What is typically the most desirable asset for a hacker to obtain from a company or department?

A.
E-mail messages

B.
Router tables

C.
Database information

D.
DNS server records

Explanation:

To get access to files, for example database files, is very desirable for a hacker. Databases typically contain the most valuable company information and are therefore very desirable for a hacker.
Incorrect Answers:
A: E-Mail messages would be desirable if the objective was corporate espionage, but for most hackers this is not why they break into systems. This information could be an ultimate objective, but a hacker first needs information to allow further attack of the network and servers on it.
B: Router tables will expose some of the network structure, but DNS zones will expose actual assigned IP addresses. After exposing the DNS zones, then router tables would be the next step.
C: Breaching a database may provide confidential and valuable information, but this does not help the hacker break into the network. Hackers want to break into the network, and information in a regular database does not help the hacker advance into the network.
D: Though DNS server records are valuable to hackers. Files are a more valuable asset though.
Note: Hackers will attempt to get DNS information by attempting to initiate a zone transfer. The DNS database will expose the defined nodes in the network and their IP addresses. The first tools of attack used by a hacker are usually WHOIS and NSLOOKUP, which are used to find the zones and transfer them.
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