(ak´tiv ri-kon´&-zents)
(n.) The process of collecting information about an intended target of a malicious
hack by probing the target system. Active reconnaissance typically involves
port scanning in order to find weaknesses in the target system (i.e., which
ports are left vulnerable and/or if there are ways around the
firewall and
routers). The process of exploiting the system can then be carried out once the hacker has found a way to access the system.
Compare with passive reconnaissance.
