Monday, August 10, 2015

Why Linux is Important for Hackers

Linux Is Open Source

Linux is open source and free available as compared to windows operating system which is available paid. It means that the source code of the operating system is open source and is available for us. As such, we can change and manipulate it as we please. If you are trying to make a system operate in ways it was not intended, being able to manipulate the source code is essential.

Just think of it, linux provides you the full source of the kernel and could microsoft provides you the kernel source of windows for users to modify and use windows for hacking.



Linux Is Transparent

To hack effectively, you must know and understand your operating system and to a large extent, the operating system you are attacking. An operating system can also call to another operating system. Linux is totally transparent, meaning we can see and manipulate all its working parts.

Not so with Windows. User does not know the internal working of the windows operating system because Microsoft tries hard to make it as difficult or impossible to know the inner workings of their operating systems. As a result, when working with Windows you are working with “shadows” of what you think is going on under the hood, user cannot modify or alter the system files of the windows operating system, whereas in Linux you have a “spotlight” shining directly at each and every component of the operating system. This makes working with Linux more efficient and effective.

Linux Offers Granular Control

Linux is granular. That means that we have almost infinite amount of control over the system. In Windows, you only can control what Microsoft allows you to control. In Linux, everything can be controlled by the terminal in the most miniscule to the most macro level. In addition, Linux makes scripting in any of the scripting languages simple and effective.

Most Hacking Tools Are Written for Linux

Well over 90% of all hacking tools are written for Linux. Of course, there are exceptions like Cain and Abel and Havij, but those exceptions simply emphasize the rule. Even when hacking tools such as Metasploit or nmap are ported for Windows, not all the capabilities transfer from Linux. There are only few tools available for windows with less features that why user have to use linux for using these tools.

The Future Belongs to Linux/UNIX

From the beginning of the Internet, Linux/UNIX has been the operating system of choice for web servers for its stability, reliability and robustness. Even today, Linux/UNIX dominates the world of web servers with well over two-thirds of the market. Embedded systems in routers, switches and other devices are almost always using a Linux kernel and the world of virtualization is dominated by Linux with both VMWare and Citrix built on the Linux kernel.

If you believe that the future of computing lies in mobile devices such as tablets and phones (it would hard to argue otherwise), then over 80% of mobile devices are running UNIX or Linux (iOS is UNIX and Android is Linux). Microsoft Windows on mobile devices have just 7% of this market. Is that the wagon you want to be hitched to?

Hacking isn’t for the uninitiated. Hacking is an elite profession among the IT field. As such, it requires extensive and detailed understanding of IT concepts and technologies. At the most fundamental level, Linux is a requirement. 

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