Enumeration
Systematically listing what exists on a target: services, users, shares, and configurations.
Once a target is identified, enumeration builds the detail: which ports are open, what software and version answers, which accounts exist, which shares are readable.
It is the least glamorous and most productive phase. Most successful intrusions come from something thorough enumeration found rather than from a novel exploit.
Where this comes up
Enumeration sits inside our penetration testing work. If you are trying to work out what this means for your own environment rather than in the abstract, that is the page worth reading next, and a short call will get you a straight answer faster than either.
Related terms
Reconnaissance Gathering information about a target before attempting anything against it. Exploitation Using a discovered weakness to gain access or execute code on a target. Exposed service A system or application reachable from the internet that should not be, or should not be reachable without authentication. Default credentials The factory username and password a device or application ships with, unchanged after installation.