Kali Linux

I use Kali Linux  for penetration testing, network security, and application security, utilizing various tools available on the platform.

The primary use case for Kali Linux  is to achieve anonymity, which allows me to maintain significant control over my security measures. My day-to-day use case involves penetration testing and application security.

Kali Linux offers excellent features including being lightweight with low memory usage, easy installation, portability, and multiple architectures such as ARM architecture and server architecture. I can easily install various tools on these architectures and even create my own tools.

Kali Linux has positively impacted my organization because I can utilize various tools on the platform and create custom tools. The architecture is specific enough that I can run Kali Linux on my mobile device and install it on my tablet.

Kali Linux could be improved by including more tools.

I would personally like to see improvements in Kali Linux, particularly regarding Grub issues that sometimes occur when installing the VM. Additionally, I have experienced problems when updating Kali Linux from a higher version to a lower version, which resulted in crashes. These Grub issues should be resolved.

I face significant challenges with Kali Linux regarding a major issue with the Grub loader becoming corrupted, which makes it very difficult to recover data.

I have been using Kali Linux for more than seven to eight years.

Kali Linux is stable based on my experience.

I find Kali Linux very scalable.

There is no customer support available for Kali Linux, so I have no comment on that aspect. However, I hope that customer support should be provided in the future, though I have never attempted to use it.

I previously used Parrot  OS before switching to Kali Linux.

I can easily install Kali Linux during the installation process.

I have seen a return on investment with Kali Linux, particularly in time-saving.

Kali Linux is a time-saving and cost-saving solution.

My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing for Kali Linux is straightforward because it is open source. I simply create a VM, so there are no costs involved.

Before choosing Kali Linux, I evaluated Parrot  OS.

I would rate Kali Linux an eight out of ten.

I chose this rating because the Grub issue should be resolved, and I would like to see more penetration testing tools added. Parrot OS has some excellent features for anonymity, and other current Linux distributions also have anonymity features that should be included in Kali Linux. My overall review rating for this product is eight out of ten.

I use Kali Linux  typically for different report generation based on customers and for queries related to customers. When I am troubleshooting in a live customer node, all of the customer nodes are based on the Linux environment. I need to troubleshoot different issues using basic commands and troubleshooting steps, which are all based on Kali Linux . All servers, virtual and metal servers, are based on Kali Linux only.

Last month, penetration testing was conducted in our organization for security purposes. Due to some issues in the server at that time, we switched from other servers to Kali Linux, and those experiences were very seamless. Identifying vulnerabilities and fixing those in ASAP mode was a very prominent work performed using Kali Linux. The penetration testing was successful due to Kali Linux because it simulated attacks to find and fix vulnerabilities in our systems and networks before malicious actors could exploit them. In terms of penetration testing and security auditing, it helped us significantly.

Kali Linux is used for security auditing purposes and vulnerability assessment purposes.

One of the most exciting features about Kali Linux is Wireshark , a network protocol analyzer for monitoring traffic, which is very important in my day-to-day work. We analyze TCP dumps to analyze network issues, port issues, and connectivity issues such as port open and close connections and different problems that may occur. Using Wireshark  for TCP dump analysis with Kali Linux is one of the best parts I can see.

The pre-installed toolset is one of the important features of Kali Linux because it comes with around 500-550 penetration testing, security auditing, and digital forensic tools, which are very important to me.

Kali Linux can run directly from a USB drive without installation, which is very ideal for forensic analysis as it prevents accidental data contamination in the host system. This is one important aspect of using Kali Linux.

The vulnerability assessments and auditing capabilities are very strong using Kali Linux because built-in tools such as OpenVAS and Burp  Suite enable comprehensive network and application scanning. This helped our clients proactively assess and fix weaknesses. When a vulnerability comes in a particular ICP  version, that part is already being fixed in a specific version. The assessments and auditing part of vulnerabilities are one of the important features which helped our organization.

My organization uses Kali Linux as the platform for internal and commercial cybersecurity training programs, such as different certifications. This created an additional revenue stream and ensures that teams have cutting edge skills.

Financial benefits are evident because our organization used Kali Linux to simulate real-world attacks on clients' networks, web applications, and systems to identify vulnerabilities before malicious actors do. In some latest products, our organization made a profit around 213 SEK billion by fixing one vulnerability which could have caused significant damage to our system. This was prevented by using Kali Linux and penetration testing.

