In this lecture we'll discuss the hacking lab environment. In this course we'll be using Linux as the
hacking and penetration testing operating system.
I suppose you use Windows or Mac,
as your main OS , and in this case you have to install Linux in a VM, in VirtualBox or VMWare. I'll
show you how to do it in the next lecture.
There are hundreds of Linux distributions available and I'm sure you wonder what could distro you should
install. Even though the Security Concepts and hacking labs do not depend on a specific Linux distribution
and you can run them on any linux
my advice is to install Kali Linux and eventually if your system resources permit it a second
distribution like Ubuntu or Linux Mint in another VM.
There are some hacking labs that require two Linux systems.
These are also the distros
I have used in a course.
Let's see what Kali Linux is. Kali Linux is the world's most popular Offensive Security optimized
Linux distribution. Based on Debian testing
Kali includes more than 600 penetration testing tools including the big ones like Metasploit and Nmap and
Aircrack-NG but also a wide variety of more obscure and specialized tools. You'll find tens of hacking
tools used for information gathering, vulnerability analyses, wireless attacks, web application assessment,
exploitation, stress testing or forensics tools.
Moreover Kali is free and always will be. So the advantage of using Kali is that you don't have to
set anything up all the needed tools are already installed configured and ready to be launched.
Of course, if for any reason you prefer to use another distribution, you can do it. Just that you have
to install and configure the security applications you want to use and sometimes is not the easiest
job.
Note that Cali is a Linux distribution specifically geared towards professional penetration testers
and security specialists. Given its unique nature
it is not recommended distribution if you are unfamiliar with Linux at all or if you are looking
for a general purpose Linux desktop distribution for development, web design, gaming and so on. For those
activities
a distribution like Ubuntu or Linux Mint would be more appropriate.
Another cybersecurity Linux distribution
I want you to be aware of is Parrot OS. It's secure, lightweight free and portable.
It could be more appropriate
then Kali for older systems because it uses less resources. Like Kali, Parrot OS is is based on
Debian and designed with security and privacy in mind.
It includes a full portable laboratory for all kinds of cybersecurity operations from penetration testing
to digital forensics and reverse engineering.
But it also includes everything needed to develop your own software or keep your data secure.
The graphical interface of Parrot OS is built using Ubuntu mate. You can install both Kali and Parrot
OS in a VM and take a look at each of them because they're the two most popular operating systems used
by most of the security professionals.