Which category involves observing network traffic without modifying it?

Which category involves observing network traffic without modifying it?

• A. Passive attacks
• B. Active attacks
• C. Insider Attacks
• D. Distribution Attacks

Answer: (A)

Observing network traffic without changing it is a passive activity. In a passive approach, the attacker listens to the data flowing through the network to gather information, such as usernames, secrets, or traffic patterns, without altering any packets or injecting new ones. Tools like packet sniffers or network analyzers sit quietly on a segment to capture data, making detection more challenging because there’s no tampering happening. Active attacks, by contrast, involve tampering with traffic—modifying, injecting, replaying, or blocking packets to achieve malicious goals. Insider attacks refer to someone with legitimate access who may act either passively or actively, but the defining behavior in this scenario is the act of listening without modification. Distribution attacks pertain to compromising software or hardware during the supply chain, not about monitoring network traffic.

Observing network traffic without changing it is a passive activity. In a passive approach, the attacker listens to the data flowing through the network to gather information, such as usernames, secrets, or traffic patterns, without altering any packets or injecting new ones. Tools like packet sniffers or network analyzers sit quietly on a segment to capture data, making detection more challenging because there’s no tampering happening.

Active attacks, by contrast, involve tampering with traffic—modifying, injecting, replaying, or blocking packets to achieve malicious goals. Insider attacks refer to someone with legitimate access who may act either passively or actively, but the defining behavior in this scenario is the act of listening without modification. Distribution attacks pertain to compromising software or hardware during the supply chain, not about monitoring network traffic.