Explore the key features of the Parrot Security OS and the range of cybersecurity tools available in it. Then take a quick look at how this OS compares with Kali Linux.
Developed by ParrotSec, Parrot Security OS is a powerful Debian-based open source operating system specifically designed for penetration testing, ethical hacking, digital forensics, and cybersecurity. Its key features are:
Lightweight
This OS is designed to be lightweight and less demanding on system resources. It utilises RAM and CPU efficiently and can run well in any system that has 2GB of RAM. Since the kernel of the OS is optimised it is suitable for older machines as well. Parrot Security uses a desktop environment called MATE, which is significantly lighter than other environments such as GNOME or KDE. The MATE platform balances aesthetics and performance well, and is user-friendly in nature.
Modular approach
Users can install just the tools they require with Parrot OS’s modular installation approach, ensuring the system is not burdened with extraneous software.
Pre-installed cybersecurity tools
This OS has various suites of tools that are vital for cybersecurity and can be used for penetration testing, ethical hacking, digital forensics, privacy, cryptography, etc.
Frequent updates
Updates in Parrot OS are incremental as it follows a rolling release model. Users get the latest features of the OS immediately and avoid the hassle of full system upgrade. Security vulnerabilities get patched quickly.
Cloud-friendly and optimised for virtualisation
The OS has been optimised to minimise resource usage in order to run effectively on cloud environments and virtual machines.
Cybersecurity tools in Parrot Security
Parrot Security OS is equipped with an extensive array of cybersecurity tools tailored for ethical hacking, penetration testing, digital forensics, and security research. It features a comprehensive selection of pre-installed tools organised into various categories addressing different facets of cybersecurity (Table 1).
| Tool name | Security category | Tool description |
| Metasploit Framework | Penetration testing | Widely used tool for penetration testing, exploit development, and vulnerability assessment. |
| Burp Suite | Web security testing | Powerful web security testing tool widely used by penetration testers, ethical hackers, and security researchers. |
| SQLmap | Database security | Open source automated SQL injection tool that helps penetration testers and ethical hackers detect and exploit SQL injection vulnerabilities in web applications. |
| Aircrack-ng | Wireless security | Powerful wireless security tool designed for Wi-Fi network penetration testing. It allows ethical hackers and security professionals to assess the security of wireless networks by capturing and cracking Wi-Fi encryption keys. |
| Autopsy | Digital forensics | Designed for investigating and analysing hard drives, memory dumps, and digital evidence. It provides a graphical user interface (GUI) for The Sleuth Kit (TSK), making it easier for forensics investigators to examine digital artifacts. |
| Volatility | Memory forensics | Volatility is an advanced memory forensics tool designed for analysing RAM dumps to investigate malware infections, cyberattacks, and forensics evidence. It is widely used by digital forensics experts and incident response teams to extract valuable information from volatile memory. |
| Wireshark | Network analysis | Wireshark is a powerful network protocol analyser widely used by cybersecurity professionals, network administrators, and penetration testers for packet analysis, network troubleshooting, and security auditing. It captures and inspects network traffic in real-time, helping identify security vulnerabilities and suspicious activities. |
| ExifTool | Metadata analysis | ExifTool is a powerful metadata analysis tool used for extracting, editing, and analysing metadata from various file formats. It is widely used by digital forensics experts, photographers, and cybersecurity professionals for investigating image authenticity, document metadata, and hidden data within files. |
| John the Ripper | Password cracking | This password cracking tool is widely used by ethical hackers, penetration testers, and cybersecurity professionals for testing password strength and recovering lost passwords. It supports multiple attack techniques, including brute-force, dictionary, and rainbow table attacks. |
| Hashcat | Password cracking | This advanced password recovery and cracking tool is known for its high-speed performance and GPU acceleration. It is widely used by ethical hackers, penetration testers and forensics investigators to test password strength and recover lost credentials. |
