Why Hackers Use Linux
So why do hackers use Linux over other operating systems? Mostly because Linux offers a far higher level of control via a few different methods.
Linux Is Open Source
Unlike Windows, Linux is open source, meaning that the source code of the operating system is available to you. As such, you can change and manipulate it as you please. If you are trying to make a system operate in ways it was not intended to, being able to manipulate the source code is essential.
Linux Is Transparent
To hack effectively, you must know and understand your operating systemand, to a large extent, the operating system you are attacking. Linux is totally
transparent, meaning we can see and manipulate all its working parts. Not so with Windows. Microsoft tries hard to make it as difficult as possible to know the inner workings of its operating systems, so you never really know what’s going on “under the hood,” whereas in Linux, you have a spotlight shining directly on each and every component of the operating system. This makes working with Linux more effective.
Linux Offers Granular Control
Linux is granular. That means that you have an almost infinite amount of control over the system. In Windows, you can control only what Microsoft allows you to control. In Linux, everything can be controlled by the terminal, at the most miniscule level or 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 percent of all hacking tools are written for Linux. There are exceptions, of course, such as Cain and Abel and Wikto, but those exceptions prove the rule. Even when hacking tools such as Metasploit or nmap are ported for Windows, not all the capabilities transfer from Linux.
The Future Belongs to Linux/Unix
This might seem like a radical statement, but I firmly believe that the future of information technology belongs to Linux and Unix systems. Microsoft had its day in the 1980s and 1990s, but its growth is slowing and stagnating. Since the internet began, Linux/Unix has been the operating system of choice for web servers due to its stability, reliability, and robustness. Even today, Linux/Unix is used in two-thirds of web servers and dominates the market. Embedded systems in routers, switches, and other devices almost always use a Linux kernel, and the world of virtualization is dominated by Linux, with both VMware and Citrix built on the Linux kernel.
Over 80 percent of mobile devices run Unix or Linux (iOS is Unix, and Android is Linux), so if you believe that the future of computing lies in mobile devices such as tablets and phones, then the future is Unix/Linux. Microsoft Windows has just 7 percent of the mobile devices market. Is that the wagon you want to be hitched to?
