Updated: 03/02/2010

Katana v1.5 (Z@toichi) has been released! (Click here for Katana project page) After several months of work and some reconsiderations of the pre-packaged tools, this award winning project has a new release. This release has a couple of major changes to the disto list and the introduction of the Katana Tool Kit. The new version should be much more friendly for all the Windows users out there. The addition of the Katana Tool Kit should make using all the portable Windows apps much easier. Another key addition to Katana is a USB write blocker to prevent that pesky anti-virus from deleting some of the tools. Katana can be Downloaded directly or through it's Torrent.

What is Katana? For those who are not familiar with the project, Katana combines hundreds of security tools to run off a single USB thumb drive. Katana brings together many of the best security distributions (Backtrack, Ophcrack, UBCD, Trinity Rescue Kit, Derik's Boot and Nuke, etc.) along side hundreds of portable Windows applications (Wireshark, HiJackThis, OllyDBG, The Sleuth Kit, ClamAV, FindSSN, AngryIP , etc.) to form a Portable Multi-Boot Security Suite. Katana includes distributions and Windows applications which focus on Pen-Testing, Auditing, Forensics, System Recovery, Network Analysis, Malware Removal and more.

Katana is also highly customizable. One of the major goals in the project was to develop an environment where users could tailor Katana to their needs. Users can customize Katana by adding and removing Distros and Portable Applications with relative ease. The best resource for these sorts of modifications is the Hack From A Cave Forum.

The line-up this time around is as follows: Backtrack 4 , the Ultimate Boot CD , Ultimate Boot CD for Windows , Ophcrack Live , Puppy Linux , Kaspersky Live , Trinity Rescue Kit , Clonezilla and , Derik's Boot and Nuke. Users can still customize Katana to add thier favorite distros using the instructions posted here.

There has been a major overhaul in the distros which come pre-loaded with Katana. A lot of this overhaul was due to interests on the forum. Thank you to all the requests and posts we've had. Fear not, instructions on installing all the distros from v1.0 can still be found on the Forum

The Katana Tool Kit (KTK) is a suite of Windows applications which can be run of a USB Flash Drive. Without the need for installation on the base system, users can bring a suite of uncompromised tools with them anywhere. Tools like Wireshark, HiJackThis, Firefox, PuTTY, Unstoppable Copier, OllyDBG, ProcessActivityView, SniffPass Password Sniffer, ClamAV, Undelete Plus, IECookiesView, MozillaCacheView, FreeOTFE, The PC Decrapifier, FindSSN, The Sleuth Kit, and OpenOffice. There are over 100 unique projects included in the KTK. (See the full list of tools here) The KTK facilitates fast access to all the Katana Windows applications. The applications are broken down into the following categories: Anti-Virus, Backup, Encryption, File System, Forensics, Media, Networking, Office, Recovery, Registry, System, Utilities. Each project provides unique functionality to the various categories listed above. The KTK also facilitates the easy addition of other portable applications. By simply installing applications to a sub-folder of the "PortableApps" directory, your favorite applications will appear in the KTK the next time it is launched.

In Katana v.1.5, several new utilities have also been added to the Katana Tool Kit:

A USB write blocker application has been added to help prevent malware installing on the USB Flash Drive and to prevent the anti-virus from deleting any of the totally awesome apps from the Katana Tool Kit. By running the MakeUSBReadOnly.bat on mount, unmounting and remounting the drive, going about you business, and running MakeUSBWritable.bat after you are done, you can prevent most interference by applications on the base OS.

- Added drive logo.
- Changed directory for user data from "home" to "Documents".
- Modified boot menu to add scrolling.