13 Best Penetration Testing Tools in 2024 [Pricing + Feature Comparison]

In this digital era, an unthinkable amount of data is stored and handled across industries. A large chunk of this data is stored in cloud assets and these cloud assets are primary targets for bad actors and hackers. 

While organizations use the boilerplate solutions recommended, is it enough to keep your organization protected? The only way to know would be to see how your organization’s security solution performs during an attack.

Voila- Introducing Penetration Testers
As the name suggests, they come up with different ways to find vulnerabilities in your organization’s security and gain access to sensitive data. These tests are designed to help you identify gaps and fortify your security.

There are full-fledged penetration testing tools at your disposal to tighten up the security of your systems before cybercriminals try anything malicious.

To help you choose the right set of pen testing tools, we have listed the Top 13. 

Let’s briefly discuss them!

What is Penetration Testing?

A penetration test, commonly known as a pen test, is a sanctioned simulation of an attack on a computer system to assess its security. This simulated attack aims to uncover potential vulnerabilities within a system’s defenses that real attackers could exploit. The goal is to identify weak points and address them as and when required to enhance the overall security posture of the system.

In simpler terms, Pen testers mimic hackers to identify what a  hacker does to exploit your systems Pen testing also evaluates adherence to compliance and regulations by identifying the areas of threats, loose security configuration, and authentication weaknesses.

There are different penetration testing tools to perform these tests and cyber-attack simulations. Some tools can automate penetration tests, and some require you to perform the tests manually. But before we talk about Ocean’s Twelve (pun intended), let’s take a look at the benefits of penetration testing. 

What is a penetration testing tool?

Penetration testing tools perform sanctioned simulations of cyber attacks on a computer system, network, or application to assess its security and uncover potential vulnerabilities within a system’s defenses that attackers could exploit. These tools can automate testing processes and improve the efficiency of network and security testing. 

Bonus: Want to strengthen your network defenses? Get our External Network VAPT Report and discover critical insights.

Simply put, these pen-testing tools mimic malicious activity to help the company identify what a hacker does to exploit your systems. The goal is to periodically address weaknesses and enhance the overall security posture of the system.  It also evaluates adherence to compliance and regulations by highlighting gaps in security configuration and correcting weaknesses.

How does Penetration Testing work under compliance?

Cybersecurity regulations are often designed to hold organizations accountable for their security practices. An organization may be required to fulfill compliance obligations under laws like GDPR, HIPAA, standards like ISO 27001, SOC 1 & 2, and industry-specific regulations like PCI DSS.

While many regulations only imply conducting penetration tests, PCI DSS explicitly mentions penetration tests for evaluating an organization’s security posture.

PCI DSS

In PCI DSS 3.2.1, Requirement 11 emphasizes the necessity of regular penetration testing. This mandate applies to merchants requiring a formal audit or completing SAQ C and SAQ D and extends to all Service Providers.

What does PCI DSS penetration testing involve?

• It includes the evaluation of network infrastructure and applications, both from external and internal perspectives
• The testing must cover an organization’s entire cardholder data environment (CDE), including any systems that might impact CDE security

What does a PCI pen test uncover?

• Unsafe configurations: Identifies insecure system and network setups
• Access control issues: Pinpoints improper access controls
• Wireless network risks: Reveals the presence of rogue wireless networks
• Coding vulnerabilities: Detects coding weaknesses such as XSS and SQL injection
• Authentication and session management weaknesses: Identifies flaws in authentication and session management
• Encryption concerns: Assesses and exposes encryption flaws

Read our blog What is PCI Penetration Testing and How it Works 

GDPR

While GDPR doesn’t explicitly mention penetration tests, Article 32 emphasizes the need for organizations to establish a process for regularly testing, assessing, and evaluating technical and organizational measures to ensure data processing security.

Article 32(1) outlines various measures that controllers or processors should implement, including establishing a process for regularly testing and assessing the effectiveness of these measures. 

Although this statement is broad, a general principle is that any system storing personal data should undergo testing. Moreover, Article 32 specifies that controllers and processors must implement security mechanisms appropriate to their organizational risks.

For GDPR compliance, your organization’s testing plan should include periodic intervals for conducting penetration tests and vulnerability assessments.

