Top 10 hacking Operating systems and their Features for ethical hacking, penetration testing, and security research.

Overview

This repository contains top 10 hacking Operating System for setting up a penetration testing home lab. The lab is designed for security enthusiasts and professionals to practice and enhance their skills in a controlled environment.

Description.

Hacking Operating System refers to the specialized operating system designed for penetration testing, ethical hacking, and network security assessments. And Kali Linux is a popular operating system widely used by ethical hackers and penetration testers. It is a Debian-based Linux distribution that comes pre-installed with numerous security tools for various tasks such as information gathering, network analysis, penetration testing, vulnerability assessment and forensic analysis. Examples of pre-installed include Metasploit, Wireshark, Nmap, and Burp Suite.

Requirements

Hardware

• Powerful computer with sufficient resources (CPU, RAM, Storage)
• Network Interface Cards (NICs)
• Ample storage, preferably SSD

Virtualization Software

• Hypervisor: VMware, VirtualBox, or KVM

Operating Systems

• Kali Linux, parrostSec, etc (penetration testing distribution)
• Metasploitable, web for pentester, etc (vulnerable VM)
• Windows Server/Desktop (for real-world scenarios)

Networking

• Router for network segmentation
• Managed switch for VLANs
• Firewall for traffic control

Wireless Network

• Wireless router/access point for testing wireless security

Lab Topology Design

• Segmentation into different network segments (DMZ, internal network, etc.)
• Isolation from the production network

Security Tools

• Vulnerability Scanner: OpenVAS, Nessus
• Exploitation Frameworks: Metasploit, others
• Packet Sniffers: Wireshark
• IDS/IPS for monitoring

Logging and Monitoring

• Syslog server for log collection
• SIEM solution for log analysis

Lab Topology(

Setup Instructions

1. Hardware Setup: Ensure your computer meets the hardware requirements.
2. Virtualization Software: Install and configure the chosen hypervisor.
3. Operating Systems: Install Kali Linux, Metasploitable, and Windows systems.
4. Networking: Set up router, switch, and firewall for network segmentation.
5. Wireless Network: Configure a separate wireless network for testing.
6. Security Tools: Install and configure vulnerability scanners, exploitation frameworks, etc.
7. Logging and Monitoring: Set up syslog server and SIEM solution.
8. Documentation: Document your lab topology and configurations.

Legal Disclaimer

This is for education purpose. You need to make sure you have the appropriate permissions and comply with laws and regulations before conducting any penetration testing.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.