Final answer:
The phase that comes after footprinting in information gathering is scanning. It is used to create a profile of the target organization's networks and systems by identifying live hosts, open ports, and services.
Step-by-step explanation:
After the footprinting phase, which involves gathering preliminary data, the next phase used to obtain information from the initial investigation is scanning. This phase involves probing the network or system with different tools and techniques to identify live hosts, open ports, services running on hosts, and system architecture. This collected data then enables the security professional or attacker to create a profile of the target organization's networks and systems.