Newsletter Series: The Cybersecurity Kill Chain
Month 1: Phase 1 - Reconnaissance: The Silent Threat
Before any attack begins, hackers need information. This first phase is called Reconnaissance, and it’s all about gathering intel: employee names, email addresses, network setups, exposed systems, and more.
What Recon Looks Like:
- Scanning public websites (like LinkedIn) for staff information.
- Identifying exposed servers or open ports.
- Social engineering to gather data about internal processes.
Why It’s Dangerous:
If an attacker knows your organization uses Microsoft 365 and who your HR director is, they can craft a convincing phishing email. Good reconnaissance makes attacks harder to detect.
How to Defend Against It:
1. Limit public exposure - Don’t overshare employee or IT infrastructure details online.
2. Use threat intelligence tools - Monitor the dark web and known threat actor behavior.
3. Conduct your own recon - Perform external assessments to see what attackers might find.
Tip of the Month:
Google yourself and your business. What would a hacker learn in 10 minutes?
Next month: Weaponization—what attackers do once they have the intel.
NetCenter Technologies
Empowering Businesses Through Cybersecurity
