e\u00b7nu\u00b7mer\u00b7a\u00b7tion | \u0259\u02ccno\u035eom\u0259\u02c8r\u0101SH(\u0259)n | noun<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1<\/p>\n\n\n\n
: the action of mentioning a number of things one by one : also, the action of establishing the number of something (Oxford)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
: the act or process of making or stating a list of things one after another : also, the list itself (Merriam-Webster)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
: a neat way to assign names to numbers (r\/csharp, Reddit<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2<\/p>\n\n\n\n : ethical hacking : a method of extracting a system\u2019s valid usernames, machine names, share names, directory names, and other information (EC Council Cybersecurity Exchange<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n : list of all entities of a certain kind, in a flat view (Microsoft)<\/p>\n\n\n\n : process of actively gathering detailed information about a target system or network, including usernames, passwords, open ports, services, and network infrastructure (Google AI)<\/p>\n\n\n\n : 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<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Historical Context<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Did you know that the first known use of the word, “enumeration,” dates back to 1551? Thank you, Merriam-Webster, for the fun fact!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since then, it\u2019s been used to describe a fictional event that takes place much, much earlier with remarkable accuracy. In a translation of Homer\u2019s Iliad<\/em> by William Cullen Bryan and published by the hard work and dedication of volunteers for Standard Ebooks<\/a>, the word \u201cenumeration\u201d appears in an editorial summary to accurately describe a defense strategy that appears in the epic poem:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCatalogue of the troops and ships \u2014 Enumeration of the Trojan forces.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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<\/em>, but that’s a discussion for another post). In this context, \u201cCatalogue\u201d is used to describe a list of allied ships and \u201cenumeration\u201d is used to describe a list of enemies.<\/span> The enemies are the Trojans – or are they? <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Modern Context<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n