Kali Linux is a Debian-based Linux distribution whose main purpose is legal crime detection and network penetration testing. This distribution is funded by Offensive Security, and its first version was released in 2013. In this article, we will not only introduce you to the difference between the versions of Kali Linux, but we also want to teach you how to work with this distribution for the best security of your computer networks, and finally introduce the most comprehensive training course.
By performing ethical hacking by Kali Linux, you are doing an authorized act to bypass system security to identify possible weaknesses in the network to test the system’s defense system. Unlike malicious hacking, such a pre-programmed system is approved by network administrators and, most importantly, is legal.
Kali Linux is not a closed security distribution.
Kali Linux is developed by rewriting BackTrack and includes hundreds of tools to improve the level of information security. This distribution does some amazing things, some of which you will get to know below:
- penetration test
- Security research
- Computer crimes
- Reverse Engineering
Kali Linux versions at a glance
Professional, ethical hackers need systems that allow them more customization and flexibility than conventional operating systems such as Windows and Mac to hack into computer networks (purely non-destructive) legally. The Kali Linux operating system, one of the open-source Linux distributions, fulfills all the demands of ethical hackers and allows them to access all the configuration elements of the computer, install specialized programs, manipulate connections and data, and finally, the credentials of others. Fake computers.
One of the differences between Kali Linux editions is that they are not designed for everyday needs such as data processing, internet surfing, and even gaming, but for students planning to get an online master’s degree in cyber security, learning it is a must. It is also more obligatory. The good news for those interested in this distribution is that there are different versions of it on the market, each of which has its advantages, disadvantages, and specific goals, the most important of which we have discussed below:
- Light Armhf version
- Gnome 3
- Lxde
- Mate
- Light
- E17
- NetHunter
- Xfce
- KDE
Major differences between Kali Linux versions
Now that you are familiar with the names of different versions of Kali Linux, it is time to introduce the differences between the versions of this Linux distribution. In general, their main difference is related to the user environment and desktop, but some have fundamental differences worth knowing.
- Kali Linux Gnome 3: This version is the classic and default version of this distribution, which is mostly called Kali Linux
KDE version: The environment of this version is open for users to customize and use various widgets and plugins - Kali Linux Mate: This version is the updated version of GNOME 2. Since the sudden switch to GNOME 3 – because of the radical changes – was not pleasant for many users, Kali Linux Mate, a version between GNOME 2 and GNOME 3, was released. Mate’s environment is still being updated and has a relatively old look.
Xfce, Lxde, and E17 versions: Kali Linux have a very light user interface and do not require powerful systems. In old computers, one of these three versions is mainly used. E17 has many fans among professionals - Kali Linux Lite: Just unlike the previous versions that differed only in appearance, Kali Linux Light has more fundamental differences. This distribution comes with the default Xfce desktop and includes a few tools. But it allows users to customize it by fully installing the apps they need. This Kali Linux version requires less installation space, runs faster, is constantly updated, and consumes less traffic.
Kali Linux Versions – Which One is Better?
None of the versions of Kali Linux have priority over the other, and as a result, no better version can be considered for it. Only each person should find the desired version according to their needs and implement it on the system.
Live and installation versions are two types of Kali Linux versions, and the way of running them is different from each other; In the Live version of Kali Linux (portable), this distribution will be executable by the USB port, and there is no need to install its file. In contrast, its installation version must be connected to the hard disk.
What kind of people should use Kali Linux versions?
The tools available in Kali Linux versions – even the lightest – are so functional that they have turned this Linux distribution into a Swiss army knife. Network security managers and hackers have different uses of this operating system; Administrators use different versions of Kali Linux to detect and prevent security intrusions, and black hat hackers from exploiting security intrusions potentially. In general, Kali.
Linux fans can be divided into ten subcategories:
- Network administrators who are responsible for maintaining an efficient and secure network. Network administrators use Kali Linux to assess and detect unsafe access points.
- Security managers are responsible for protecting information and data in the network. Kali Linux provides significant assistance to security administrators to review, investigate and evaluate environments.
- Penetration testers who use Kali to examine environments and perform detection operations on organizational environments that are to be tested
- Network architects responsible for designing secure network environments use Kali Linux to review beta (early) designs to ensure that no security issues have been overlooked.
- Chief Information Security Managers, abbreviated as CISOs, use Kali Linux to scan the internal environment and detect harmful apps and malware.
- White hat hackers who, like testers, use Kali to investigate and discover potential vulnerabilities in an environment.
- Black hat hackers who use this Linux distribution to discover and exploit vulnerabilities
- Gray hat hackers fall between the above two categories of hackers and use Kali in the same ways mentioned above.
- Forensic engineers use Kali to discover and recover network data. For this purpose, Kali must be in Forensic Mode.
Familiarity with six methods of installing Kali Linux versions
As we mentioned, two methods of the installation file and live or portable version are generally used to obtain different versions of Kali Linux. But for users to have better access to this open source operating system, there are six options in front of them so that they can use Kali Linux:
- Direct execution from computer and laptop: with the help of image, Kali Linux can be installed directly on the computer and laptop. This method will be useful if you have a new computer. To run various tests of this distribution, it is recommended to install it on a laptop with Wi-Fi.
- Running on virtual machines: Most hypervisors are supported by Kali Linux, and you can install them on most emulators. For this, pre-configured Kali images are available on the website, and you can use an ISO to install Kali on your preferred hypervisor manually.
