A reconnaissance attack gathers information about a target for use in a future attack. It is not itself an attack and may rely on publicly available information rather than illicit techniques. section 11.2.1 section 11.6
Recognize reconnaissance attacks by their information-gathering purpose:
- Collect and analyze open-source intelligence (OSINT), including information that is publicly available. section 11.2.1
- Use gathered details to support a later attack rather than to cause the primary compromise immediately. section 11.2.1
- Distinguish reconnaissance from direct attacks such as malware, denial of service, man-in-the-middle, and social engineering attacks. section 11.6
WHOIS lookup
A WHOIS lookup can reveal publicly available details about a domain’s owners, including email addresses, phone numbers, and physical addresses. An attacker can use these details when preparing a future attack. section 11.2.1
