Like I mentioned before, I am still learning about computer security and therefore do not claim to know a lot. So please don't think I'm a moron when I ask for guidance... In my Risk Management class, we are reading Hacking Exposed and learning about the tools available for security toolkits. I was wondering what you guys recommend as far as open source tools and other free tools that can be used on Linux and/or ported to OS X. I know about the obvious built-in stuff like ping, traceroute, netstat, whois, finger, etc. and about the Network Utility in OS X. Some of the other tools I have used or want to use are hping2, Wireshark, Snort, Nmap, Netcat or Ncat, John the Ripper, Metasploit, Kismet or KisMac, TiNGLE, VMware (once I get a faster machine), Ettercap, Aircrack, MacPork, Ike-scan, Rootkit Hunter, TOR, SATAN or SARA, Radmind or Tripwire, BurpSuite, OpenSSH, and Cyberduck. If anyone recommends these, hates these, or has other suggestions, please add to the discussion. I know there are some Kismet experts around here
and I'm sure some of you are experts on things that I am yet unaware of.
I was also wondering what version of Linux you guys would recommend for someone new to Linux. I plan to install it on a MacBook as a secondary OS rather than virtualizing.
I hope nobody takes this as a "how to hack?" post because that is not what is intended. I know sometimes there is a fine line, but I honestly want to learn how to use these tools for security purposes. Since I go to an online school, I do not have access to a computer security lab to practice some of the exercises in our text book, so I was going to start messing with stuff on my own home network for practice.

I was also wondering what version of Linux you guys would recommend for someone new to Linux. I plan to install it on a MacBook as a secondary OS rather than virtualizing.
I hope nobody takes this as a "how to hack?" post because that is not what is intended. I know sometimes there is a fine line, but I honestly want to learn how to use these tools for security purposes. Since I go to an online school, I do not have access to a computer security lab to practice some of the exercises in our text book, so I was going to start messing with stuff on my own home network for practice.
Comment