Network Attacks

• Different types of network attacks

  • Passive attack 
  • Active attack 
  • Insider attack 
  • Brute force attack 
  • Denial of service attack
• Passive attack


  • A passive attack is where someone monitors data traveling on a network and intercepts any sensitive information they find 
  • They use network-monitoring hardware and software such as packet sniffers 
  • Passive attacks are hard to detect as the hacker is quietly listening 
  • The best defence against passive attacks is data encryption
• Lawful Interception

  Government agencies sometimes use data interception for cyber security purposes - This is called Lawful Interception
• Active attack

  • An active attack is where someone attacks a network with malware or other planned attacks 
  • They are more easily detected - the main defence against them is a firewall
• Insider attack

  An insider attack is where someone within an organisation exploits their network access to steal information
• Brute force attack

  • A brute force attack is a type of active attack used to gain information by cracking passwords through trial and error 
  • Brute force attacks use automated software to produce hundreds of likely password combinations by combining real words with predictable number sequences 
  • Hackers may try lots of passwords against one username or vice versa 
  • Simple measures like locking accounts after a certain number of attempts and using strong passwords will reduce the risk of a brute force attack
• Denial-of-service attack


  • A denial-of-service attack (DoS) is where a hacker tries to stop users from accessing a part of a network or website 
  • Most DoS attacks involve flooding the network with useless traffic 
  • This makes the network slow or completely inaccessible