Top Reconnaissance Tools for Ethical Security Testing

Reconnaissance is a crucial phase in ethical security testing. The following tools are commonly used by cybersecurity professionals for legitimate security assessments and penetration testing, always with proper authorization.

Shodan — Internet-connected device search engine.Censys — Provides in-depth information on the infrastructure of the internet.ZoomEye — Cyberspace search engine like Shodan.Fofa — Advanced cyberspace search engine focused on China-based infrastructure.BinaryEdge — Search engine for scanning the internet and collecting data.Onyphe — Provides insight into cyberspace, including IP addresses, open ports, and services.GrayNoise — Identifies internet noise to help filter irrelevant traffic.IVRE — Scalable engine for processing and visualizing network reconnaissance data.Vulners.com — Search engine for security vulnerabilities across various platforms.LeakIX — Search engine for publicly exposed services and leaked credentials.