Active Cyber Attacks

Active cyber attacks involve actions that alter, disrupt, or damage the target system, data, or network. These attacks are often aggressive and aim to cause direct harm or gain unauthorized control.

Characteristics:

1. Alteration of Data: The attacker modifies data within the system, such as tampering with databases or altering transaction records.
2. Disruption of Services: The attacker disrupts normal operations, causing downtime or denial of service.
3. Unauthorized Access and Control: The attacker gains control over the system, often installing malware, creating backdoors, or manipulating system functionalities.
4. Detectability: These attacks are usually detectable because they cause noticeable changes or disruptions in the system.

Examples:

• Denial-of-Service (DoS) Attacks: Overloading a system to make it unavailable to users.
• Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) Attacks: Intercepting and altering communications between two parties.
• SQL Injection: Injecting malicious SQL code to manipulate databases.
• Ransomware Attacks: Encrypting data and demanding a ransom for its release.

Passive Cyber Attacks

Passive cyber attacks involve the interception, monitoring, or gathering of data without altering the target system or data. These attacks aim to collect information stealthily without causing immediate disruption or damage.

Characteristics:

1. Eavesdropping: The attacker listens in on communications or network traffic to gather sensitive information.
2. Data Harvesting: The attacker collects data over time, often for future use in more aggressive attacks or for intelligence gathering.
3. Stealth: These attacks are designed to go undetected, making them harder to identify and prevent.
4. Non-Disruptive: The target system remains unaffected in terms of functionality and performance.

Examples:

• Packet Sniffing: Capturing network traffic to analyze and extract information.
• Keylogging: Recording keystrokes to capture passwords and other sensitive data.
• Shoulder Surfing: Observing someone’s screen or keyboard to gather information.
• Traffic Analysis: Monitoring the patterns of communication without altering the data being transmitted.