Tools For Information Gathering: In the digital world secure of data like name, company, domain, service it is very important, but the hacker is hacker they are well known how to get passive information
So today we are going to discuss and explore how hacker gets sensitive information about the target.
What is information gathering ?
Information Gathering is nothing but gaining information about your victim or target. Actually, it is the first to step in Ethical Hacking, Black hat hacker and White hat hacker get more sensitive information for the attack. It is necessary to get more information about the target.
This step help in gaining information such as the name of the target, friend name, age, phone number, area name where the target lives, social media accounts, etc.
Tools For Information Gathering
- Foot printing ,
- Scanning
- Enumeration
- Reconnaissance
It uses various tools and techniques in information gathering g such as nslookup, N-map, Zenmap, whois etc they are publically available.
Foot printing
It is a technique used in information gathering about the target system. Hacker used this technique to crack the system , lots of tools used in footprints .
Scanning
It is a technique used in information gathering about the target system. It includes analysis host, check ports, check architecture of the operating system, and also check vulnerability in the system.
Enumeration
It is a technique used in information gathering about the target system. In this hacker creates a connection between the target machine and gets more information about the target, i.e. weak point of the system.
Reconnaissance
It is a technique which used in information gathering about the target system. It is also called as foot printing.
Objectives of Information gathering
Network Information
Network information is the process of collect data from over internet.
- Domain name
- IP address
- TCP ports
- Networking Protocols
- System enumeration
- Website information
System Information
Gaining information about the victim’s system.
- Name of target
- Password
- System configuration
- System name
How to gather information?
Search engines: web search is the best way to get information about the victim. It includes the company’s information, employee information, Services, etc.
Social media: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and other social media are another best way for finding information. It includes profile, Personal information and also relatives information, etc.
Domain names: Whois lookup helps in finding information about the target. It gave information about the domain, fraud domain, the ability of domain, etc.
Social engineering: It is widely used in hacking world. It includes chat, phone call, email spoofing attack, psychological attack etc to get maximum information about target.
Top Tools for information gathering
There are so many tools available in market but I will important explain only kali tool.
N-map
N-map is network mapper freely open source for Linux and windows. It used to scan networks, discover host and ports.
Working: It works as send packets to the host machine, it analyzes packets and gave desired output. Even it used for open port scanning and its best reconnaissance tool.
If N-map found open port, then it is a vulnerability in a system in which the attacker performs their action on it.
Put just one command I stand by an entire network that hacking target found my operating system running what ports are open and even found vulnerability that I can exploit that is a power of nmap its free essential tool for hacker and pretty much anyone
Nmap is a tool used by hacker to scan network so we can find live host or target to the hack and we can also used to find more information about these targets a process called as enumeration.
You can install nmap for windows, mac, Linux
Installation of nmap
# sudo apt-get install nmap
# nmap –version
Lets start nmap
Step 1: Open kali => application => nmap
Step 2:Basic command for n-map
# nmap 19.19.19.19
This is command shows vulnerability in IP address.
# nmap scanme.nmap.org
Also, this command gather in formation of scanme.org website.
Example
In the above example, we get 22/tcp open SSH is open and also 80/tcp open HTTP is open.
ZenMap
Zenmap has the same function as N-map tool and it again better tool for scanning information. It shows graphical interface of N-map. It is a freely available tool in Linux OS.
Working: it uses This tool for network discovery, network inventory, monitoring host, etc.
Installation of zenmap
#apt-get update && apt-get upgrade
#apt-get install alien
#sudo alien “zenmap-7.80-1.noarch.rpm”
#sudo dpkg –i “zenmap-7.80-1.noarch.deb”
Nslookup
Nslookup is nameserver lookup, which gave information about DNS server such as domain name, IP address mapping and DNS record.it also help in solve problem-related DNS.
It helps in get IP address of the domain.
It helps in reverse DNS lookup
It helps in lookup for any record
Installation of nslookup
Newly machine has not have to dig, nslookuo. So we have to install manually.
#sudo cat /etc/apt/sources.list
#sudo apt-get update && apt-get upgrade
#sudo apt-get install dnsutils–y
#yum install bind-utils
Lets start nslookup
Step 1: open kali => terminal => nslookup
Step 2: Basic command of nslookup
#nslookup google.com
This command gives server and address information.
You can also write IP address over google.com
#nslookup 172.1.1.1
Here we get information about server and address
whois lookup
It is a simple tool used for gaining information about the database record of the domain.
It also used in network administrator and fix domain-related issue.
It helps in check domain name which are available.
Also, it helps in check fraud domain resisted.
Let start whois lookup
Open kali => terminal => whois (target name)
# whois google.com
Here we get information of domain, registrar id, server, registrar URL, email id, etc.
Public asking question
How do I use nslookup?
First method : In kali linux
Newly machine has not have dig,nslookup. So we have to install manually.
#sudo cat /etc/apt/sources.list
#sudo apt-get update && apt-get upgrade
#sudo apt-get install dnsutils –y
#yum install bind-utils
Lets start nslookup
Step 1: open kali => terminal => nslookup
Step 2: Basic command of nslookup
#nslookup google.com
Second method: website
Online nslookup tools are present.
Is Whois legal?
Yes, it freely used tool so there is no objection also ICANN organization told us tool is working under the agreement.
Is Nmap illegal?
Legal for education purpose and illegal for hacker who scan unauthorized port for no reason
Its depends on user how they use?
What is Nmap used for?
Nmap is a tool used by hacker to scan network so we can find live host or target to the hack and we can also use to find more information about these targets a process called as enumeration.
What is DNS footprinting?
DNS footprinting is a collection of data in which data about host in network with the help of information hacker performs DNS footprinting.
What is enumeration attack?
It is a technique used in information gathering about the target system. In this hacker creates a connection between target machine and get more information about target i.e. weak point of system.
For example, brute-force attack, searching through login and password pairs.
Tools For Information Gathering Summary
Information gathering is the first step in ethical hacking, they contain lots of tools.
Tools are not the matter for gathering information, some hacker gaining information from calling, some from face to face talk, some from social media. It is like life lesson we all know we want to get sensitive information from friend, neighbors. So we are going for research how I got information, we make idea and do it.
It is also like that, but the difference is we used digital tool for investigation. Collecting of data more data which help in hacking purpose.