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Kali Linux is a Debian-derived Linux distribution designed for digital forensics and penetration testing. It is maintained and funded by Offensive Security.
Kali Linux has over 600 preinstalled penetration-testing programs, including Armitage (a graphical cyber attack management tool), Nmap (a port scanner), Wireshark (a packet analyzer), John the Ripper password cracker, Aircrack-ng (a software suite for penetration-testing wireless LANs), Burp suite and OWASP ZAP web application security scanners.
It was developed by Mati Aharoni and Devon Kearns of Offensive Security through the rewrite of BackTrack, their previous information security testing Linux distribution based on Knoppix, originally it was designed with a focus on kernel auditing, from which it got its name Kernel Auditing LInux. The name is sometimes incorrectly assumed to come from Kali the Hindu goddess, or the Hindu demon. The third core developer, Raphaël Hertzog, joined them as a Debian expert.