Some of our work has already been automated using Kali Linux and some headcount has already been reduced. Though this is not ideal for employees, in terms of today's AI-related market, it reduced costs significantly and made a profit for the organization.

Kali Linux can increase its stability. As a rolling release distribution based on Debian  testing or unstable, Kali Linux can sometimes experience breakage during updates. More robust testing before pushing updates to the main repositories could help, or offering a more stable branch for users who prioritize reliability over the absolute latest tool versions would be beneficial.

The distribution comes with over 400 penetration testing tools, many of which are never used by an average user. It could use an easier approach with more granular ways to install or remove tool groups or meta-packages.

Kali Linux can optimize resource management. Although Kali Linux is designed to be lightweight, users often report performance issues, specifically when using virtual machines or on less powerful hardware. Improvements could be made in these areas. In our Ericsson environment, we use virtual machines only for live customer servers. Sometimes we experience different issues with performance degradation, especially in virtual machines. These areas can be improved.

Trial packs for one or two months at a cheaper cost would be beneficial to switch from different providers to Kali Linux. This could be explored further.

I have been using Kali Linux for about four years.

Kali Linux is stable, but it can increase its stability. As a rolling release distribution based on Debian  testing, Kali Linux can sometimes experience breakage during updates. This aspect can be improved.

Scalability is absolutely fine with Kali Linux.

Customer support is quite good for Kali Linux. They support within hours by solving the TTs.

We used to try different solutions such as Linux Ubuntu  and Oracle Linux  before switching back.

The vulnerability assessments and auditing capabilities are very strong using Kali Linux because built-in tools such as OpenVAS and Burp  Suite enable comprehensive network and application scanning. This has helped our clients proactively assess and fix weaknesses. When a vulnerability comes in a particular ICP  version, that part is already being fixed in a specific version. The assessments and auditing part of vulnerabilities are one of the important features which helped our organization. My organization uses Kali Linux as the platform for internal and commercial cybersecurity training programs, such as different certifications. This created an additional revenue stream and ensures that teams have cutting edge skills.

Kali Linux can optimize resource management. Although Kali Linux is designed to be lightweight, users often report performance issues, specifically when using virtual machines or on less powerful hardware. Improvements could be made in these areas. In our Ericsson environment, we use virtual machines only for live customer servers. Sometimes we experience different issues with performance degradation, especially in virtual machines. These areas can be improved.

Trial packs for one or two months at a cheaper cost would be beneficial to switch from different providers to Kali Linux. This could be explored further.

I would recommend that organizations try Kali Linux for several months to understand the changes and then decide according to their organization's specifications and needs before starting to use Kali Linux and purchasing packages on the marketplace. This review has received an overall rating of 9.

My main use case for Kali Linux  is primarily for testing and cybersecurity, specifically for doing penetration testing on applications and network applications that we utilize for network monitoring.

A specific penetration test I performed using Kali Linux  was for the application related to DDI , which encompasses DNS, DHCP infrastructure, and network monitoring as well as authentication for Cisco ISE , during which I used tools such as Hydra, Nmap , Ncat, and Wireshark  to capture and analyze network packets.

Kali Linux fits into my team because I mainly work with network tools and focus primarily on DNS; it plays a crucial role in penetration testing and ensuring that my applications are secure against attacks through various cybersecurity criteria.

The best features Kali Linux offers include its Debian-based architecture and being open source, which is important for many reasons, such as allowing for live USB boot and custom ISOs, making penetration testing simpler with comprehensive pre-installed toolsets such as Nmap , useful for vulnerability scanning.

The live USB and custom ISO options help me specifically as they allow for quick access to a wide selection of pre-installed security tools, saving me time on installations and configurations through live USB boot functionality, which lets me get up and running quickly.

The integration of cloud and containers within Kali Linux is something I wish more people knew about, as it allows for utilizing containerized versions that provide scalability and eliminate the need for a virtual machine setup.

Kali Linux has positively impacted my organization by improving efficiency in penetration testing; its open-source nature permits extensive customization and inclusion of numerous comprehensive pre-installed tools, contributing to a secure network environment with effective monitoring of network applications.

The outcomes from using Kali Linux in our organization are significant; we experienced reduced cybersecurity attacks and improved application security, leading to decreased attack surfaces and quicker testing cycles that enabled faster launches and installations.

