Matriux is the first full-fledged Debian-based security distribution designed for penetration testing and forensic investigations. Although it is primarily designed for security enthusiasts and professionals, it can also be used by any Linux user as a desktop system for day-to-day computing. Besides standard Debian software the Matriux Arsenal contains a huge collection of more than 350 most powerful and versatile security and penetration testing tools with around 20-50 more tools being added every release cycle of 6 months. Matriux comes with a custom-built Linux kernel to provide better performance and higher support for hardware to work even with a Pentium IV and 512 MB RAM comfortably.

Matriux was first released in 2009 under code name "lithium" and then followed by versions like "xenon"  based on Ubuntu.  Matriux "Krypton" then followed in 2011 where we moved our system to Debian. Other versions followed for Matriux "Krypton" with v1.2 and then Ec-Centric in 2012. This year we are working releasing Matriux "Leandros" which is currently in beta testing and a major revamp over the existing system.

Matriux arsenal is divided into sections with a broader classification of tools for Reconnaissance, Scanning, Attack Tools, Frameworks, Radio (Wireless), Digital Forensics, Debuggers, Tracers, Fuzzers and other miscellaneous tool providing a wider approach over the steps followed for a complete penetration testing and forensic scenario. Although there are were many questions raised regarding why there is a need for another security distribution while there is already one. We believed and followed the free spirit of Linux in making one. We always tried to stay updated with the tool and hardware support and so include the latest tools and compile a custom kernel to stay abreast with the latest technologies in the field of information security.

Matriux is also designed to run from a Live environment like a CD/ DVD or USB stick which can be helpful in computer forensics and data recovery for forensic analysis, investigations and retrievals not only from Physical Hard drives but also from Solid state drives and NAND flashes used in smart phones like Android and iPhone. With Matriux we also support and work with the projects and tools that have been discontinued over time and also keep track with the latest tools and applications that have been developed and presented in the recent conferences.

I would like to present on the various broader security and forensic aspects and how beneficial it is to have a complete package as a Linux Distribution for the scanning, security testing and forensic purposes, and Matriux in particular over the other existing Linux Distributions.

BIO: An Independent Security Researcher for the past 3 years, Prajwal has been the Development Lead for Matriux since 2009. Currently he is a  Research Assistant at Texas Tech University on Cyber Security of Smart Grid Energy Systems.  He will be graduating with his Masters in Computer Science in May 2013. A Finalist for America's Information Security Leadership Award 2012 (AISLA) by (ISC)2. Prajwal was a chapter lead for n|u, Hyderabad an open security community, until he left India for Higher studies in 2011. As a guest author, Prajwal publishes articles for ClubHack Magazine regularly.

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