Final answer:
d. reconnaissance.
The steps that criminals take to identify potential points of remote entry during a cyber attack are referred to as reconnaissance. This is part of the broader process known as the cyber kill chain and includes various techniques to map out the network and uncover security vulnerabilities.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding Criminal Tactics in Cybersecurity
The steps that criminals take to identify potential points of remote entry is called reconnaissance. This is a tactic used by hackers as a part of their methodology to break into systems. Before an attack, criminals will typically perform reconnaissance to gather information about the target, such as open ports, services running, and potential vulnerabilities. This step can include both active and passive techniques to map out the target network and identify security loopholes.
Reconnaissance is just one phase of a multistep process typically defined in what is known as the cyber kill chain. Other tactics utilized by hackers can include phishing, a type of social engineering, to trick individuals into providing sensitive information or accessing malicious links. Moreover, they often engage in scanning and mapping techniques to further identify weak points in a system's security setup.
Furthermore, television shows often dramatize the process of criminal profiling and geographic profiling, which consists of identifying spatial patterns in criminal behavior. This is different from hackers' reconnaissance but can involve similar methods of data collection and analysis.