Taking an in-depth look at the roadmap of the internet.
If you’ve been reading for a while, you’ve probably realised that cyber has some pretty great tools. And while some will require you to open your wallet, there are also plenty of useful tools that are freeware or open-source. In today’s article, we’ll be looking at a tool that we’ve referenced before, particularly in our 5 Tools For Cyber Investigators article.
In the good old days of the internet, the concept of “security by obscurity” lived for far longer than it ever should have and it’s tools like Shodan that were partly responsible for burying it as any form of realistic defence. In today's article, we’ll be looking at Shodan in more detail, attempting to see what features it has to offer researchers.

What is Shodan

Typically, search engines focus on ranking content and useful material, giving us the evolution of Google and a roadmap for how we use the modern internet. Shodan is no Google, but it is best described as a search engine, meaning it has a few things in common with the big G.
Rather than focusing on content though, Shodan searches the internet for and subsequently maps, devices. Using web crawlers, Shodan regularly “maps” the internet and enumerates devices connected to it, revealing vulnerable systems, operating systems, obscure machines and even live camera feeds.
It’s important to point out though, that Shodan isn’t the only player in the game regarding this concept. In the modern world, web crawlers are easily deployed and extremely common. And, while this information is able to be exploited in certain circumstances, such tools also have a legitimate role to play in the hands of ethical hackers and other cybersecurity researchers.

Useful Features

While it provides plenty of information regarding archiving and mapping of devices Shodan also has defensive applications as well. Account holders with access to the full range of Shodan’s features are able to use live domain monitoring to help protect their own infrastructure.
Shodan also provides a data “firehose” enabling researchers to access raw data via the Shodan API. A fire hose is a perfect analogy for this as it displays a significant amount of useful data to those who might need it.
You’ll also find extremely detailed search functions with preset tags for regular search strings as well as the ability to make and customize your own tags. You can even search by images which leads to some interesting results if we search the phrase “ransomware”
There’s also a large array of developer tools for those who might be interested in creating their own resources or accessing Shodan via the API as well as plenty of detailed documentation for troubleshooting purposes.

Interfaces

With Shodan being as functional as it is, it should be no surprise to find out that you can access it in pretty much any way you’d like. Terminal users can use the Shodan API to have the full functionality that you'd see in a web app without all the drama of a browser. Incidentally, while we’re on that topic, the Shodan web app is also pretty good, being extremely functional for beginners with plenty of supporting resources.
The most useful tool for cyber researchers though, is the Shodan browser extensions. Providing a quick and easy way to get information on a current website, the extensions are pretty useful for things like bug bounty, giving you much of the information you’ll need instantly in a single window.
Even if you don’t have a paid account, you’ll still find plenty of use in installing the extensions if you intend to conduct research.

Paid Or Freeware

Providing products to large multinationals the world over, it’s no surprise that Shodan has some pretty expensive subscription options for those who aren’t bothered by the almighty dollar. Despite this though, there’s actually a pretty functional range of subscription plans for everyday users as well.
The free tier is a great place to start, provided you’re able to deal with the limitations that come with that. If you don’t find the free tier useful though, and you aren’t willing to pay for the monthly subscription then look for the Shodan “membership”. Billed as a one-off payment, you can unlock many features simply by purchasing this, and the best bit is that it does go on sale sometimes. Keep an eye on the Shodan socials to nab one of these sales for yourself.
If you’re an educator with a verifiable email address though, you won’t need to wait for a sale. Supporting the concept of “Information is Power” Shodan also provides free resources to the education community as well. Simply send an email to the team from your education email address to receive your Academic membership at no cost whatsoever. Nice!

Legality

While Hollywood tends to paint hackers as staying on the wrong side of the law, the reality is there are many “white hat” or ethical hackers that contribute to the security of the modern internet while staying within the confines of the law. It’s fair to say though that tools like Shodan provide the cybersecurity industry with an interesting quandry.
While Shodan is legal, what some researchers chose to do with the data they’ve obtained might not be. So, we’re left with a unique position where while Shodan is a very useful tool for ethical researchers it’s a great enumeration tool for bad actors as well.
Most researchers understand the role that tools like this play in the modern world, however when discussing these types of tools with the general public can lead to some interesting responses. It can be an overload of data if you’re not used to what you’re looking at, but for researchers, it can be a great tool for education if presented in the right way.

Now Go Search!

Despite an overload of training resources, learning new tools can sometimes be a bit tricky. That’s what resources like Hackthebox or TryHackMe aim to fix with their study resources.
For many people though, one of the best ways to become familiar with a new toy or tool is to just use it and in these circumstances, Shodan is no different.
Providing you understand some basic concepts, Shodan can help you expand your own knowledge of different systems as well as work out what search strings and phrases are useful for uncovering information.
So, don’t let them intimidate you if you’re just starting off. The best way to learn about this type of thing can often be to just throw yourself into a situation where you’re doing your learning hands-on.
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