10 Best Linux Distros for Cybersecurity/ Pentesting that are killing it!
Introduction
If you’re looking for a new Linux distribution, and specifically one that will help with your cybersecurity or penetration testing needs, this list will give you the mini scoops. We’ve rounded up the best distros for security professionals and those who want to learn more about Linux and hacking.
What is a Linux distribution?
Linux is a type of operating system, which means it’s the software that makes your device run. Linux is open source, meaning anyone can access and modify the code behind it (the same goes for other open source projects). Linux is free — you don’t have to pay for it! And finally, Linux is not owned or managed by any single entity; rather, it’s developed by hundreds of people from all over the world who collaborate online through projects like GitHub.
So what does this mean? Well…
It means that you can change the code, so you can make it do whatever you want. You can also share your modifications with others, which is why there are so many different versions of Linux available today.
Why do I need to know any type of linux?
Linux is an operating system (OS). OSes are what run software and perform tasks on your computer, so you can use it to do things like browse the internet, send email, or play a game of Minecraft. Linux is different from other operating systems because it’s free and open source (meaning you can find out how it works and make changes if you want to). It’s also used by millions of people around the world in all sorts of industries — including government agencies, corporations, schools and universities — to power their servers and desktops as well as smartphones. In more similar terms a huge MUST know in the field.
Should I get good at the command line ?
The answer to the question is, “It depends.” It depends on what you want to do with your Linux skills. It also depends on your level of technical knowledge and comfort with the command line. If you are a developer, then becoming proficient in Bash will be much more important than if you are not a developer but still want to get into security or exploit development.
For example, if you’re just getting started as an ethical hacker or penetration tester who wants to be able to use Kali or ParrotOS (or another distribution similar), then having some basic knowledge of command line tools is going to be key for performing various tasks like enumerating services or even just running simple nmap scans.
If this sounds like something right up your alley and you already have some experience using Linux (or Unix), then there are many resources out there that teach how each command works and what it does along with examples of how it could be used within different scenarios — but if all this sounds overwhelming at first glance then don’t worry!
Do I need a certain type of computer or sort of extra component?
You’ll need to make sure that you have the right type of OS for your needs.
If you want to use a graphical user interface (GUI), then you will need a GUI-enabled distro. If you want to use the command line, then you will need a CLI-enabled distro. And if you want both, then obviously go with our top pick! Most likely if you can read this post, you’ll be fine! Did I mention is also in mobile ?
I know, right?! That’s why a knowledge Linux distros is so vital for your “quest” “journey” or “path”. Including for Androids & iPhones btw!
I’ll try them all and see which one I like best.
Trying to learn as many distros as possible. It’s like trying to build a house from scratch. You need a good plan and you need to know how everything works before you start putting things together, otherwise it’s going to be a lot of wasted time.
I recommend starting with one distro and learning it well. Once you feel comfortable with that distro, try out another one. This way, instead of having 10 bad distros cluttering up your hard drive or cloud storage space, you’ll have one good distro (and maybe 2 or 3 more).
That said, if there’s an operating system that catches your eye but isn’t on my list below, then go ahead and give it a shot!( also remember these are only the pentesting ones, I do have some daily driver’s I might talk about next! Just make sure that whatever OS you choose has been around long enough so that there’s some form of community support available online (forums/help sites) as well as some form of security updates available via repositories or third party sources like Linux Mints’ own Update Manager (LMU).
Is it like only a command-line or Is there a gui?
The Linux operating system is incredibly versatile. It can be used for everything from writing code to server administration and even running a web browser. In fact, there are many different types of Linux distros (distributions), each with their own unique features and uses.
Most distros focus on offering a GUI (graphical user interface) that makes it easy for beginners to use while others focus on CLI (command-line interface). Some offer both!
For example, Ubuntu has a GUI while Kali Linux offers both options.( and everything else on this list basically).
Hell Yeah! You can customize your UI!
The best thing about Linux is that it is customizable. You can change the look and feel of your system by changing the icon set, fonts, background image or even the window manager. Desktop environments are also customizable as well. If you want to tweak something specific on your Linux distro, then go ahead and do it!You can customize the UI to your liking.
- You can change the look and feel of your operating system to suit your mood.
- If you don’t like the default icon set, you can change it.
- If you want to use different fonts in Linux, it’s possible on most distros.
- If you want something different than a solid color or image as your desktop background, that’s possible too! But hey, if all else fails and you still think flat design is lame (it is), there are also plenty of other options out there for those who are so inclined: Paper Cuts; Cupertino; Aero Glass; Windows 10 (if only…); Boxy; MacOSX Ambiance Dark Theme. I do not recommend but hey we’re all built different. 😂🤷🏽
Theres always something new, cutting edge
In the cybersecurity world, it’s important to stay on top of the latest developments in your field. New tools and methods are being developed all the time, so there’s always something new to learn. You won’t find yourself going stale by sticking with a single toolset or learning a subset of techniques without ever expanding your knowledge beyond it. In fact, you’ll likely find yourself constantly improving your skills as you gain experience using different toolsets — and if one doesn’t fit your needs perfectly, a new one will be right around the corner!
Open-Source is one hella of a drug!
Open-source software is a powerful tool for any organization, but it’s particularly valuable in cybersecurity because it allows you to build upon the work of others and protect against security threats as they emerge. Open source software has become so ubiquitous that this community-driven approach is now the default way we deliver technology.
Open source projects are typically developed by communities of developers who share code with each other so that all can benefit from what they’ve built. The result is faster development cycles, more innovation, and better quality code than individual organizations working alone could produce on their own — all without paying a dime out of pocket!
