Reconnaissance attack

As explained in Introduction to Generative AI, Second Edition

Reconnaissance is the systematic collection of information about a target's systems, people, or environment before or during an attack.

A reconnaissance attack gathers information about a target before or during an attack. Generative artificial intelligence (AI) can automate this work, making cyber operations faster, cheaper, and more accessible without changing their basic structure. section 5.2

Reconnaissance also supports defense. AI agents such as PentestGPT can simulate attackers, scan networks, follow multistep penetration-testing procedures, and identify exploitable vulnerabilities before malicious actors do. section 8.7

AI-assisted reconnaissance appears in several related activities:

• Mapping organizational infrastructure and discovering vulnerabilities during cyber operations. section 5.2
• Scanning networks and gathering context during authorized penetration testing. section 8.7
• Supporting broader phishing, fraud, malware, and social-engineering campaigns. section 5.2

Figure 5.3 Attack pathways and targets in cyber and social engineering attacks enabled by generative AI [18]

Use the attack-pathway overview to relate reconnaissance to cyber and social-engineering targets enabled by generative AI. section 5.2

How Introduction to Generative AI, Second Edition covers it

How deep it goes

Explains infrastructure mapping, network scanning, and vulnerability identification, but stops short of implementation details.

Examples

Uses APT infrastructure mapping and PentestGPT network scanning as examples of AI-assisted reconnaissance.

What you can do after

Evaluate how AI-assisted reconnaissance accelerates attack preparation and supports authorized vulnerability assessment.

How it connects

Connects reconnaissance to infrastructure mapping, vulnerability discovery, penetration testing, malware, phishing, and social engineering.

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Also explained in

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  Acing the CCNA Exam: Volume 2 Advanced Networking and SecurityA reconnaissance attack gathers information about a target for use in a future attack.

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Related concepts

• continuous improvementpart of · Continuous improvement is an ongoing process of evaluating outcomes and making successive changes to improve a system, process, or result.
• pipelineused by · A pipeline is an ordered or coordinated sequence of connected processing stages or tasks that passes data, work, or results toward an outcome.
• planningconfigured by · Planning is the process of formulating and organizing intended actions or steps toward a goal, often accounting for dependencies, conditions, or constraints.

This explainer was generated by Manning's knowledge graph from the text of Introduction to Generative AI, Second Edition. The section links point to the parts of the book it draws on.