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 excep-
tions 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
Introduction
xxv mobile devices such as tablets and phones (it would be hard to argue other-
wise), 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?