- Running in the Cloud: due to the wide use of cloud spaces and the popularity of Kali Linux, the amazing images for this distribution are placed in Amazon’s AWS and Microsoft’s Azure.
- Using a USB boot disk: By creating a boot disk from a Kali Linux ISO image, you can run this distribution on a machine without needing installation.
- Through the Microsoft Store in Windows 10, this distribution’s application will be run as a command line. Note that not all Kali features are implemented in this method because it is still in beta or experimental mode.
- Installation on Mac as a second operating system: Kali can also be installed on Apple systems (MacBook) as a secondary operating system. It would help if you used Parallels or the Mac boot function for the initial settings configuration.
Introducing 20 new Kali tools for performing penetration testing and hacking
If you plan to choose Kali Linux as your operating system and use its useful tricks and utilities, then never miss this episode. As we announced earlier, various tools are available in Kali Linux versions, and identifying the most important ones will make it easier to work with this distribution. 20 famous and very useful Kali Linux tools are:
- Nmap
- Lynis
- WPScan
- Aircrack-ng
- Hydra
- Wireshark
- Metasploit Framework
- Skipfish
- Maltese
- Nessus
- Burp Suite Scanner
- BeEF
- Apktool
- SQLmap
- John the Ripper
- Snort
- Autopsy Forensic Browser
- King Phisher
- Nikto
- Yersinia
In this article, it is not mandatory to mention all Kali Linux tools to improve network security. But to get to know you better, we will use some of these tools as examples.
1. Nmap tool
Nmap tool or Network Mapper is one of the open source tools of Kali Linux, developed for security inspection and network scanning. Its design is designed to detect huge networks such as single hosts quickly.
Nmap is used to report the network system, and it can search the domain and subdomains. Also, with the help of the Nmap Scripting Engine, you can interact with the target host and determine the nature of the service running on the host.
2. Aircrack-ng tool
Aircrack is a set of security tools for penetration testing in Wi-Fi networks. Powerful tools for discovering, analyzing, recording, and cracking WEP and PSK-WPA keys are included in this collection, which makes Aircrack one of the top ten anti-hacking and network security tools.
Aircrack, available in Kali Linux versions, is used in 4 areas; In the phase of testing and checking Wi-Fi network cards, in the phase of cracking and bypassing different protocols such as PSK, WPA, and WEP. The monitoring stage receives the packets and processes the information ready for the third-party tools. In the attack phase, which creates fake access points with the help of packet injection, the work of the aircraft is completed.
3. Lynis tool
Since Lines is highly flexible, its goals are also very broad; Penetration testing, intrusion detection, automated security scanning, component management and configuration, and vulnerability detection are among these goals. This tool is applicable not only on Kali Linux versions but also on most Unix-based versions. One of the advantages of Lines is that it does not require the installation of additional tools, and you are not dependent on any other software or app to use it.
4. Snort tool
Snort tool is a text game software used for intrusion detection (IDS) and intrusion prevention (IPS) written in C programming language. This tool was recognized as the best open source software in 2009 – almost ten years after its design.
Snort is a free product with a very useful database and can be installed and run on different operating systems, including any difference in Kali Linux versions. If there is traffic in the network and system, this software examines it simultaneously to prevent possible damage.
5. Autopsy Forensic Browser tool
AFB Tool – as the name suggests – is a digital diagnostics tool that helps network administrators and technicians investigate what’s happening in systems. With this software, you can also recover deleted images from SD hard drives, and this feature has caused judges and lawyers to use AFB to find out the facts.
6. Burp Suite Scanner tool
Burp Suite Scanner is used to check website security, and unlike other web security tools, it has a user-friendly graphical interface (GUI) and many advanced widgets. To use this tool professionally, you should consider upgrading to its free version and consider that, like most security tools, Burp is not open source.
7. Nessus tool
Nessus tool is another security scanner that identifies the vulnerability of any device. This tool is very accurate in finding a wide range of possible damage. This feature has made the Nessus tool among the most popular scanners in Kali Linux and other operating systems.
If someone wants to hack your local area network (LAN), they should first do a vulnerability scan. After that, a penetration test looks for possible loopholes like open ports, outdated software, etc., on the device. If a hacker finds such an opening, he will look for a way to exploit it. At this stage, Nesos does not allow your computer network to have security holes by checking the weak points.
8. Maltego tool
If you are looking for the best data mining tool, Maltgo will be your best choice. For each data set, Maltego generates a directed graph by which you can examine the relationship between those sets of information. This tool is installed by default in Kali Linux versions, but if you intend to use it for personal use and want to make commercial tools from Maltego, you need to purchase its paid and advanced version.
9. Skipfish tool
Skipphish tool is one of web applications’ most well-known detections and crawling tools. In this category, crawling means looking up a web address through which security problems can be found. After the skip fish test has been found, a complete report will be presented as a web page in a folder for you to use for your future analysis.
One of the unique features of Skip Fish is the ability to analyze 2000 requests per second. On the other hand, this tool can automatically check the behavior of the target based on the existing algorithms in behavioral science.
Implementation of even the smallest computer network requires training.
In this article, we introduced the versions of Kali Linux in terms of performance, how to install them, and their appearance. Then, we reached the tools available in this operating system. We know that Kali Linux has many unique and useful tools, each of which has many common points, but each can be useful in creating the highest level of security in the network.