Top 21 Ethical Hacking Tools To Look For In 2021

INTRODUCTION

We live in a digital age, where we spend more hours on the internet than we do even with our close ones. Most of our daily work is done on the internet – from shopping for groceries to online bank transactions and we store our confidential and private data on the internet. As our dependency on internet-based services is increasing, so is the rate of cyberattacks. India is ranked 3rd out of the top 10 most targeted countries by cyber attackers.

Companies are focusing on improving their cybersecurity measures to protect their important data and network, now more than ever. Cyber Security experts perform ethical hacking to ensure safety from cyber threats. They do this by using ethical hacking tools that allow them to identify loopholes and deal with them accordingly. 

Table of Contents

• What Is Ethical Hacking?
• What Is The Best Operating System For Ethical Hacking?

1. Netsparker
2. SaferVPN
3. Acunetix
4. Burp Suite
5. Ettercap
6. Aircrack
7. Angry IP Scanner
8. GFI LanGuard
9. Savvius
10. WebInspect
11. QualysGuard
12. Hashcat
13. Rainbow Crack
14. L0phtCrack
15. IKECrack
16. Nmap
17. Metasploit Framework
18. SQLMap
19. Medusa
20. Cain & Abel
21. Nessus

This article explores the top ethical hacking tools to look for in 2021. But first, let us understand what ethical hacking means.

1. WHAT IS ETHICAL HACKING?

Ethical hacking is also known as Penetration Testing. In ethical hacking, Cyber Security experts penetrate or probe into systems or networks to identify threats, vulnerabilities in them that malicious attackers may find to exploit crucial data. This will lead to loss of data and even financial losses at times. Ethical hacking aims to ensure and improve the networks and systems by fixing vulnerabilities discovered during testing.

Ethical hackers use the same methods and hacking devices used by cyber attackers but with the organization’s authorization to improve the security and defend the networks from cyber threats. Ethical hackers submit a report of all the vulnerabilities and weaknesses discovered during testing to the organization’s management.

Now, as we have understood the concept of ethical hacking, the next thing is to know about ethical hackers’ favorite operating systems.

2. WHAT IS THE BEST OPERATING SYSTEM FOR ETHICAL HACKING?

Practically all Cyber Security Specialists operate on Linux kernels. However, a security-centered operating system is an ethical hacker’s closest companion. Kali Linux, BackBox, Parrot Security OS, and Live Hacking OS are a few of the favorite operating systems of ethical hackers.

Now let’s dive into the list of the top ethical hacking tools to look for in 2021.

Ethical hacking tools are computer programs and scripts that assist ethical hackers in finding and exploiting vulnerabilities in systems, web applications, and networks of an organization. There is an assortment of such hacking devices accessible in the market. Let’s take a detailed look at them. 

1. Netsparker

Netsparker is one of the easy-to-use website hacking tools, capable of automatically finding SQL Injection, XSS, and other vulnerabilities in any web service.

Features of Netsparker include-

• Precise vulnerability discovery with the one of a kind Proof-Based Scanning Technology Minimal setup required
• Scanner naturally identifies URL revamp rules, custom 404 error pages
• REST API for consistent combination with the SDLC, bug global positioning frameworks, and so on.
• Completely flexible solution. Output 1,000 web applications in only 24 hours

Amongst all the ethical hacking tools, Netspark is mainly popular for testing the security of websites. 

2. SaferVPN

SaferVPN is one of the indispensable ethical hacking tools. It can check targets in different geographies, simulate non-personalized browsing behavior, and anonymize file transfers, amongst others.

Features of SaferVPN

• No-Log VPN with high security
• The rapid speed with 2000+ workers across landmasses
• Supports Windows, Mac, Android, Linux & iPhone

Ethical hacking tools like SaferVPN are popular while trying to test software or networks that are spread globally. 

3. Acunetix

Acunetix is one of the completely automated ethical hacking tools that imitate a hacker to get the upper hand over malicious intruders. The website hacking tools precisely checks HTML5, JavaScript, and Single-page applications. It can review intricate, verified web apps and organization’s management reports and provide details regarding their weaknesses.

