Passive attack

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A passive attack on a cryptosystem is one in which the cryptanalyst cannot interact with any of the parties involved, attempting to break the system solely based upon observed data (i.e. the ciphertext). This can also include known plaintext attacks where both the plaintext and its corresponding ciphertext are known.

While most classical ciphers are vulnerable to this form of attack, most modern ciphers are designed to prevent this type of attack above all others.

Contents 1 Attributes 2 Types 3 Further reading 4 See also

[edit] Attributes

• Non-evasive eavesdropping and monitoring of transmissions
• Because data unaffected, tricky to detect
• Emphasis on prevention (encryption) not detection
• Sometimes referred to as “tapping”

[edit] Types

• Release of message contents – unauthorized party gaining access to confidential information
• Traffic Analysis – discovering and tracking patterns in message time, length, frequency and location of transmitting parties

[edit] Further reading

• Cryptography and Network Security By William Stallings

[edit] See also

• Chosen plaintext attack
• Chosen ciphertext attack
• Adaptive chosen ciphertext attack
• Topics in cryptography