CompTIA PenTest+ (PT0-002) — Question 137

A penetration tester is evaluating a company's network perimeter. The tester has received limited information about defensive controls or countermeasures, and limited internal knowledge of the testing exists. Which of the following should be the FIRST step to plan the reconnaissance activities?

Answer options

• A. Launch an external scan of netblocks.
• B. Check WHOIS and netblock records for the company.
• C. Use DNS lookups and dig to determine the external hosts.
• D. Conduct a ping sweep of the company's netblocks.

Correct answer: B

Explanation

The correct answer is B because checking WHOIS and netblock records provides crucial information about the company's domain and IP address range, which is essential for effective reconnaissance. The other options, while useful, are more proactive scanning methods that should be performed after gathering initial information about the target's network structure.