2.2. Sources for Information Gathering

Many different sources exist for information gathering. The following list cannot possibly cover every source out there, but it does outline the major choices you have.

2.2.1. Gathering Information from Websites

Corporate and/or personal websites can provide a bounty of information. The first thing a good social engineer will often do is gather as much data as he can from the company's or person's website. Spending some quality time with the site can lead to clearly understanding:

What they do

The products and services they provide

Physical locations

Job openings

Contact numbers

Biographies on the executives or board of directors

Support forum

Email naming conventions

Special words or phrases that can help in password profiling

Seeing people's ...

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