Features of Acunetix

• Scans all variations of SQL Injection, XSS, and 4500+ extra weaknesses
• Identifies more than 1200 WordPress core, topic, and module weaknesses
• Quick and Scalable – slithers a huge number of pages without interferences
• Accessible On-Premises and as a Cloud solution
• Coordinates with mainstream WAFs and Issue Trackers to help in the SDLC

Acunetix among all the Ethical hacking tools is popular owing to its layered analysis of the network and sweeping for deeper threats. 

4. Burp Suite

Burp Suite is one of the most useful website hacking tools for conducting Security Testing of web applications. It has various ethical hacking tools inbuilt that work seamlessly together to support the entire penetration testing process. It ranges from initial mapping to analysis of an application’s weakness.

Features of Burp Suite

• A simple to utilize Login Sequence Recorder permits the programmed filtering
• Survey weakness information with built-in vulnerability management
• Automate scan and filter
• Effectively give a wide assortment of specialized and consistent reports
• Identifies critical vulnerabilities with 100% accuracy

Burp Suite is another among the many popular ethical hacking tools used to test the security of websites and its relevant components.

5. Ettercap

Ettercap is one of the promising ethical hacking tools used for hacking that supports active and passive dissection features for network security analysis.

Features of Ettercap

• Ettercap is fit for sniffing an SSH association in full-duplex
• Permits sniffing of HTTP SSL, which makes sure about information in any event, when the connection is made utilizing proxy

6. Aircrack

Aircrack is one of the best and trustable ethical hacking tools in the market. It detects vulnerable wireless connections and is powered by WEP WPA and WPA 2 encryption Keys.

Features of Aircrack

• Support a wide range of OS
• Aid for WEP word reference attack
• Subsidy for Fragmentation attack
• Advanced tracking pace

Aircrack as an ethical hacking tool is popular for network security testing. 

7. Angry IP Scanner

Angry IP Scanner is one of the open-source and cross-platform ethical hacking tools used for security checking purposes. It examines IP addresses and ports.

Features of Angry IP Scanner

• Examines local networks
• A free and open-source ethical hacking tool
• Exports reports into many formats
• Supports Windows, Mac, and Linux

8. GFI LanGuard

GFI LanGuard is one of the best website hacking tools that examines networks for vulnerabilities. This Ethical Hacking tool acts as a ‘virtual security consultant’ on request. It enables devising an asset record of every device.

Features of GFI LanGuard

• It helps in managing a secure network over time to identify which changes are affecting the network
• Repair vulnerabilities before an attack
• Scan network centrally
• Detect security threats early

9. Savvius

Savvius is one of the best ethical hacking tools made available in the market. Its function is to reduce security threats with the profound clarity powered by Omnipeek. It can detect network issues faster with Savvius packet intelligence.

Feature of Savvius

• Easy-to-use cyber forensics software
• Automatically captures network data required to investigate security warnings instantly
• Prompt resolution of network and security issues

10. WebInspect

WebInspect is one of the best automated dynamic ethical hacking tools. It offers a comprehensive active scanning of complex web applications and services.

Features of WebInspect

• Enables testing of the dynamic behavior of running web applications to detect network vulnerabilities
• Utilizes advanced technologies
• Easily inform management of vulnerability reports.

11. QualysGuard

QualysGuard is one of the globally trusted ethical hacking tools. It enables organizations to streamline their network security and compliance services. It is capable of checking the performance vulnerability of online cloud solutions.

Features of QualysGuard

• No hardware required
• Offers an end-to-end solution for various aspects of IT security
• Data scanned in real-time
• Responds to threats in a real-time

12. Hashcat

Hashcat is one of the robust ethical hacking tools with password cracking capabilities. It enables users to recover lost passwords and audit password security.

Features of Hashcat

• Supports multiple platforms
• Supports using multiple devices in the same system
• Allows distributed cracking networks
• Integrated thermal watchdog

Hashchat as an ethical hacking tool is popular for being able to recover and restore passwords for accounts allowing the work to continue freely and detect the loophole. 

13. Rainbow Crack

Rainbow Crack is another widely used password-cracking website ethical hacking tool. Its rainbow tables are capable of cracking the hash and for this purpose, it uses the time-memory tradeoff algorithm.

