5 Red Team Tools I Actually Use

What “Actually Use” Means

Plenty of gadgets look great in photos but gather dust after one demo. The five below survive on my bench because they solve real problems with minimal fuss, integrate with existing workflows, and provide clear artifacts for reports.

Flipper Zero

My portable Swiss‑army radio. I use it to demo RFID risks to leadership and to validate facility badge policies before deeper testing. Cloned fobs aren’t the takeaway—the takeaway is process: unmonitored issuance, no revocation, no anti‑replay. Pair it with a logging gate controller to build a case for modernization.

USB Rubber Ducky

When physical access is in scope, well‑timed keystroke injection proves the importance of locked workstations and least privilege. The new script language is expressive, and with realistic guardrails (user present, no persistence) it’s a crisp control test. Always obtain written permission and record the run.

WiFi Pineapple

Still the cleanest platform for demonstrating wireless misconfigurations and user behavior around rogue APs. I use it alongside a legitimate controller to show why 802.11w and proper cert pinning matter. Reports include PCAPs, DNS request logs, and user-agent tallies.

LAN Turtle

A covert pivot box in USB‑Ethernet clothing. In lab settings it’s ideal for teaching persistence, egress patterns, and alerting. In client work, it helps validate NAC rules and egress filters when explicitly authorized. Treat it like a scalpel: precise, logged, and tightly controlled.

Burp Suite Pro

The backbone of my web testing. Extensions turn it into a platform: active scans, custom intruder payloads, and in-situ diffing. Pair Burp with browser automation to replay user journeys under different auth contexts. The most persuasive artifact? Reproducing a critical bug on a frozen screenshot of production with timestamps and request IDs.

Buying Tips

• Prefer kits with spare antennas, cables, and a hard case—downtime kills momentum.
• Use a dedicated portable SSD for captures and payloads. Here are reliable NVMe options.

Takeaway

Tools don’t replace fundamentals; they compress time. Choose devices that produce defensible evidence and build repeatable demos that executives understand.

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