| GPG (GNU Privacy Guard) | Cryptography | This open source encryption and cryptographic tool is used for secure communication, data encryption, and digital signatures. It is widely used by cybersecurity professionals, activists, and privacy advocates to protect sensitive information. |
| Tor | Anonymity and privacy | This privacy-focused network tool is designed for anonymous browsing, secure communication, and censorship circumvention. It routes internet traffic through multiple encrypted relays, making it difficult to trace users’ online activities. |
| Anonsurf | Anonymity and privacy | This privacy and anonymity tool is designed to route all internet traffic through Tor and enhance user privacy by anonymising network connections. It is widely used by ethical hackers, penetration testers, activists, and privacy-conscious users to hide their online activities. |
| ProxyChains | Network security | This powerful network anonymity tool is used to route internet traffic through multiple proxy servers (such as SOCKS4, SOCKS5, and HTTP proxies). It helps ethical hackers, penetration testers, and privacy-conscious users hide their IP addresses and bypass restrictions. |
| Maltego | Intelligence gathering | It is an open source intelligence (OSINT) and data visualisation tool included in Parrot Security OS, widely used by cybersecurity professionals, penetration testers, forensics investigators, and law enforcement agencies for network mapping, threat intelligence, and digital forensics. |
| Nmap | Network scanning | This powerful network scanning and reconnaissance tool is widely used by penetration testers, ethical hackers, system administrators, and cybersecurity professionals for network discovery, vulnerability assessment, and security auditing. |
Table 1: Cybersecurity tools offered in Parrot Security OS
The OS provides a range of tools for penetration testing, including the Metasploit Framework, which is extensively utilised for exploiting vulnerabilities. Another significant tool is Burp Suite, known for its effectiveness in web application security testing. SQLmap facilitates the automation of SQL injection attacks, and Aircrack-ng is instrumental in evaluating the security of Wi-Fi networks.
Parrot OS also offers a suite of tools for digital forensics and incident response, including Autopsy, which provides a graphical interface for conducting forensic analyses, and Volatility, a robust tool for memory forensics. Additionally, it incorporates Wireshark, a network protocol analyser that facilitates in-depth packet inspection, as well as ExifTool, which is utilised for extracting metadata from various file types. The operating system also includes cryptographic utilities such as John the Ripper and Hashcat for password recovery, while GPG (GNU Privacy Guard) ensures secure encryption and decryption of files.
Tools designed to enhance anonymity and privacy are also offered, including Tor and Anonsurf, which enable users to navigate the internet without revealing their identities and to direct their traffic through secure networks. Additionally, it features ProxyChains, which facilitate the tunnelling of network connections through several proxies, and The Onion Router (Tor) for safe access to the dark web. Security researchers can also utilise Maltego, a sophisticated tool for data mining and information collection, along with Nmap, a robust network scanner that identifies open ports and potential vulnerabilities.
Comparison with Kali Linux
Both Kali Linux and Parrot Security OS are Debian-based Linux distributions intended for security research, ethical hacking, and penetration testing. They do, however, offer distinct features and methods to meet different user requirements as shown in Table 2.
| Parameter | Kali Linux | Parrot Security |
| Purpose | Mainly used for penetration testing and security auditing | Used for security, privacy, digital forensics and anonymity |
| Desktop environment | XFCE, GNOME, KDE | MATE |
| Resource requirements | Resource intensive | Lightweight |
| Security features | Focuses more on penetration testing | Secure by default |
| Privacy | No privacy by default | High privacy; built-in anonymity tools |
| Forensics tools | Good but less compared to Parrot Security | Strong support for digital forensics and cryptography |
| Ease of use | Requires experience | More user-friendly for beginners |
Table 2: A comparison of Kali Linux and Parrot Security
To conclude, Parrot Security is a powerful operating system for security. It is designed to be lightweight and less demanding on system resources. Both Parrot Security OS and Kali Linux are outstanding options for cybersecurity experts; however, they serve distinct purposes. Parrot Security OS is more advantageous for overall security, privacy, and digital forensics, whereas Kali Linux is primarily designed for intensive penetration testing and security evaluations.
