10 Essential Tools for Ethical Hackers: A Beginner’s Guide
First let’s quickly define Ethical hacking. Ethical hacking, also known as “white hat hacking” is the practice of using hacking techniques to identify and fix vulnerabilities in computer systems and networks. As an ethical hacker, it is essential to have a toolkit of tools and resources that you can use to identify and address security vulnerabilities.
Here are ten essential tools that ethical hackers commonly use:
- Nmap: This tool is used for network scanning and discovery. It allows hackers to identify open ports, services, and operating systems running on a target system. It is often the first step in a hacking assessment. (https://nmap.org/download.html)
- Metasploit: This tool is used for exploitation and payload delivery. It contains a large database of known vulnerabilities and allows hackers to test for and exploit those vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access to a system. (https://www.metasploit.com/)
- Burp Suite: This tool is used for web application testing and security assessment. It allows hackers to intercept and modify traffic between a client and server, enabling them to test for vulnerabilities such as SQL injection attacks and cross-site scripting (XSS). (https://portswigger.net/burp)
- Aircrack-ng: This tool is used for wireless network security assessments. It allows hackers to analyze and exploit weaknesses in wireless networks, such as poor encryption or weak passwords. (https://www.aircrack-ng.org/)
- John the Ripper: This tool is used for password cracking. It uses a variety of techniques, including dictionary attacks and brute force attacks, to try and guess passwords for a given system or service. (https://www.openwall.com/john/)
- Wireshark: Wireshark is a network protocol analyzer that can be used to capture and analyze network traffic. It can be useful for gathering information about the protocols and services in use on a network. (https://www.wireshark.org/download.html)
- Virtualization System: Virtualization is the process of creating a virtual version of something, such as a computer, operating system, or network, that can be used in place of the original. Virtualization systems are software tools that enable the creation and management of virtual environments. Two of the most used virtualization systems are: VMware (the one I use), VirtualBox.
- sqlmap: sqlmap is a free and open-source tool for automated SQL injection attacks. It can be used to identify and exploit vulnerabilities in web applications that use SQL databases. (https://github.com/sqlmapproject/sqlmap)
- Kali Linux: Kali Linux is a free and open-source distribution of the Linux operating system that is specifically designed for penetration testing and digital forensics. I put Kali here but you can honestly pick any other Linux distro. Kali is simply one of the most used Linux distros for penetration testing and hacking. You also have Parrot OS, which is an interesting option. However, you can pick any Linux distro and customize it yourself, making it the best fit for you. (https://www.kali.org/downloads/)
- Python: Finally we have Python. Python is a popular, high-level programming language that is widely used in a variety of fields, including web development, scientific computing, data analysis, and artificial intelligence. Python is fairly simple to learn and start using, making it one of the (if not the best) programming language for beginners. I put it in this list because it is one of the most relevant tools that I use on my own hacking. It allows hackers to create their own tools, I have made several scripts and tools myself to automate my own hacking process. (https://www.python.org/downloads/)
These are just a few examples of the tools that ethical hackers use to keep systems and networks secure. It is important to be familiar with a range of tools and techniques and to use them responsibly and with appropriate permission. By identifying and fixing vulnerabilities before malicious hackers can exploit them, ethical hackers play a vital role in protecting the digital world.
Did I forgot a relevant tool that is worth mentioning? Let me know in the comments below, see you next time.
Thank you very much for reading!
Cheers,
MRegra
