What is FootPrinting? Tools, Types, Methodology [2025]
Introduction: What is Footprinting?
Footprinting is a method used by hackers to collect information about their victim, such as the victim’s network, computer system, and devices. Footprinting is the first phase of ethical hacking, and it’s the most important phase for hackers. By foot printing, attackers try to gather all available information about their victims in order to gain unauthorized access to a victim’s network or computer system.
Objectives of foot-printing
1. Know Security posture: Analyse the security posture of the target, find loopholes, and create an attack plan.
2. Identify focus area: Using different tools and techniques, narrow down the range of IP addresses.
3. Find vulnerabilities: Use the collected information to identify weaknesses in the target’s security
4. Map the network: Graphically represent the target’s network and use it as a guide during the attack.
Types of foot-printing
There are two types of footprinting
- Passive foot printing
- Active foot printing
Passive foot-printing:
- Collecting information without interacting with the target directly.
- Through search engines or public records.
- Used when information gathering must not be detected by the target.
Active foot-printing
- Collecting information by interacting with the target directly
- There is a chance that the target becomes aware of the information gathering.
- Info more accurate and rapid
Foot Printing Methodology
- Website foot printing
- Email foot printing
- Foot printing using google
- DNS foot printing
- Network foot printing
- Foot printing through Social Engineering
- Foot printing Through Social Networking Sites
- Foot printing Through Search Engines
- WHOIS Foot printing
Some Tools and websites that you can use for Foot printing.
- Whois Lookup
- Nslookup
- What web
- Wappalyzer
- DNS Dumpster
- Harvester
- OSINT Framework
- Netcraft
- Nmap
- Maltego
- Shodan
- Nikto
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