There are areas for improvement in Kali Linux, particularly regarding its use of the Linux kernel, which requires external additional patching, and the fact that network services are disabled by default, which complicates usage; enhancing user-friendliness through more GUI-based tools and better integration could be beneficial.

While Kali Linux is open source, it lacks vendor support, and I believe that improving documentation and community engagement is essential, making it more user-friendly and encouraging the use of GUI tools can significantly enhance the overall experience.

I have been using Kali Linux for around five years, starting in 2018 or 2019, and I continue to use it until 2024, with plans to keep using Kali Linux starting in January 2025.

Before switching to Kali Linux, we used Fedora for penetration testing. The decision to move to Kali Linux was influenced by its open-source nature, which reduced costs while facilitating easier automation with DevOps tools.

Integrating Kali Linux with DevOps tools has resulted in reduced operational costs due to automated test cases, making it a worthwhile investment with significant returns by decreasing the attack surface area and the frequency of attack incidents.

My experience with pricing, setup costs, and licensing for Kali Linux has been positive, as it operates under an open-source model with setup costs primarily related to hardware and virtual machines, eliminating the need for vendor-specific licenses.

We evaluated alternatives to Kali Linux, including Parrot  OS, BlackArch, BackBox , and the Network Security Toolkit (NST), but Kali Linux was chosen for its stability, open-source nature, and strong community support.

Kali Linux's scalability is commendable; it allows for easy expansion through containerized versions and custom ISOs, although support is primarily dependent on the community rather than vendor assistance.

My advice for others looking into using Kali Linux is to ensure they have a strong foundation in Linux knowledge and are familiar with the various toolsets available within Kali Linux so that they can select the right tools for their specific needs.

I believe Kali Linux is a valuable open-source tool with great potential for growth through community involvement, and continuous development can enhance its position as a leading solution for penetration testing.

On a scale of one to ten, I rate Kali Linux an eight out of ten.

I mainly use Kali Linux  for educational purposes, such as learning pen testing and Linux fundamentals.

I have been using Kali Linux  for the TryHackMe section and applying that learning into different automated scenarios of pen testing that are available on the TryHackMe website.

I haven't used Kali Linux for my organization, only for my learning purposes.

Since Kali Linux is a security-focused Linux distro, that would be its main advantage compared to Ubuntu  or Arch Linux.

The overall focus on security in Kali Linux is what I find most useful.

TryHackMe has an inbuilt Linux distro for doing the assigned tasks, but sometimes network issues may arise or lag may occur. I use Kali Linux because it is fast and there are no hindrances. It provides quick results and helps me gain a deeper understanding of how something works.

It would be helpful if Kali Linux could be involved in more systems or laptops. Windows is a standard for many laptops and comes pre-installed on many devices available in the market. If Kali Linux could do the same and increase their reach to better areas, it would be beneficial.

They could improve Kali Linux's UI/UX. They have been following a standard UI/UX. They could add more options, similar to how CachyOS distro of Arch Linux has many different UI options to select from. Making Kali Linux more customizable would allow users to personalize it to their style.

Many users utilize Kali Linux through virtual machines. Sometimes Kali Linux has issues detecting hardware such as inbuilt or external Wi-Fi adapters. Improving device detection would be beneficial.

I have been using Kali Linux for a couple of years.

Kali Linux is pretty stable.

With enough resources, Kali Linux can handle enough tasks.

I used Ubuntu  before. I wasn't aware of Kali Linux when I first started. I was using Ubuntu for learning about cybersecurity and pen testing. Then I discovered Kali Linux.

I compared Ubuntu and Kali Linux, as there weren't many security-focused Linux distros available.

Kali Linux is free software, an operating system that's available to download without any cost or licensing fees.

Kali Linux has helped me learn faster and understand concepts better. You get a sense of appreciation when completing tasks on your own machine without help or hints from available tools or operating systems, with minimal guidance.

I have saved time by avoiding the lag I sometimes face on the TryHackMe in-built machine, and I have learned more efficiently.

Kali Linux is free software, an operating system that's available to download without any cost or licensing fees.

Other than increasing my knowledge of the Linux distro, Kali Linux has helped me in automated scenarios and increased my knowledge in cybersecurity pen testing. I am still learning.

I would recommend starting with Ubuntu, learning basic Linux commands and Linux-related knowledge, including Debian . Then make the switch to Kali Linux when ready, starting with small tasks before moving on to bigger things.

On a scale of 1-10, I rate Kali Linux an 8.