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Difference between Active Attack and Passive Attack

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Active Attacks: Active attacks are the type of attacks in which, The attacker efforts to change or modify the content of messages. Active Attack is dangerous to Integrity as well as availability. Due to active attack system is always damaged and System resources can be changed. The most important thing is that, In an active attack, Victim gets informed about the attack.

Passive Attacks: Passive Attacks are the type of attacks in which, The attacker observes the content of messages or copies the content of messages. Passive Attack is a danger to Confidentiality. Due to passive attack, there is no harm to the system. The most important thing is that In a passive attack, Victim does not get informed about the attack. 

Prerequisite – Types of Security attacks | Active and Passive attacks 

Difference between Active Attack and Passive Attack:

Active Attack Passive Attack
In an active attack, Modification in information takes place. While in a passive attack, Modification in the information does not take place.
Active Attack is a danger to Integrity as well as availability. Passive Attack is a danger to Confidentiality.
In an active attack, attention is on prevention. While in passive attack attention is on detection.
Due to active attacks, the execution system is always damaged. While due to passive attack, there is no harm to the system.
In an active attack, Victim gets informed about the attack. While in a passive attack, Victim does not get informed about the attack.
In an active attack, System resources can be changed. While in passive attack, System resources are not changing.
Active attack influences the services of the system. While in a passive attack, information and messages in the system or network are acquired.
In an active attack, information collected through passive attacks is used during execution. While passive attacks are performed by collecting information such as passwords, and messages by themselves.
An active attack is tough to restrict from entering systems or networks. Passive Attack is easy to prohibit in comparison to active attack.
Can be easily detected. Very difficult to detect.
The purpose of an active attack is to harm the ecosystem. The purpose of a passive attack is to learn about the ecosystem.
In an active attack, the original information is modified. In passive attack original information is Unaffected.
The duration of an active attack is short. The duration of a passive attack is long.
The prevention possibility of active attack is High  The prevention possibility of passive attack is low.
Complexity is High  Complexity is low.

Last Updated : 17 Jan, 2023
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