John the Ripper (JtR) is a popular password-cracking tool. John supports many encryption technologies for Windows and Unix systems (Mac included). One remarkable feature of John is that it can autodetect the encryption for common formats. This will save you a lot of time in researching the hash formats and finding the correct tool…

Nikto is an open-source web server scanner that performs comprehensive tests against web servers for various security issues. Developed by Chris Sullo and David Lodge, Nikto is designed to identify potential vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and outdated software versions that could be exploited by attackers. It’s written in Perl and is available for Unix/Linux, Windows, and…

Kali Linux (formerly known as BackTrack Linux) is an open-source, Debian-based Linux distribution aimed at advanced Penetration Testing and Security Auditing. It does this by providing common tools, configurations, and automations which allows the user to focus on the task that needs to be completed, not the surrounding activity. Kali Linux contains industry specific modifications as well as several hundred tools targeted towards various…