I utilize Kali Linux for my penetration testing projects, where I leverage various tools like Austin Tools to gather additional information and for ethical hacking purposes. Since my primary operating system is Windows 11, I run Kali Linux in a virtualized environment using tools like VirtualBox.
Kali Linux
KaliExternal reviews
13 reviews
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Broken
Does not work. I cannot connect to this instance via SSH. It must be set up incorrectly. Please don't use this Kali instance as it's broken and will not work.
Ensures a robust suite of penetration testing tools, extensive community support and customizable features for cybersecurity professionals
What is our primary use case?
How has it helped my organization?
The pre-installed tools on Kali Linux are incredibly useful, particularly for gathering information. When we first open the manual or explore the resources, we find a plethora of tools available for information gathering. These tools are indispensable for anyone using Kali Linux, as they provide essential functionality right from the beginning, especially in the realm of information gathering.
Linux offers customizable features that significantly enhance our workflow and testing processes. Its extensive customizability makes it easy to tailor to our specific needs.
What is most valuable?
Kali Linux provides me with a wide array of tools such as SQLMap, Nmap, and Hydra, which I explore to enhance my understanding of security concepts. Overall, Kali Linux offers a diverse toolkit for various security tasks.
The tools available in Kali Linux are incredibly effective for conducting security assessments. One tool I particularly favor is the Managed Tool, which I've been using for information gathering for about two years, especially for extracting hidden information from WhatsApp. Additionally, for SQL injection, I rely on SQLMap, and for conducting scans and reviews, I rely on VWNX.
What needs improvement?
The installation process of Kali Linux can be slow, particularly when installing and upgrading packages within virtualized environments. This sluggishness may be due to various factors, including the source of the download and any potential issues with the operating system.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using it for two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It's generally stable, especially when used for virtualization, which is how I primarily utilize it. I would rate it eight out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It provides good scalability capabilities. I would rate it nine out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support for Kali Linux is quite reliable, primarily due to the active community engagement on forums. Additionally, the documentation available on the website is accurate and well-structured, providing clear guidance and support.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup can be challenging sometimes. I would rate it eight out of ten.
What about the implementation team?
Deployment typically takes around ten minutes.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I use it free of charge.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend delving deeper into the functionality of the installation tools, particularly focusing on the favorite tools available on Linux. This includes tools beneficial for networking testing and other functionalities I've observed to be valuable. It seems worthwhile to invest time in studying the various tools offered by Kali Linux. Overall, I would rate it nine out of ten.
Unleashing Power: A Review of Kali Linux
Kali Linux stands out as a robust penetration testing and security auditing platform. Its comprehensive toolkit and user-friendly interface make it invaluable for professionals in cybersecurity.
USER 'KALI' TO LOGIN VIA SSH
A number of previous ratings indicated that ssh login is a problem. Make sure you use the "kali" user for your ssh login.
Has good web security and troubleshooting features
What is our primary use case?
We use different features in Kali Linux that are offered unlimited in the free version.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features are the web security and troubleshooting features. It also has a good price.
What needs improvement?
I would like for them to offer more features for the free version in order for users to test them in their internal environment before purchasing.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Kali Linux for the last three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is a stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is a scalable solution. Nine users are using it in our company.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is easy. Understanding Linux is essential before beginning the setup process. You should have a basic understanding because it's very different than the Windows deployment installation.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The licensing fee is expensive compared to other products.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, I would rate the solution an eight out of ten.
I have had to uninstall and reinstall this 2 times now.
Kali has given the most issues since I have used it. I tried to install this 2 times and both times it has been very slow on usage so I terminated the instance 2 times now and trying to install a third time.
Scans and analyzes existing security tools
What is most valuable?
Kali Linux has recently implemented a new tool that scans and analyzes existing security tools. This handles loop detection, support tools, and other functionalities, effectively streamlining system optimization.
Additionally, it now includes comprehensive migration analytics and reporting capabilities.
What needs improvement?
Unfortunately, my current tool runs on Windows 10, and its use is restricted to enterprise versions. Integrating this tool or similar functionalities into Kali Linux for non-enterprise users would be incredibly valuable.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Kali Linux for eight months. We are using the V3.4 of the solution.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The product is stable.
I rate the solution’s stability a nine out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I am using the solution.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is easy. You will use any solution if you learn how to load in general. It takes five to ten minutes to deploy the solution.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The product is free of cost.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.
Brings business to our organization because the reports are shown to the client once we do the testing
What is our primary use case?
We use it for security testing and penetration testing for vulnerability assessment.
How has it helped my organization?
Kali Linux brings business to our organization because the reports are shown to the client once we do the testing. We start putting recommendations, consultation fees, and so on.
What is most valuable?
The solution has documentation availability, resources, and expertise. It is public everywhere. It also has high scalability and high performance.
What needs improvement?
The solution’s interface could be more user-friendly. Also, it has a limited number of applications.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Kali Linux for more than ten years. We are using the latest version of the solution.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The product is stable.
I rate the solution’s stability a ten out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Forty users use this solution. We can increase the number of users easily because of professional licenses. It's designed for complex companies. We can increase the number of users as much as we need.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We tried Ubuntu, but it is not as good as Kali Linux for security testing.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is very straightforward and takes two hours to complete. For deployment, we need hardware with suitable specs.
What about the implementation team?
Deployment was done in-house.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The product is free.
What other advice do I have?
We need two people for the solution’s maintenance, one for the environment and another for installation.
Overall, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Useful for open-source intelligence and identifying vulnerabilities
What is our primary use case?
We use the product for open-source intelligence and identifying vulnerabilities.
How has it helped my organization?
Kali Linux helps me with security assessments.
What needs improvement?
The product should integrate AI and GPT capabilities.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate the product's stability an eight out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I rate Kali Linux's scalability a seven out of ten. I alone use the solution in my company.
How are customer service and support?
The product has many communities which makes support easy.
How was the initial setup?
I rate the product's deployment a nine out of ten. You need to have programming skills to do customization. Deployment can be completed in half an hour. I google for answers whenever I am stuck.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Kali Linux is open source.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Kali Linux a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Unable to connect via SSH
I am unable to connect to the image (Kali Linux 2023.4) via SSH (I tried several users like root, ec2-user and kali). Firewall inbound rules are enabled to all protocols and hosts and the .pem file permission is restricted to 0600. I nevertheless cannot log in to SSH, neither through openssh nor through the web administration in AWS. I tried logging in via IP and DNS, yet nothing helped, not even assigning an Elastic IP. I kept getting an error when connecting via SSH:
Permission denied (publickey)
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