Ethical hacking, also known as penetration testing, involves authorized auditing and testing of systems to uncover vulnerabilities. These seven tools represent some of the best instruments available to security professionals and ethical hackers for responsibly finding flaws in networks and applications.

1. Burp Suite

Considered the top choice for web app hacking, Burp Suite is an integrated platform for analyzing and manipulating web traffic. From spidering sites to find hidden content to replays and injection attacks, Burp is likely the most comprehensive hacking tool available today.

2. Nmap

This powerful port scanner and network mapper allows for vigorous discovery and probing for weaknesses across devices and systems. It provides insights into running services, open ports, detection of versions and configurations, and much more.

3. Wireshark

One of the best network analysis and packet sniffing tools out there, Wireshark lets you see what’s happening across network protocols in microscopic detail. From malware traffic to communications errors, Wireshark helps make the invisible visible.

4. John the Ripper

The goto tool for password cracking, John the Ripper offers multiple attack modes for breaking all types of authentication. With GPU acceleration capability, it can run as many as hundreds of millions of guesses per second.

5. Sqlmap

This open source SQL injection discovery tool automates the detection and exploitation process to determine database weaknesses and improper access control exposures. It stands out for requiring very little configuration and for producing actionable outputs.

6. Aircrack-ng

Aircrack leverages packet sniffing with dictionary attacks to crack encryption keys protecting WiFi networks. This makes it possible to demonstrate insecurities in WPA and WPA2 security.

7. Metasploit

While not a tool per se, the Metasploit penetration testing framework deserves a mention for offering an unparalleled collection of exploits, payloads, encoders, and more for unveiling vulnerabilities. It can help demonstrate holes ranging from web apps to industrial control systems.

Conclusion

These hacking tools represent some of the most widely used and trusted options among information security professionals. When responsibly deployed by authorized and trained individuals, they enable the discovery of crucial weaknesses and flaws before the bad guys can find them! Organizations are strongly advised to perform frequent ethical hacking exercises against their IT infrastructure to identify areas needing additional protection.