Ethical hacking tools are tools that are used by “white hat” hackers to test the security of a computer system or network.
Ethical hackers use these tools to identify vulnerabilities and weaknesses in a system, with the goal of helping the owner of the system to improve their security.
Ethical Hackers
Ethical hackers, also known as “white hat” hackers, are individuals who use their skills to help identify and fix vulnerabilities in computer systems and networks.
They are called “ethical” because they use their skills for good, rather than for malicious purposes.
Ethical hackers are often employed by organizations to perform “penetration tests,” which are simulated attacks on a system to test its security.
The goal of these tests is to identify vulnerabilities before they can be exploited by “black hat” hackers (individuals who use their skills for malicious purposes).
Ethical hackers use a variety of tools and techniques to test the security of a system, including port scanners, vulnerability scanners, password cracking tools, network sniffers, and encryption tools.
They also have a deep understanding of computer systems and networks, as well as programming languages and software development principles.
1. NMAP
Nmap (short for Network Mapper) is a free and open-source security scanner that is used to discover hosts and services on a computer network, as well as to identify vulnerabilities and security holes.
It is often used by network administrators and security professionals to test the security of a network and identify potential threats.
Nmap can be used to scan entire networks or individual hosts, and it supports a wide range of network protocols, including TCP, UDP, and ICMP. It can be run on various operating systems, including Windows, Linux, and MacOS.
One of the main benefits of NMAP is that it is highly configurable and can be tailored to fit the specific needs of a network.
For example, administrators can use Nmap to scan for specific ports or services, or to perform more advanced tasks such as OS detection or version detection.
2. Acunetix
Acunetix is a web security scanner that is used to identify vulnerabilities in web applications and websites.
It is designed to help organizations protect their web-based assets by identifying security weaknesses that could be exploited by hackers.
Acunetix works by scanning a web application or website and looking for known vulnerabilities. It can detect a wide range of security issues, including SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), cross-site request forgery (CSRF), and insecure file uploads.
It also includes tools for testing the security of web servers and networks.
3. Metasploit
Metasploit is an exploit tool developed by Rapid7 that is widely known for its power and versatility.
It’s available in both a commercial and a free version, and you can access its resources on the Metasploit website (www.metasploit.com).
You can use Metasploit through either a web user interface or the command prompt. Metasploit is a useful tool for performing basic penetration tests on small networks.
It allows you to import scanned data and identify the network, as well as run on-the-spot checks to see if vulnerabilities are exploitable.
You can also execute individual exploits on hosts and browse through a variety of exploit modules. In short, Metasploit is a valuable resource for anyone looking to test the security of a network
4. Burp Suite
Burp Suite is a well-known ethical hacking tool that is often used to test the security of web applications.
It includes a variety of tools that work together to help you map and analyze an application’s attack surface, as well as detect and exploit security vulnerabilities.
Burp Suite is user-friendly and supports both manual testing and automated testing for efficiency. It’s also easy to configure and has features to assist testers with their work.
5. Intruders
Intruder is a powerful ethical hacking tool that can help you identify cybersecurity weaknesses in your digital assets.
It’s a fully automated scanner that offers over 9,000 security checks, including identifying misconfigurations, missing patches, and common web application vulnerabilities such as SQL injection and cross-site scripting.
Built by experienced security professionals, Intruder is designed to make enterprise-grade vulnerability scanning accessible to companies of all sizes.
It simplifies the process of vulnerability management by prioritizing results based on context and proactively scanning for the latest vulnerabilities. This saves you time and helps you focus on what truly matters.
6. Open Vulnerability Assessment Scanner
Open Vulnerability Assessment Scanner (OpenVAS) is a comprehensive tool that can perform unauthenticated and authenticated testing, as well as performance tuning for large-scale scans.
It includes a wide range of capabilities for testing internet and industrial protocols, as well as a powerful internal programming language.
OpenVAS is regularly updated with the latest tests to detect vulnerabilities, making it a reliable tool for identifying security weaknesses.
Whether you’re testing a small network or a large-scale enterprise system, OpenVAS is a valuable resource for identifying and addressing vulnerabilities.
7. SQL Map
SQLMap is a powerful tool that automates the process of detecting and exploiting SQL injection vulnerabilities and taking control of database servers.
It is an open-source tool with a robust detection engine that supports a wide range of databases, including MySQL, Oracle, and PostgreSQL.
SQLMap fully supports six different SQL injection techniques, including Boolean-based blind, time-based blind, error-based, UNION query-based, stacked queries, and out-of-band.
It also offers a range of advanced features, such as the ability to execute arbitrary commands and retrieve their standard output, download and upload files, search for specific database names, and connect directly to the database.
8. NetStumbler
NetStumbler is a wireless networking tool for Windows operating systems. It uses 802.11b, 802.11a, and 802.11g WLAN technology to detect wireless LANs.
There is also a smaller version called MiniStumbler that is designed for handheld devices running the Windows CE operating system.
NetStumbler has built-in support for GPS units, which makes it a useful tool for a variety of purposes.
Some of the things you can use NetStumbler for include verifying network configurations, identifying areas with poor coverage in a WLAN, detecting sources of wireless interference, and detecting unauthorized access points.
Whether you’re a network administrator or a security professional, NetStumbler is a valuable tool to have in your toolkit.
9. Ettercap
Ettercap is a cross-platform tool that is popular for its ability to sniff live connections and filter content.
It can also perform active and passive dissection of a wide range of protocols, as well as provide analysis of networks and hosts.
One of the standout features of Ettercap is its API, which allows you to create custom plugins. It can even sniff HTTP SSL-secured data over a proxy connection.
Ettercap is a versatile tool that is particularly well-suited for creating custom plugins.
10. Maltego
Maltego is a tool for link analysis and data mining that supports Windows, Linux, and Mac OS. It includes a library of transforms that allow you to discover data from open sources and visualize it in a graphical format.
Maltego performs real-time data mining and information gathering, and it represents data using node-based graph patterns.
There are three versions of Maltego available: Maltego CE (the community version), which is free; Maltego Classic, which costs $999; and Maltego XL, which costs $1999. These versions are for desktop use.
There are also server products like CTAS, ITDS, and Comms, which start at $40000 and include training.
Maltego XL is particularly useful for working with large graphs and identifying weak points and abnormalities in a network.
It provides a graphical representation of the data, which makes it easy to understand and analyze.
Whether you’re a network administrator or a security professional, Maltego is a valuable tool to have in your toolkit.