Reconnaissance?

Adding new Recon techniques to your Bug bounty toolkit.

Photo by Growtika on Unsplash

Reconnaissance, often abbreviated as recon, stands as the critical initial phase in the spectrum of hacking, regardless of whether the intent is ethical (white hat) or malicious (black hat). This foundational step involves the meticulous gathering of information about target assets. Such assets may encompass a range of digital footprints, including IPs, Domains, Email, and even phone numbers, along with any other potentially exploitable data.

The goal of reconnaissance is to construct a detailed profile of the target, thereby illuminating potential vulnerabilities that could be leveraged in subsequent stages of a cyber attack. Mastery of this stage can greatly inform and determine the strategy and success of the entire operation.

Ultimately, the concept of reconnaissance can vary significantly from person to person. Below, you’ll find the resources I would recommend.

David Bombal on YouTube is a go-to for anyone getting into cybersecurity or learning something new. In this video Jason Haddix, a big name in the field, about some clever ways to do reconnaissance. They dive into tactics that could seriously up your game. Definitely worth a watching!

2. SANS webcast hosted by Matt Edmondson, a SANS Principal Instructor with a background as a Homeland Security Agent and now running his own information security company. The video is behind a login page, requiring a sign-up with a business email, if I recall correctly. What’s standout about this webcast is Matt’s demonstration of automation and alert creation techniques for OSINT, which you could integrate into your own reconnaissance automation strategies. It’s a valuable resource for those looking to enhance their OSINT workflows with automation.

https://www.sans.org/webcasts/setting-up-osint-watchdogs-create-free-persistent-monitoring-tools-python/

3. Justin Nordine, currently serving as a Cyber Threat Intelligence Staff Engineer at Dropbox and with previous experience in cybersecurity at Wells Fargo among other notable establishments, is the creator of the OSINT Framework. This innovative tool functions like a spider map, offering a structured guide to various online resources useful for reconnaissance. It covers a wide range of topics, from usernames to training, providing references to sites invaluable for anyone involved in open-source intelligence gathering.

Happy hunting, and remember to stay within the scope!

Disclaimer: I am not paid for, affiliated with, or endorsed by any of the references mentioned above. The content provided is for informational purposes only and reflects my personal views and experiences.