Which type of reconnaissance involves actively probing for vulnerabilities?

Active reconnaissance is a method used in cybersecurity to identify vulnerabilities by directly engaging with the target system or network. This typically involves techniques such as port scanning, service identification, and vulnerability scanning, where the attacker actively sends requests to the target and analyzes the responses. This approach allows the attacker to gather detailed information about the systems and exploit potential weaknesses.

In contrast, other reconnaissance types collect information without direct interaction with the target. For example, passive reconnaissance gathers data from public sources or network traffic without alerting the target, which does not involve probing for vulnerabilities. Network reconnaissance could refer broadly to understanding network environments but may not specifically imply the proactive assessment of vulnerabilities inherent to active reconnaissance.

Thus, the essence of active reconnaissance lies in its hands-on tactics to discover and assess security flaws, making it the correct choice in this context.