Footprinting

•Footprinting: Attackers or ethical hackers assess the size and scope of a target organization, known as “footprinting,” to understand the attack surface and identify targets.

•Ethical Hacking Assistance: Ethical hackers may receive help from the target organization, such as footholds or initial information, but may also start blind.

•Information Sources:

–Open Source Intelligence (OSINT): Freely available sources provide valuable information about the target.

–Third-Party Sources: Used to gather data without alerting the target.

–Direct Interaction: Interacting with target services (e.g., visiting websites) can reveal system and technology details.

–Domain Name System (DNS): DNS servers store data about domains and IP address blocks, which can be mined for insights.

•MITRE ATT&CK Framework: The reconnaissance phase of this framework aligns with scanning and gathering target information, often focusing on human targets (e.g., employees, roles, and access levels).