The future of cybersecurity is open source because it brings together experts from diverse backgrounds to solve problems collaboratively, which means we get better results faster than ever before — and at no cost!
My personal favorite distro is Parrot OS
Parrot OS (Security Edition) is my personal have Linux distribution for security purposes.
She’s pretty fully loaded, so much so I somehow need me more memory. It’s based on Debian and is very easy to use. It has lots of support for various hardware and it comes with a GUI (Graphical User Interface). Customizable to the Tee & Beginner friendly!
We all know the legendary Kali Linux
Kali Linux is a Debian-derived Linux distribution designed for digital forensics and penetration testing. First released in 2013, it’s an open source operating system that has been built from the ground up to be one of the top cybersecurity distros around.
Kali Linux is based on Debian, meaning it uses the same package management system as Ubuntu and many other popular Linux distributions. However, in addition to being able to install applications from multiple repositories like most other distributions do, Kali also bundles several hundred related tools into its own repositories by default. This makes it easy for users who are new to security research tasks like penetration testing or vulnerability assessment to get started quickly without having to spend hours searching for software online or building their own custom distro packages from source code (which often involves compiling).
BlackArch Linux
BlackArch Linux is a Linux distribution designed for penetration testing and security research. It comes with over 2,300 penetration-testing programs, including over 1,500 command-line tools, 500 GUI tools and 200 wireless tools.
The BlackArch team regularly updates the list of packages on the system to include new software or remove outdated ones. It also has a rolling release model where users can update their systems without waiting for a new release every six months or so.
Users can choose from various desktop environments when installing BlackArch Linux: Openbox, Fluxbox (default), i3WM and Awesome WM. The latter three all use tiling window managers by default, which means they will not allow windows overlapping each other like normal window managers would do in Windows 7 or MacOSX Snow Leopard/Mountain Lion/Mavericks do (as seen in screenshot above).
Link: https://blackarch.org/
Fedora Security Lab
Fedora Security Lab is a security-focused Linux distribution developed and maintained by the Fedora Project. It has a customized menu that offers all the instructions needed to follow the right test path.
With Fedora Security Lab, you can save your test result permanently and it also creates a live image to make it possible to install software while running. I have not personally operated with FSL but I do know FSL has well-known pentesting tools like Nmaps (of course ) , Wireshark, SQLNinja, Medusa and more!
Link: https://labs.fedoraproject.org/en/security/
Samurai Web Testing Framework
Samurai Web Testing Framework (WTF) is a web application security assessment toolkit that helps you to identify bugs and vulnerabilities in the target website. It’s an open source toolkit, written in Python and has a command line interface. You can use it for web application security testing because of its features such as:
- Command line interface for easy integration with other tools such as Burp Suite, Selenium IDE etc.
- Supports multiple authentication methods like basic authentication, digest authentication and NTLM/Digest Windows Authentication Hinting
- Check all the possible ways of accessing resources on your target website like GET/POSTs, JavaScript calls etc., which saves you from doing tedious tasks manually.
Link: http://www.samurai-wtf.org/
Network Security Toolkit (NST)
Network Security Toolkit (NST) is a security-focused Linux distribution that includes many open source and commercial security tools. It can be used as a Live CD or installed on a hard drive.
The distribution includes some of the most popular open source security tools, including Snort, Wireshark, Nessus and FuzzDB for scanning networks for vulnerabilities; OpenVAS for vulnerability scanning; Metasploit framework and Armitage graphical interface for penetration testing; John the Ripper password cracker; AIDE file integrity scanner; ClamWin antivirus software; ClamAV software in order to scan network traffic looking for malicious content at the gateway or firewall level — and more.
Link: https://www.networksecuritytoolkit.org/nst/index.html
Caine
Caine is a pentesting and forensic distribution based on Arch Linux. It provides a large number of tools for security professionals. This distribution also has an easy-to-use user interface, making it straightforward to install and use.Caine is based on the rolling release model, so it receives updates every day. In this way, you can always get the latest tools from Caine with ease. Guaranteeing an interoperable environment that supports the digital investigator during the four phases of the digital investigation, user- friendly tools and more forensics tools.
Link: https://www.caine-live.net/
BackBox
BackBox is a Linux distribution designed for penetration testing and security assessments. It comes with a large set of preinstalled and preconfigured tools to perform ethical hacking operations.
BackBox is an Ubuntu-based distribution that uses Xfce desktop environment. The distro includes many open source tools including Metasploit, Nmap, Wireshark, John the Ripper, Aircrack-ng, Burp Suite Community Edition and many others.
Pentoo
Pentoo is a security-focused live CD based on Gentoo Linux. It includes a variety of security and forensics tools precompiled for speed and optimization. Pentoo is compatible with the x86, x86–64 and IA64 architectures.
This article is not in any order, just about the linux distros for cybersecurity & pentesting. By no means is this list a list of all the other lovely daily-user distros!
Linux is a powerful operating system that has been adopted by many cybersecurity professionals. It is also an excellent platform for learning and using. Linux can be used to do many things, not just pentesting and security.
The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the best linux distros for cybersecurity & pentesting:
- Kali Linux — Best choice if you are looking for a live cd/usb image
- Parrot Security OS — A great option if you want a full-fledged OS with all the bells & whistles!
Conclusion
We have listed the top 10 best linux distros for cybersecurity that you can use for your work. All of them are great and you can choose one based on your needs. Because, you are fellow wolves reading this ; I will throw the link to each. And might do a daily-driver edition of linux distros! Like Garuda OS Deepin, Ubunutu, or even get to talk about WSLs. Or even about Docks & Containers but I just wanted to a beginnger friendly feel to this piece!
Its been a minute but always be here for my Wolves.
