Definition:
Footprinting and Reconnaissance are the first phases of ethical hacking, where an attacker or security tester collects information about a target system or organization to identify possible entry points.
Passive information gathering
Collects data without directly interacting with the target
Examples: Domain details, IP addresses, DNS records, employee info
Can be passive or active
Involves limited interaction with the target system
Examples: Network scanning, port scanning, service detection
Understand the target’s infrastructure
Identify vulnerabilities
Plan further security testing or attacks
Footprinting and reconnaissance help ethical hackers analyze system exposure and improve security by identifying weak points early.
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