passive attack
An actual assault perpetrated by an intentional threat source that attempts to learn or make use of information from a system, but does not attempt to alter the system, its resources, its data, or its operations.
Senses
Sense 1
An actual assault perpetrated by an intentional threat source that attempts to learn or make use of information from a system, but does not attempt to alter the system, its resources, its data, or its operations.
References
- NICCS (CISA) Cybersecurity VocabularyJan 06, 2026NICCS glossary export (CSV)https://niccs.cisa.gov/rest/vocab/export-csvNICCS is a CISA (DHS) program. Individual glossary entries include a "From" attribution (e.g., CNSSI 4009, NIST SPs, NICE Framework). Treat "From" values as upstream provenance and verify before quoting large portions of text.Source: NICCS (CISA) Cybersecurity Vocabulary (niccs.cisa.gov).