I am not an active bug bounty hunter but when i was in the field the most basic approach how i get started was this .
If you’re just starting out in ethical hacking or bug bounty hunting, the first thing you should learn is Reconnaissance, or simply Recon. Think of recon as the “stalking” phase — but legal and with computers. You gather as much info as you can before trying to break anything.
This guide will explain recon in super basic terms. No fancy words, no hacker lingo. Just beginner-friendly steps with a pinch of humor
Recon is like researching your target. Just like before going on a date, you check their Instagram, LinkedIn, and maybe their dog’s name — here, you do the same but with websites.
There are two types of recon:
- Passive Recon: You act like a ninja. No interaction with the target. (No one knows you’re spying.)
- Active Recon: You start poking the target gently. Like knocking on someone’s door just to see who’s home.
Websites don’t live alone. They have roommates — called subdomains. Like:
- login.example.com