Passive Reconnaissance

Definitions

1. The collection of information about a target without directly interacting with its systems in a way that the target is likely to notice. Passive reconnaissance includes public records, search engines, code repositories, leaked datasets, social media, and certificate transparency data.

   In plain English: Gathering information about a target quietly from public or indirect sources.

   Example: "The red team did passive reconnaissance first and found exposed subdomains, employee naming patterns, and vendor relationships before sending a single packet."

Related Terms

• Rootkit
• OSINT
• Nmap
• Dumpster Diving
• Fingerprinting
• Active Scanning
• Banner Grabbing
• Low and Slow Attack