Maria works as a professional Ethical Hacker. She has been assigned the project of testing the Inc. In which of the following steps of malicious hacking does dumpster diving come under?

Multi-factor authentication is a security control mechanism that requires multiple verification methods for identity confirmation, not a phase or technique in the hacking methodology.

Role-based access control is an authorization model that restricts system access based on user roles, which is a defensive security concept unrelated to hacking phases.

Mutual authentication is a security protocol where both communicating parties verify each other's identity, not a stage in the ethical hacking process.

Reconnaissance is the first phase of hacking where an attacker gathers as much information as possible about the target using both passive and active methods. Dumpster diving is a passive reconnaissance technique in which an attacker searches through discarded materials - such as printouts, sticky notes, or old hardware - to find sensitive information like passwords, network diagrams, or employee details. Because it involves no direct interaction with target systems, it is classified squarely within the reconnaissance phase.