtualbox. The tools get geared towards advanced information security tasks such as Penetration Testing and Digital Forensics. Kali Linux is developed, funded, and maintained by Offensive Security. Offensive Security is a leading information security company.
Parrot OS
Parrot OS is an open-source Linux distribution. It is free and made for developers, penetration testers, security testers, and forensic investigators. Parrot is also a Debian based Linux Distribution. It not only comes with pre-installed security tools, but it also has pre-installed development and anonymity tools like Tor. It can be dual-booted or installed as a host operating system. The Parrot OS also can be installed in virtual environments or as a docker image. It has a separate forensic mode, in which it doesn’t mount the hard drives or leave any mark on the host system.
BlackArch Linux
BlackArch Linux is an Arch-based Linux distribution. It is a lightweight arch-based Linux for penetration testers and security researchers. You can install the tools in groups or can download each tool individually. This Linux is compatible with existing Arch installs. This Arch repository contains more than 2400 penetration testing tools. The only difference being, BlackArch doesn’t provide a desktop environment like the Kali Linux or Parrot OS.
Build your own Distro!
The best way according to several penetration testers. The testers build their hacking operating system from scratch. The only problem includes it takes a lot of time to customize and make the entire OS. Installing all the tools for penetration testing is also one of the challenges faced during making your own operating system for ethical hacking. But once you complete installation and customization, it will be the best according to the tools that you use normally.
