Passive vs. active reconnaissance

While there are two different types of reconnaissance (internal and external) there are also two different ways a threat actor may approach reconnaissance—by actively engaging with a target/system themselves (active reconnaissance), or by passively allowing tools to gather intel about a target (passive reconnaissance).

Active reconnaissance entails a situation where the hacker directly interacts with the system. The hackers use such tools as automated scanners, manually testing the system, and other tools such as Netcat and ping. The aim of the active reconnaissance process is to obtain information about the system used by an organization. Active recon is known to be faster and more accurate compared to passive recon. However, it is also known to be much riskier for the hacker compared to the passive category as it tends to make more noise within the system, significantly increasing the chances of the hacker being detected within the system...