HIPAA

HIPAA, much like GDPR, doesn’t explicitly mention using pen testing software. However, according to § 164.308(a)(8) of HIPAA, covered entities are required to perform a technical evaluation to assess the security of protected health information (PHI). 

A data security analyst conducts HIPAA penetration testing under the HIPAA Security Rule. This testing aims to identify potential weaknesses and vulnerabilities in the data security of a covered entity. 

The analyst engages in “ethical hacking,” realistically replicating the efforts of a malicious attacker, with the primary goal of enhancing data security.

ISO 27001

When it comes to ISO 27001, the answer is a bit of both yes and no. For systems with standard functions and common structures, fulfilling the requirement may only need a vulnerability assessment. 

However, for more intricate setups like custom web applications, you’ll likely need penetration testing to ensure your security is robust enough for data protection and to defend against cyber threats.

In the current version of ISO 27001, Control A.12.6.1 mandates organizations to promptly document common vulnerabilities, assess their exposure, and take steps to mitigate associated risks. 

SOC 2

The simple answer is no; penetration testing is not a requirement for SOC 2 compliance. While it can benefit any organization, it’s not a mandatory component. 

However, auditors often suggest penetration testing assessments as they contribute to the audit process and fulfill specific requirements in the Trust Services Criteria, especially under COSO Principle 16. 

This principle emphasizes ongoing evaluations to ensure internal controls are present and functional.

Sprinto can assist you in maintaining ongoing security and compliance. While penetration testing is just a part of a comprehensive security strategy, it’s crucial for assessing the strength of your system or network. 

Meeting common framework requirements such as PCI involves integrating regular pen tests into your processes to get ongoing compliance on the go.

If you struggle with keeping up with your compliance tasks, Sprinto is here to help. Our tools automate testing and monitor your network for potential threats. Our in-house experts can guide you on when to schedule your next penetration test and identify risks to your data.

Top 13 Penetration Testing Tools

There are multiple penetration testing tools to help you identify and remove the vulnerabilities in the system and web apps. Finding the right one in an ocean full of software and tools on the Internet can be daunting. So, let’s talk about an efficient set of pen-testing tools and their key features.

Note: These tools are listed in no particular ranking order, and all of them are useful for performing different penetration tests.

Below are the best 13 penetration testing tools you can try in 2024:

• Metasploit
• Getastra
• Nmap
• John the Ripper
• Wireshark
• Kali Linux
• Nessus
• Intruder
• Burp Suite
• Acunetix
• sqlmap
• OWASP Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP)
• Nikto
  

1. Metasploit

Metasploit is a popular penetration tool among cyber threat actors because of its extensive exploits and vulnerabilities in the Metasploit Framework database. This tool has an advanced penetration testing automation framework based on Ruby and is widely used by cyber security professionals for simulating any pen testing methods for security assessments.

The open-source software allows you to identify weak points and vulnerabilities and enables you to set up the defense. It identifies the system’s weaknesses and tries to exploit them further. Therefore you can quickly isolate and demonstrate the vulnerabilities and fix the threats. Added to that, Metasploit offers the ability to automate manual exploits and tests.

Key Features

• Open-source framework based on Ruby and is available for free
• Many plugins and settings to configure to tune scans
• Work with both command line and GUI interface
• It runs on Mac OS X, Linux, and Window

G2 rating 4.6/5 (49 reviews)

2. Astra Pentest

Astra is a comprehensive penetration testing tool that blends automation, AI, and manual penetrating capabilities to run 9300+ security tests. Designed in adherence with industry standards such as OWASP 10 and SANS 25, their expert-vetted scans ensure zero false positives. 

Meanwhile, the in-depth hacker-style manual pentest reveals critical vulnerabilities like payment gateway hacks and business logic errors. The collaborative CXO-friendly dashboard and real-time expert support facilitate the remediation of bugs discovered by the pentesting tool.

Astra offers seamless integration with your CI/CD Pipeline to help smoothen your big leap from DevOps to DevSecOps. The convenient Login recording Chrome extension enables authenticated scans behind login pages without redundant reauthentication.

Loved by companies across the globe, Astra’s PTaaS platform is trusted by brands you trust, such as Godaddy, Muthoot Finance, and Network 18.

Key Features

• Leverage the combined power of Astra’s vulnerability scanner and manual pentests 
• Collaborate with pentesters with an array of certi