Top 5 Websites for Information Gathering — Part 1

Essential Platforms for OSINT and Cybersecurity Research

Introduction

Information gathering is the foundation of cybersecurity investigations, penetration testing, and Open Source Intelligence (OSINT). Security researchers, ethical hackers, and intelligence analysts use various online resources to collect critical data about a target. This data includes domain details, IP addresses, exposed credentials, subdomains, and even leaked sensitive information.

In this article (Part 1), we will explore five of the most powerful websites for information gathering, detailing their use cases and how they help in reconnaissance and security research.

1. Shodan (shodan.io) — The Search Engine for IoT and Devices

What is Shodan?

Shodan is a search engine for internet-connected devices like servers, webcams, databases, and industrial control systems. Unlike Google, which indexes websites, Shodan indexes open ports, services, and vulnerabilities of publicly accessible systems.

Key Features:

✔ Find exposed databases (MongoDB, Elasticsearch, etc.)
✔ Identify unprotected webcams and IoT devices
✔ Discover vulnerable servers with outdated software
✔ Monitor industrial control systems (ICS/SCADA)

Usage Example:

To find all open RDP ports (3389) in a specific country, use:

port:3389 country:US

Why It’s Useful for Information Gathering?

• Helps security researchers find misconfigured systems
• Assists in penetration testing by identifying weak infrastructure
• Provides real-time threat intelligence

2. Censys (censys.io) — A More Advanced Alternative to Shodan

What is Censys?

Censys is similar to Shodan but provides more in-depth analysis of internet-connected assets. It…