Linux is an open-source operating system (OS) family founded on the Linux Kernel. Users usually get the OS by downloading one of the Linux distributions, available for a variety of systems such as powerful supercomputers (Rocks Cluster Distributions), personal computers (Linux Mint), and embedded devices (OpenWrt) (Day, 2021). Currently, the security and privacy of people over the internet is an increasing concern and have become essential (Day, 2021). As a result, Linux Company has developed its systems to provide users with the best security and privacy features while surfing the internet (Day, 2021). Based on various studies and data collected over the internet, the top three Linux distros for penetration testing, security, and privacy are explained in this essay.
A Linux distribution comprises a Linux kernel, a desktop environment, a window manager, a window system, documentation, additional software libraries, and GNU tools. The best Linux privacy distributions are Black Arch, Parrot OS, and Tails (Day, 2021). Linux operating system is a distribution that enhances the security and privacy of its users (Day, 2021). These distributions are based on Debian’s testing branch; they block any type of unidentified connection on the internet (Day, 2021). The system has been designed such that it can be booted as a live USB or DVD. There are no digital footprints left on the machine unless done explicitly. When shutting down, tails will overwrite most of the RAM for evading a cold boot attack. An emergency shutdown can be activated by removing the medium physically where the trail has been installed (Day, 2021). Therefore, security all over the system is enhanced to ensure that the user is safe.
There is also Discreet Linux, Whonix, and Oubes OS that are security-focused desktops and have been created to protect the user from attacks through isolation. This can be achieved using different proportions: for instance, the hardware controller can be separated into domains such as network domains. At the same time, domains with varying levels of trust are used to test the user’s digital life (Day, 2021). The OS provides security to its users by isolating and virtualizing various VMs separately (Day, 2021). Two major programs develop this distribution; are Gateway and Workstation. The Gateway serves as a middle man; it thus enables all connections to pass through the Tor network (Day, 2021). Therefore, it is not possible to leak the IP address. This way, the operating system always keeps the user safe. A penetration test is also known as ethical hacking or a pen test (Day, 2021). The test is authorized and aims to assess the security of the system (Day, 2021). The main goal of performing the test is to identify weaknesses that indicate the possibility of an unauthorized party’s ability to gain access to information and data.
The best Linux distros for testing penetration are Samurai Web Testing Framework, BackBox, and Kali Linux. Kali Linux is known widely and is the best for penetration testing and ethical hacking (Day, 2021). On the other hand, BackBox is an Ubuntu-based distribution created to assess security and test penetration (Day, 2021). Being the famous distribution in this area, designing Samurai Web Testing Framework aimed at testing the web potential (Day, 2021). The other aspect of this framework is that it has a virtual machine supported by VMware and Virtual (Day, 2021). This makes it efficient for penetration testing and ethical hacking.
Reference
Day, B. (2021). Features: best secure Linux distros for enhanced privacy & security. Linux Security. Web.