Kali Linux: 15 Things to Know before Using It
Kali Linux: 15 Things to Know before you go for using It.
{ "penetration testing, ethical hacking, Kali Linux" }
If you ever searched about hacking or penetration testing, you might have seen the word, Kali Linux. Kali Linux is one of the most used, and efficient, tools in a hacker's inventory. It’s a specialized Linux distribution whose sole purpose is penetration testing, Ethical Hacking, and network security assessments.
When it was released, it was made for only professionals, and who are already in the security industry. However, with the expansion of the internet, people started getting every kind of information at their fingertips, and the news of Kali Linux spread at a rapid speed
Things to know before starting Kali
This distribution was started getting available on most tech websites when the internet was available almost everywhere, and the Rockies were started downloading and installing it as the primary and secondary operating system. But, doing this is fatal, and its user might have to pay a big amount of penalty if he doesn’t know these 15 things before using the Kali Linux.
1. Kali Linux Is for Professionals
It’s made for professionals who knows how to deal with terminals, bridges, and library properly. If you are a novice, and just wanting to move around a Linux environment then you should consider Ubuntu as your system’s secondary or primary operating system. Learn the basics of the terminal, and other Linux based stuff form there. When you get the confidence of handling that all core modules, and want to get into the testing side then you should shift to Kali Linux. But, before that, it’s strictly prohibited.
2. It’s Penetrable
Kali Linux is not a safe environment. Anyone with poor handling capabilities can be hacked by any other pro users because Kali has the various opensource tools what can be crossly scripted, and can be cloned into your device with the code of attacker if you are not aware of what’s going in your system, and permission settings and terminal handling plays a vital role here.
3. Can Be Sued
The society is bound by law, and laws are made for making everyone’s life peacefull. But this law can ruin your peace if you start using Kali Linux without knowing its modules properly. It’s each and every module is specialized in penetration and hacking.
Think, if you were unintentionally checking all the apps as a new user but somehow a script ran in the process, and an attacked placed with that with a successful outcome but if you had no kinda permission on running that attack on that particular device, what would happen? If the user of that particular device wanted then s/he could sue you in the court. So, be careful while using any module, and it’s better to start by reading manuals of that particular software.
4. Specialized Library and Software
In the sue section, you heard what a penetrating software can do. Think there are thousands of them out there in their library. What can do all those things together, and if you aren’t specialized enough then what can come out as a result? You will have to master its architecture and library handling part.
So, start with a less complicated and easy. You can choose Mint or Ubuntu. These are quite popular and kind of similar to windows and mac. So, complexity will be less, and you will get better user experience and can master this part efficiently.
5. Playing As a Dumb
Social media is right now the best place to know about new tools and modules. Somehow, you hear about a tool/ module which can accomplish the task of your desire, and without researching about that, you boot the Kali Linux on the system and installed the desired module, but that desired module has a bug inside that in its latest update, and you updated the module by clicking the poping notification.
In the meantime, that bug was exploited with another module by another user. Think about what can it do. The exploiter saw you connected to that app’s/ module’s internal network, and through cross-scripting, that attacker can take control of your device and can do whatever he desires. So, if you want to play as a dumb, then stay away from Kali Linux.
6. Storing Personal Info in Kali’s Drive Is FATAL
You heard the line several times that Kali Linux is exploitable/ penetrable. So, if you store your personal information, password, photos, and other important documents, then you should rethink twice. These documents might get stolen, and you can fall into awkward situations. So, store your documents in portable drives if you are going to make the Kali Linux your primary operating system.
7. Is It Needed
Why are you installing Kali in your system? Is it really needed for your desired work or installing it to satisfy your dopamine. Know your intentions first. Don’t go there where you won’t get any long term profits.
If you want free os then you can choose any other distribution; if you want free office then you can install libra in your windows or mac without any hassle. You can learn every kind of command line terms even in window’s cmd, or mac’s terminal. Just you have to install a few software for bash command support. Know what do you want first, and then take action accordingly. Don’t rush into anything. Be patient, and be the real deal.
8. Can You Handle the Pressure
Kali Linux isn’t a child game. You might have to handle multiple modules, and terminal together. Do you have that capability? Or can you stay calm under pressure, and continue taking the right decision at the right time?
When you are testing a system or penetrating, you have to pass multiple layers of security and firewall. Making a slight mistake can crash the system or reveal your identity. You have to consider all these terms before getting into it, and if you are okay with all these things and capable of taking risks then welcome to our community. You are going to be next V. Otherwise, stay away.
9. Have the Strength of Thinking
Complicated thoughts are often taken place when anyone enters into Kali Linux environment. For testing any software or security system, that particular person has to think critically, almost like an attacker from the other end. If brainstorming makes you sick, or you hate to think much, and love to rome around seeing the beauty of the operating system then you should through the thought of using Kali Linux from your mind because if you won’t get much of a thing out of this, but can fall into danger.
10. Are You a Kid?
Are you under-aged or matured enough? We are seeing kids doing penetration testing on youtube or in competitions, and that’s good news. But the majority of under-aged students/ users don’t have that kind of maturity or critical thinking power or experience.
So, when a kid goes into Kali Environment and writes few commands, s/he might break one/ two-layer but when they found out that they don’t know anything that can be applied, then he tries to return but stuck into the system. Because the firewall is attacking back for removing your sign from their system, and in this process, your system gets cracked & you will suffer a major penalty in last.
11. Don’t Take Challenges
You are young blood, and love to showoff. But in the process of a showoff, you might take a challenge from any of your fellow mates for proving your superiority. So, you start with installing the Kali Linux in your system, and without researching any website or app or its legal prospectus, you jump into the penetration process. But after breaking into several layers, you get stuck, and the app developers will identify your identity. They will sue you, and you might get jailed.
12. Don’t Have a Clue About Network Bridging
If you don’t know about this term then you aren’t worthy of using Kali Linux. Because you will have to stay connected in a different network and will have to penetrate them if the owner wants. But this network bridging can be fatal for you too.
Suppose, there are only walls in your house if you aren’t connected to any network. When you make a connection or join one, you are setting up a door in that wall. So, it’ll be easy for others to break into your home by only breaking the lock (firewall) of your door than breaking the whole wall.
13. Stealing or Helping
Probably this is the last time, we are mentioning about law, and legal issues with this distribution. If you penetrate a system in the request of its owner for checking security issues then you will be considered as a helper aka professional penetration tester.
But if you break into anyone’s network with the help of Kali Linux’s module without anyone’s permission, you will be considered as a thief aka hacker. So, know what you are before doing it, and do those things in proper ways.
14. You Can’t Play Games Here
If you are fond of games and want to play games in this distribution then I should tell you that this distribution won’t help you with that. Developers don’t make games for these distributions, and the chance of getting games for it is too low indeed. So, gamers ignore this operating system.
15. State’s Approval
In a few certain areas or states, the government banned this distribution. So, check carefully about the eligible areas, and network, and find out are you in the eligible area or not? If you are then role the disk, otherwise, don’t dare to touch it.
Final Insight
Kali Linux is useful, and it’s necessary. If you can follow these 15 points, and try to practice penetration according to law then you have a bright future. Good luck, and stay humble to everyone, and even to your system.
Our team has gone through intense research. Hopefully, we have provided you the essentials you were looking for from these directions. Let us know your thoughts in the comment section.