Features of Rainbow Crack

• Full time-memory tradeoff tool suites
• Support rainbow table in (.rt) format & compact file format
• Supports Windows OS and Linux
• Allows computation on a multi-core processor

14. L0phtCrack

L0phtCrack is one of the most useful password auditing and ethical hacking tools. It recognizes and evaluates password vulnerability over local systems and networks.

Features of L0phtCrack

• Supports multi-core & multi-GPU aid in optimizing hardware
• Easy to customize
• Simple password loading
• Scheduled specified tasks for automated organization-wide password
• Fix passwords vulnerabilities by forcing password resets or locking accounts

15. IKECrack

IKECrack is one of the open-source authentication cracking and ethical hacking tools. It is designed for brute-force attacks and allows the implementation of cryptography tests for better results.

Features of IKECrack

• Sends encryption options proposal for the clients, DH public key, unique number, and an ID in an unencrypted packet to the gateway/responder
• Freely accessible for both individual and business use
• An ideal choice for clients who needs a possibility for Cryptography tasks

16. Nmap

Nmap is one of the most popular ethical hacking tools on Kali Linux for information collection. It gathers insights about the host, its IP address, OS detection, and other network security details.

Features of Nmap

• Spots unauthorized devices connected to the network
• Has 171 new scripts and 20 libraries
• Faster network security scanning
• Advanced TLS/SSL Scanning

17. Metasploit Framework

Metasploit Framework is among the most used ethical hacking tools for penetration testing framework. It provides two editions – open source and pro version. This tool enables the user to check vulnerabilities, the test identified exploits, and conduct a complete security evaluation.

Features of Metasploit Framework

• Supports Windows and Linux OS
• Allows vulnerability management of systems
• Offers 8 modules

Metasploit Framework is among the most widely popular ethical hacking tools as it helps to obtain the evaluation of the entire system as well as the network. 

18. SQLMap

SQLMap has an automated process of detecting and exploiting SQL Injection vulnerabilities. It is open-source & cross-platform and supports database engines like MySQL, Oracle, Firebird, Sybase, and SAP MaxDB, to name a few.

Features of SQLMap

• Allows direct connection with the database without crossing via a SQL injection
• Automatic identification of password hash formats
• Allows cracking password hash formats using a dictionary-based attack

SQLMap is amongst the most popular ethical hacking tools for being open source and easily accessible. 

19. Medusa

Medusa is one of the popular online brute-force and parallel password-cracking ethical hacking tools. Its hacking devices allow remote authentication by supporting many services. 

Features of Medusa

• Powered with thread-based parallel testing
• Capable of performing brute-force testing against multiple hosts, users or passwords simultaneously
• Supports multiple protocols

20. Cain & Abel

Cain & Able is one of the best ethical hacking tools used for password recovery for Microsoft Windows. It detects vulnerabilities in the security system and fixes dangerous attacks on computers. Generally, it is integrated with other tools which makes it extremely versatile in its functionality.

Features of Cabin & Abel

• Free password recovery tool that supports Microsoft Windows
• Capable of capturing an interface that is not in presently existing
• Host centric functionalities
• Advanced troubleshoot for network issues

Amongst the many ethical hacking tools available Cain & Abel stand apart for its capability to work easily and effortlessly with Microsoft windows.  

21. Nessus

Nessus is one of the many ethical hacking tools used for vulnerability evaluations and penetration testing operations. The tool has two versions, a free version for non-business users and a paid version for enterprise use. It offers multiple services, from Web application scanning to mobile device scanning, cloud ecosystem scanning, and malware detection, amongst others.

Features of Nessus

• Can be installed on Linux
• Supports Windows OS
• Tracks issues as soon as vulnerabilities are detected
• Capable of automatic scanning for weakness and threats

Conclusion

Ethical hacking tools are programs and scripts that help ethical hackers in assessing weaknesses in systems and networks and fix exploits. The above-listed tools are the top 21 ethical hacking tools to look for in 2021.If you wish to become an ethical hacker and build a promising career in cybersecurity, check our Master Certificate In Cyber Security Course (Red Team)

Also Read

• Ethical Hacking: A Comprehensive Guide In 2020