Why Perform Footprinting?
Footprinting is about gathering information and formulating a hacking strategy. With proper care you, as the attacking party, may be able to uncover the path of least resistance into an organization. Passively gathering information is by far the easiest and most effective method. If done by a skilled, inventive, and curious party (you!), the amount of information that can be passively gathered is staggering. Expect to obtain information such as:
- Information about an organization’s security posture and where potential loopholes may exist. This information will allow for adjustments to the hacking process that make it more productive.
- A database that paints a detailed picture with the maximum amount of information possible about the target.
- A network map using tools such as the Tracert utility to construct a picture of a target’s Internet presence or Internet connectivity. Think of the network map as a road-map leading you to a building; the map gets you there, but you still have to determine the floor plan of the building.
