Ettercap vs CeWL vs Maltego: Which AI Conversation Models tool is Best in 2025?

Ettercap is a powerful, open-source network security tool designed for man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks, network traffic analysis, and protocol manipulation. Ettercap is pre-installed on Kali Linux, it is a favorite among ethical hackers, cybersecurity professionals, and penetration testers for its ability to intercept, analyze, and modify network packets in real time. With support for active and passive protocol dissection, Ettercap enables users to perform advanced network security assessments, test network vulnerabilities, and conduct ethical hacking exercises.

CeWL is a versatile open-source tool pre-installed in Kali Linux (version 6.2.1), tailored for cybersecurity professionals and penetration testers. This custom wordlist generator for security audits spider's websites to create tailored wordlists, making it a leading password-cracking preparation tool for ethical hacking. With an 81 KB footprint and features like email extraction and metadata analysis via FAB, CeWL empowers users to craft precise inputs for brute-force attacks, strengthening system security.

Maltego is an all-in-one cyber investigation platform developed by Maltego Technologies GmbH, headquartered in Munich, Germany, designed to accelerate open-source intelligence (OSINT) and complex cyber investigations. It enables users to mine, merge, and map data from over 120 data partners, including social media, dark web, and breach databases, visualizing connections through its flagship Maltego Graph tool. The platform supports novice analysts with Maltego Search for quick OSINT queries, technical investigators with Maltego Graph for deep link analysis, and public safety teams with Maltego Monitor and Maltego Evidence for real-time social media monitoring and evidence collection. Trusted by over 200,000 users, including the FBI, INTERPOL, and 60% of Dow 30 companies, Maltego is ISO 27001:2022 certified and GDPR-compliant, offering secure, cost-efficient access to data with customizable integrations.