Passive Reconnaissance — CompTIA PenTest+ (PT0-002) Practice Questions
Passive reconnaissance is the collection of information about a target without sending any packets or making direct contact with the target's systems, thereby avoiding detection. The PenTest+ exam covers passive reconnaissance as the initial intelligence-gathering phase, where testers rely on public sources such as DNS records, WHOIS databases, job postings, and cached web content. Because no traffic is sent to the target, passive techniques carry minimal legal and operational risk and are often performed before engagement authorization is finalized.
Free questions on passive reconnaissance
Which of the following is a passive information gathering technique?
Free question · easy · full answer + explanation
During information gathering, a penetration tester discovers email addresses of key employees through LinkedIn and public websites. What type of information gathering is this?
Free question · easy · full answer + explanation
More passive reconnaissance questions in the full bank
- What information gathering technique is MOST useful for identifying default credentials? Unlock answer & explanation →
- What is the purpose of reviewing a company's LinkedIn or social media profiles during OSINT? Unlock answer & explanation →
- You need to gather information about a target organization before formal testing. Which passive reconnaissance technique is safest? Unlock answer & explanation →