e·nu·mer·a·tion | əˌno͞oməˈrāSH(ə)n | noun

1

: the action of mentioning a number of things one by one : also, the action of establishing the number of something (Oxford)

: the act or process of making or stating a list of things one after another : also, the list itself (Merriam-Webster)

: a neat way to assign names to numbers (r/csharp, Reddit)

2

: ethical hacking : a method of extracting a system’s valid usernames, machine names, share names, directory names, and other information (EC Council Cybersecurity Exchange)

: list of all entities of a certain kind, in a flat view (Microsoft)

: process of actively gathering detailed information about a target system or network, including usernames, passwords, open ports, services, and network infrastructure (Google AI)

: process used by both security professionals and attackers alike to establish a collective knowledge of the target and its assets to find the weak points that exist based on the information gathered. (CovertSwarm)

Historical Context

Did you know that the first known use of the word, “enumeration,” dates back to 1551? Thank you, Merriam-Webster, for the fun fact!

Since then, it’s been used to describe a fictional event that takes place much, much earlier with remarkable accuracy. In a translation of Homer’s Iliad by William Cullen Bryan and published by the hard work and dedication of volunteers for Standard Ebooks, the word “enumeration” appears in an editorial summary to accurately describe a defense strategy that appears in the epic poem:

“Catalogue of the troops and ships — Enumeration of the Trojan forces.”

Both lists are essentially catalogues but they describe opposite ends of the offense-defense spectrum. (One could argue “Who is the enemy?” in the Iliad, but that’s a discussion for another post). In this context, “Catalogue” is used to describe a list of allied ships and “enumeration” is used to describe a list of enemies. The enemies are the Trojans – or are they?

Modern Context

In our modern day world, malicious attackers use enumeration to extract data in their exploits. When used ethically, enumeration can be used in reverse as a cyber defense strategy to protect yourself from data leaks and scammers.

Do you want to know how to protect yourself? Let’s connect on LinkedIn! In my latest post, I share tips on how you can better protect yourself from fraudulent job listings.

Don’t forget to update your software to protect against any “Trojan horse” viruses! See what I did there? ☺️