Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH v10) — Question 132

This phase will increase the odds of success in later phases of the penetration test. It is also the very first step in Information Gathering and it will tell you the
"landscape" looks like. What is the most important phase of ethical hacking in which you need to spend a considerable amount of time?

Answer options

• A. network mapping
• B. footprinting
• C. escalating privileges
• D. gaining access

Correct answer: B

Explanation

The footprinting phase is essential as it allows ethical hackers to gather vital information about the target, setting the stage for the entire penetration test. Without this knowledge, subsequent steps like gaining access or escalating privileges may fail due to a lack of understanding of the environment. Network mapping, while important, is a subsequent step that relies on the data collected during footprinting.