Top 10 Ethical hacking Tools You Should Know

Here are the top 10 ethical hacking tools you need to be aware of

Ethical Hacking is a practice where the Ethical hackers checks and identifies potential vulnerabilities and weaknesses in a network or a system. Ethical Hacking, which is also known as 'Penetration Testing', differs significantly from 'Hacking' where a hacker has unauthorized access to computer systems with the intention of stealing data or sometimes funds. In Ethical Hacking the Ethical Hackerethical s identify the security breaches with the permission of the owner of the system or organization. They help people to address security issues before fraudsters find them and exploit them for their own benefits.

What are Hacking tools or software?

To address the vulnerabilities of a computer system or a network, engineers have developed a multitude of computer software. These tools and software effectively cater to the needs of Penetration Testing.

Experts leverage these Hacking tools and software to bolster security in many fields nowadays. These tools are effective in uncovering passwords, intercepting network traffic and identifying open ports on computers. Some of the most renowned hacking tools in the market include, Nmap, Acunetix, Metasploit, Nikto, Kismet, Intruder, NetStumbler, Aircrack-Ng, Wireshark, OpenVas etc.

Nmap:

Ethical Hackers use port scanning to access the security of a system. By identifying the open ports, security experts determine services and applications that are running. Unnecessary services running on a port can pose security risks. Nmap is a hacking tool that is specialized in port scanning. It can provide hackers with detailed information about open ports. Nmap was initially tailored for Linux and Unix-based operating systems. Today, a Windows version of Nmap is also available for use.

Acunetix:

SQL Injection is a coding that has the ability to corrupt your database. Hackers with malicious intentions often employ this technique. They generally insert a malevolent code into SQL Statements through the input provider on a web page. Acunetix is a powerful tool used in web application Ethical testing. This tool meticulously examines your web application for vulnerabilities such as SQL Injection.

The tool, utilizing the HTTP/HTTPS protocol, can scan any website and web application that is accessible via web browsers.

Metasploit:

With the help of Metasploit, security experts can assess the integrity of their own networks by intentionally simulating security breaches. It helps to pinpoint vulnerabilities that require immediate attention. It also enables users to initiate remote attacks, bypass detection systems, systematically list and identify networks and hosts.

Nikto:

Nikto is an open-source that is available for free. It works as a web scanner that is designed to scrutinize web servers. It is capable of identifying version-related concerns across a wide spectrum of servers. Its primary objective is to detect hazardous CGIs, files and outdated software. It also conducts thorough examination of plugins and misconfigured files.

Kismet:

Kismet is also a renowned tool as it can effectively assess wireless LAN hacking, wardriving and wireless networks. The tool excels at passive network identification, packet collection, and the detection of non-beaconing and concealed networks by leveraging data traffic. It is compatible with the Linux operating system, including distributions like, ubuntu and backtrack.

Intruder:

Intruder helps in recognizing missing patches, misconfigurations and SQL injections. Beside detections, it integrates with popular communication platforms like Slack, issue tracking systems like Jira, and major cloud providers. The process ensures that identified vulnerabilities are efficiently communicated and addressed within the organization.

NetStumbler:

NetStumbler, which is tailored for Windows-based operating systems, excels at identifying Wireless LANS, a range of networks using the 802.11b, 802.11a and 802.11g WLAN standards.

Aircrack-Ng:

Aircrack-Ng primarily deals with Wi-Fi network security. Aircrack-Ng is compatible with various operating systems like, Windows, Linux, OS X, 2Free BSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, Solaris and eComStation. It is used to assess the security of Wi-Fi networks by attempting to crack WEP and WPA2-PSK encryption keys.

Wireshark:

Wireshark is a powerful network protocol analyzer. With the help of it, security experts can access and analyze real time network traffic. It enables us to save captured data for offline analysis. It also offers a user-friendly graphical user interface (GUI) that simplifies the process of analyzing complex network traffic. Wireshark excels in VoIP analysis, which allows users to delve into the intricacies of voice and video communication protocols. Furthermore, Wireshark has the capability to inspect and decompress gzip files, providing insights into compressed data. It can read multiple capture file formats, such as Sniffer Pro, Microsoft Network Monitor, Tcpdump and more.

OpenVas:

Open Vulnerability Assessment Scanner (OpenVAS) is an open-source and comprehensive vulnerability scanning and assessment tool. It is designed to help organizations identify and address security vulnerabilities within their networked systems.