Ethical Hacking

1.10    Classification of Attacks

Not all attacks are the same, and the different attack classes are as follows:

• Active attacksThe attacker actively intervenes in the target system to exploit vulnerabilities or gain unauthorized access. Attackers use methods such as DoS attacks, session hijacking, and man-in-the-middle attacks for this purpose. Phishing can be an active attack when the attacker creates and sends fake emails or messages directly to potential victims. Active attacks are designed to manipulate the target system, steal or delete data, or compromise system integrity.

• Passive attacksThese aim to collect information from a target system without directly interfering with the system. The attacker monitors data traffic or system communications ...