Network

What Is a Passive Attack?

A passive attack is when a malicious third party gains access to a device to observe information exchange without altering it. You can liken a passive attack to an invisible intruder who peeks through your windows and follows you about in your house, learning where you keep your valuables. This invisible intruder will not touch anything but can just as easily pass the information gotten to robbers, who can then act on it.

Passive attacks generally do not interfere with your system’s running, nor do they alter the system’s resources. It is common for passive attacks to be the first step in larger, more active cyberattacks due to their unnoticeable nature.

In a passive attack, what is targeted is the confidentiality of messages or information exchanged. Attackers can observe and extract a copy of the system’s data or messages to be used later for unauthorized purposes.

Alternatively, passive attacks can be used by non-malicious individuals, such as ethical hackers, to pinpoint vulnerabilities to be corrected in a system. This concept is referred to as vulnerability assessment. Other than this, other uses of passive attacks are often malicious.

Passive attacks are the cyber version of surveillance, secretly exploring an area to get information. It can be in the form of either passive or active reconnaissance.