(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.
