Ethical hacking works the same way as any other craft: you need tools to perform most tasks. For that reason, hackers choose a specific OS to do their job. There are plenty of alternatives online, and most stick to only a handful of them. So, do hackers use Kali Linux?

Hackers use Kali Linux. In fact, that distribution is the go-to choice for most people involved in ethical hacking and other areas. Most choose to install Kali Linux because it comes full of features and is free to use. However, this OS is only for advanced Linux users alone, not beginners.

Most people associate hacking with Kali Linux, though it’s far from the only hacking-specific OS on the market. You can find other alternatives (and we’ll tell you about them below). However, it’s a good idea to understand why hackers choose Kali Linux first.

Why Do Hackers Choose Kali Linux?

Hackers prefer Kali Linux because it’s the go-to distro for hacking: it comes full of hacking tools out of the box. It’s also free to use, making it an attractive alternative for those who want to dip their toes into ethical hacking (though that’s not reason enough for beginners to use Kali Linux).

At the same time, Kali Linux offers many features but asks for barebones requirements: most computers can run this distro without trouble since it has low-end system requirements.

However, that doesn’t mean you should rely on old computers to do the job, as you’ll need to use a lot of computational power to perform certain attacks.

You’ll find the 8 reasons why hackers use Kali Linux down below.

Reasons Why Hackers Use Kali Linux

1. Kali Linux Is Easy To Install

Installing Kali Linux is no difficult feat. Even beginner Linux users can do so with little trouble. You can also boot it from your USB drive with no problem at all (and as you’ll soon see, you can do so on almost every computer you’ll encounter).

If you want to install this distro for the first time, you can do so using a virtual machine, though that would make it difficult for certain features to work. For that reason, we recommend installing this OS on an old computer you no longer use and can play around with.

2. Using Kali Linux Protects Your Privacy

This OS leaves no trails when you install or uninstall it. At the same time, it hides your IP address when you use it.

It also disables certain services that help threat actors penetrate your network, making it an ideal tool for hackers who access hostile environments (we’ll talk more about that below).

Hackers know how much damage you can do if you’re not careful enough. Kali Linux helps you protect those blindspots other OS don’t.

3. You Can Download Kali Linux Free of Charge

How much does it cost to download Kali Linux? Nothing at all! In fact, you can visit Kali’s website right now and download their OS as many times as you want (though one time would be enough).

There’s no fee for downloading, installing, or using Kali Linux. However, certain tools that come with this OS have premium versions, so you may have to pay to fully enjoy every piece of software that comes with Kali Linux.

4. Kali Linux Is Full of Features

Most hackers love Kali Linux because it comes with plenty of hacking tools out of the box. You need to install nothing but this distro to perform a penetration test. Of course, you can add more tools to that toolbox (if you know how to do it).

However, you’ll hardly feel the need to add anything to Kali Linux. It comes with everything an ethical hacker needs.

Best tools included in Kali Linux:

• Burp Suite. One of the best tools to scan for website vulnerabilities. You can use Burp Suite to find issues like where to employ an XSS attack. Unfortunately, you have to pay to get everything this tool offers, though its free version isn’t anything to disregard.
• Metasploit Framework. The go-to tool for penetration testing frameworks. Most hackers use it to scan local networks for vulnerabilities. Combine it with Armitage to have a nicer GUI and a complete tool.
• Nmap. Almost every cybersecurity analyst uses this tool. It helps hackers scan networks to find OS, open ports, and a few more things that will allow you to access a system. It’s a must-have during the recon phase of penetration testing.

5. Installing Kali Linux Requires Low-end Hardware

Kali Linux is a powerful hacking distribution, though it requires low-end hardware. You need a lot of RAM and hard drive space to install an OS nowadays – but that’s not the case for this distro.

For example, Windows 11 requires 4GB RAM and 64GB disk space; Kali Linux requires 1GB RAM and 20GB disk space.

What’s the best part about Kali Linux’s low-end approach? You only need to have it on a USB drive to boot it, and it comes full of features when you do so.

In other words, you could always have an incredibly portable hacking lab in your pocket.

6. Kali Linux Is Great for Your Cybersecurity

Did you know Kali Linux helps you protect your data the second you install it? It disables potentially-dangerous stuff like Bluetooth out of the box, meaning you’ll have to enable (and, hopefully, later disable) certain perks that stay on when you use other distros.

It is no surprise that developers went out of their way to prevent threat actors from exploiting certain vulnerabilities when installing Kali Linux. Since you’ll use this distro to perform penetration testing, you may connect your device to hostile networks.

For that reason, most network services are disabled by default, though you can override that by writing a few simple commands.

7. No Legal Trouble Using Kali Linux

Hacking has a bad connotation. A hacker is someone who breaks the law – or, at least, that’s the way it sounds to most people. Fortunately, we know better than that! You can download Kali Linux on your computer or keep it on a USB drive and face no legal trouble for doing so.

There’s a small caveat. Downloading Kali Linux isn’t illegal. Using it to perform ethical hacking tasks isn’t illegal either. However, that doesn’t mean using Kali Linux will save you from the police if you perform black hat hacking.

Always use this distro for ethical hacking if you want to stay away from legal trouble.

8. Most Hackers Use Kali Linux

Calling Kali Linux a widespread OS would be an understatement. Countless hackers have used it in the past, and plenty of them do so in the present. It’d be silly to deny the staying power of this distro – that’s been around since 2013.

It’s difficult for a piece of software to lose popularity once it gains momentum. You’ll find countless blogs, Reddit posts, and more talking about Kali Linux.

If you ask someone in cybersecurity about the best hacking distro, there’s a high chance Kali Linux will be in the top three. However, that doesn’t mean you must install this distro if you want to become a hacker.

Is Kali Linux Necessary for Hacking?

You don’t need to install Kali Linux if you want to become an ethical hacker or perform penetration testing. You can use other distributions to do the same thing, though most people start with this one.

We’ve stated why most people use this distro, but that doesn’t mean we’re trying to convince you to download it. You can choose to do ethical hacking in some other way (e.g., dedicate your efforts to social engineering or phishing – but always do so ethically!)

At the same time, you’ll find more than a few Kali Linux alternatives online. Other hacking distros include BlackArch, BlackBox, Parrot OS, and many more.

Kali Linux Disadvantages

• Beginner-unfriendly. This distro isn’t for you if you’re starting out with ethical hacking. In fact, you should stay away from using Kali Linux if you don’t know how to use Linux perfectly well. We’re talking about an advanced distro that could easily break if you start playing around without knowing what you’re doing. Some experienced Linux users have trouble using Kali Linux, so you can expect beginners not to know what to do with it.
• Difficult to complement. Kali Linux comes full of features you can use for penetration testing. However, that doesn’t mean it has every tool you can find online. It also has a few things that are not related to hacking. For that reason, Kali Linux shouldn’t be your main distro. For example, you can’t install Steam on it, which is probably a deal breaker if you’re into gaming.
• Not entirely open source. Kali Linux is open source – but not wide open source. That means certain parts are licensed (e.g., a few tools you’ll find pre-installed). An open-source commitment is important within the Linux community, and if that sounds like you, you may want to look for an alternative.

Conclusion

Most hackers use Kali Linux because it’s easy to install, comes full of features, and is free of charge. At the same time, this distro is widespread enough that even beginner Linux users will stumble upon it, though that doesn’t mean they should use it. There are alternatives for those interested in ethical hacking but not in Kali Linux.