Which term refers to the preparatory phase where an attacker seeks to gather information about a target prior to launching an attack?

Which term refers to the preparatory phase where an attacker seeks to gather information about a target prior to launching an attack?

• A. Gaining Access
• B. Reconnaissance
• C. Scanning
• D. Maintaining Access

Answer: (B)

Reconnaissance is the preparatory phase where an attacker gathers as much information as possible about the target before any intrusion. This helps map the attack surface and identify entry points. It includes collecting public data (OSINT) like company details, domains, IP ranges, employee information, and potential vulnerabilities, as well as technical data such as network topology and software versions. Reconnaissance can be passive, minimizing the attacker’s footprint, or active, where probing reveals responses from systems to confirm details. Scanning is a technique used during this phase to identify live hosts, open ports, and services, but the broader activity is reconnaissance. Gaining access comes next, involving exploiting weaknesses to breach systems. Maintaining access refers to actions taken after initial compromise to keep a foothold.

Reconnaissance is the preparatory phase where an attacker gathers as much information as possible about the target before any intrusion. This helps map the attack surface and identify entry points. It includes collecting public data (OSINT) like company details, domains, IP ranges, employee information, and potential vulnerabilities, as well as technical data such as network topology and software versions. Reconnaissance can be passive, minimizing the attacker’s footprint, or active, where probing reveals responses from systems to confirm details. Scanning is a technique used during this phase to identify live hosts, open ports, and services, but the broader activity is reconnaissance. Gaining access comes next, involving exploiting weaknesses to breach systems. Maintaining access refers to actions taken after initial compromise to keep a foothold.