Initial research

Reconnaissance should begin with learning as much as possible about people and business associated with the target. Sun Tzu is credited with the phrase, "know your enemy" in the book, The Art of War. As a Penetration Tester, you need to know your target. If your target happens to be a website, you should look at all aspects of that website. It will give you a better understanding of how the site is maintained and run. Great Reconnaissance returns more possible vulnerabilities.

It is scary how much information is available on public sources. We have found the unimaginable, such as classified documents, passwords, vulnerability reports, undesirable photography, and access to security cameras. Many Penetration Testing project objectives start with leveraging information off public sources. Here are some starting points for gathering information from public sources.

Company website

There is a lot of valuable information that can be obtained from a target's website. Most corporate...