Discover the most popular penetration testing distribution Kali Linux

When we talk about the field of penetration testing and security, the first thing that comes to mind is Linux as it is considered the best in this field, yes, but when we talk about Linux, we are talking about a huge variety of distributions with different goals, as we learned about in the concept of GNU / Linux distributions. We also covered the most famous distributions on this system in the Best Gnu / Linux Distributions for 2016 (Part One), and the same in Part Two. However, there is one distribution that is still the most popular in this field and we have mentioned it in the Best 5 Operating Systems Suitable for Hackers, which is Kali Linux distribution. This distribution was originally a complete rebuild of Linux BackTrack from scratch, while adhering to the Debian development standards. Additionally, a new structure was created with all tools reviewed and compressed, as well as the version control system converted to Git. But what made this distribution gain such popularity? What are its features? All of this will be discussed in today’s topic, so stay tuned.

Introduction to the Distribution:

Kali Linux is a free distribution, as it includes free and open-source software that aligns with the principles of free software. Kali Linux is specialized in information security and contains several programs and tools for penetration testing, including security port scanning programs like Nmap, network packet analysis programs like Wireshark, password cracking programs like Jhon the Ripper, and tools like Aircrack-ng for testing wireless network penetration. This distribution also includes Wireless LANs, Burp Suite, OWASP, and ZAP for web application security testing, as well as other multiple security tools.

Features of the Distribution:

We won’t say that this distribution is the best in this field altogether, but it has features that make it the most popular in this specialization. Anyone interested in penetration testing would have tried this distribution. It is free and will remain so, as the company responsible for its development promises. It complies with the FHS so that all Kali users can easily locate files. Kali Linux was developed to support a wide range of hardware and to be compatible with USB and many other wireless devices. All Kali packages are signed by the developer during construction and installation, and repositories are later signed as well.

These were some of the features of this distribution, but if you want to try it for yourself, you can simply visit the official website and download the version that suits you. With all these features, one may ask, can I use Kali Linux as my primary operating system and not just for penetration testing? The answer is yes but with caution, as Kali Linux is a Linux distribution, and any supported program can be installed on it. It is important to handle it with extreme caution, not only because it contains tools for penetration testing, but also because the root account is enabled by default in it. Using this account to execute unknown commands can cause problems or delete your data as the root account has all permissions.