Summary

In this chapter, we started with an overview of reconnaissance, learning how attackers gather information about a target to know when and how to strike. From identifying the machine, they need to target the domains in use, the network blocks in place, and the IP addresses to go after. We looked at passive reconnaissance, active reconnaissance, anonymous reconnaissance, and pseudonymous reconnaissance.

We also covered the goals of reconnaissance – to find out what attackers are looking for (system and network information, the target's standard technical practices, and their organizational information).

Then, we delved into search engines as one of the four ways attackers gather information. A simple search often displays loads of information people have no control over. We discussed how the target's website, free giveaways, and what employees say help attackers during the initial search. After that, we turned our attention to Google hacking, Google operators...