As you journey into the world of cyber security, it is essential to be familiar with common hacking tools used by cyber criminals. These tools help hackers exploit vulnerabilities in systems and networks, but they can also be used ethically by security professionals to test their own networks and systems for vulnerabilities. Below is a brief overview of some common hacking tools:
Nmap is a popular open-source network scanner used by cyber security professionals and hackers alike to discover hosts and services on a network. It helps identify hosts, open ports, running services, OS types, and many other details. It is particularly useful for network inventorying and security audits.
Wireshark is another open-source tool used for network analysis and troubleshooting. It allows the user to capture and analyze the traffic that is being transmitted through a network. It helps identify any suspicious activity, such as malware communication or unauthorized access attempts.
Metasploit is a powerful penetration testing framework that covers a wide range of exploits and vulnerabilities. With a customizable and extensible set of tools, Metasploit is particularly useful for simulating real-world cyber attacks and helps identify where your system is most vulnerable.
John the Ripper is a well-known password cracker tool, which can be used to identify weak passwords and test password security. It supports various encryption algorithms and can also be used for identifying hashes.
Burp Suite is a web application security testing tool, mainly used to test for vulnerabilities in web applications. It includes tools for intercepting and modifying the requests, automating tests, scanning, and much more.
Aircrack-ng is a set of tools targeting Wi-Fi security. It includes tools for capturing and analyzing network packets, cracking Wi-Fi passwords, and testing the overall security of wireless networks.
Kali Linux is a Linux distribution, specifically built for penetration testing and security auditing. It comes preinstalled with a wide range of hacking tools and is commonly used by ethical hackers and security professionals.
Keep in mind that while these tools are commonly used by hackers, they can also be employed ethically by security professionals to understand and address vulnerabilities in their own systems. The key is to use them responsibly and always seek permission before testing any network or system that does not belong to you.