---
title: "What is a passive attack in network security?"  
description: "What is a passive attack in network security?"  
author: "Mukul Goenka"  
published: 2022-05-05  
canonical: https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/97158/what-is-a-passive-attack-in-network-security  
category: "troubleshooting"  
tags: ["troubleshooting", "network-security", "networking"]  
reading_time: 1 minute  

---

# What is a passive attack in network security?

What is a [passive](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/39534/before-mahatma-gandhi-who-had-devised-the-doctrine-of-passive-resistance-by-leading-a-no-rent-campaign) attack in network security?

## Answers

### Answer by Hitesh Vohra

![What is a passive attack in network security?](https://answers.mindstick.com/questionanswer/acf2406b-0e01-45b2-acb4-0a4d52e8052e/images/004c52fc-50a5-4d4c-86d6-a5489b659ee0.jpeg)\

- A **passive [network](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/50988/how-to-connect-to-a-hidden-wi-fi-network) a**ssault is one in which a system is monitored and occasionally checked for open ports and vulnerabilities. The goal of a passive assault is to gather knowledge about the target system without taking any direct action against it.
- Active and passive reconnaissance are examples of passive attacks. Reconnaissance is a military phrase that refers to the process of exploring hostile territory in order to obtain intelligence. Reconnaissance is the act of examining a system or network in order to acquire information before launching a complete attack in the context of computer security.

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**Read More: [What is a birthday attack in network security?](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/97159/what-is-a-birthday-attack-in-network-security)**


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Original Source: https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/97158/what-is-a-passive-attack-in-network-security

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