Cobalt Strike is a commercial penetration testing tool designed for security professionals to simulate real-world cyber attacks. It provides features for network attacks, social engineering, and post-exploitation, allowing users to assess the security of their systems and identify vulnerabilities. Originally developed for legitimate security testing, Cobalt Strike has also been misused by cybercriminals for malicious purposes. Its capabilities include creating and managing beacons, which are lightweight agents that can execute commands on compromised systems, making it a powerful tool in both ethical hacking and cyber threats.