What type of attack involves a hacker probing for the weakest link in a company's chain of trust?

Transitive trust is a concept referring to a chain of trust established between different entities or systems within an organization. When an attacker probes for the weakest link in this chain, they exploit weaknesses in how trust is established and maintained, allowing them potential access to unauthorized areas of the network or sensitive data.

In transitive trust scenarios, if one system trusts another, and that system is compromised, the attacker can leverage that trust to gain access to resources that belong to the other trusted systems. Attackers may target entities or individuals that have the least amount of security or oversight, making them the most vulnerable point in the trust chain.

In this context, probing for the weakest link can involve various tactics that uncover vulnerabilities within the security posture of interconnected systems, leading to increased risk of exposure and breach. This understanding is critical for organizations to audit their security measures and ensure that trust relationships are designed to minimize susceptibility to such probing attacks.