Word of the Day: passive reconnaissance

Word of the Day Daily updates on the latest technology terms |October 23, 2017

passive reconnaissance Passive reconnaissance is an attempt to gain information about targeted computers and networks without actively engaging with the system. In contrast, an attacker engages with the target system during active reconnaissance, typically conducting a port scan to find open ports. The term reconnaissance comes from its military use to describe an information-gathering mission. Methods of passive reconnaissance include: Performing an advanced Google search to gather information about a website. War driving to detect vulnerable wireless networks. Using a free online tool like Netcraft to gather information about webservers. Looking for information stored on discarded computers and other devices. Reconnaissance is an important part of ethical hacking and bug bounty programs. In this proactive approach to security management, security experts mimic the behavior of attackers in order to identify vulnerabilities. The use of both a firewall and an intrusion prevention system (IPS) can make reconnaissance more difficult. The firewall controls to which ports are exposed and to whom they are visible, while the IPS will detect port scans in progress and shut them down. Both active and passive reconnaissance are sometimes referred to as passive attacks because the purpose is simply to obtain information, rather than to actively exploit the target. However, both types of reconnaissance are often a preliminary step towards exploiting the target system. Quote of the Day "The more information a security administrator has about a cloud platform, the better the organization can protect and monitor it. There are many ways to gather this information, both passively, through cloud reconnaissance, and actively, through cloud enumeration." - Frank Siemons   Trending Terms active reconnaissance war driving ethical hacker passive attack intrusion prevention vulnerability analysis   Learning Center Why cloud reconnaissance is crucial to a secure cloud environment Cloud reconnaissance and enumeration are important aspects of securing an enterprise cloud environment. Here's a look at why, and how to accomplish it. Understanding footprinting as a predecessor to cyberattacks Footprinting is an early step in cyberattacks, so enterprises should have a solid understanding of what exactly it is. Expert Ernie Hayden explains the process. How to use threat intelligence metrics to attain relevant data Determining the right threat intelligence metrics for your organization is a crucial step for improving security. Here's how to get threat metrics right. What are the best anti-network reconnaissance tools for Linux systems? Network reconnaissance attackers on Linux and Ubuntu can be prevented with several different tools and methods. Find out the best ones for the job. Network lateral movement from an attacker's perspective The network lateral movement process from an attacker's point of view and a security researcher details what security professionals should watch out for. Quiz Yourself These are also known as ethical hackers and strive to operate in the public's best interest, rather than to create turmoil. a. What are black hat hackers? b. What are white hat hackers? Answer   Stay In Touch For feedback about any of our definitions or to suggest a new definition, please contact me at: mrouse@techtarget.com   Visit the Word of the Day Archives and catch up on what you've missed!   FOLLOW US About This E-Newsletter This e-newsletter is published by the TechTarget network. To unsubscribe from Whatis.com, click here. Please note, this will not affect any other subscriptions you have signed up for. TechTarget, Whatis, 275 Grove Street, Newton, MA 02466. Contact: webmaster@techtarget.com Copyright 2016 TechTarget. All rights reserved.