Final answer:
A traffic analysis attack is a security concern that studies the pattern of communication between parties to gather important information. It does not require the attacker to decrypt the actual content of the messages.
Step-by-step explanation:
The discovery of the pattern of traffic between parties is a traffic analysis attack. This type of security assault doesn't focus on the content of the messages but rather on the pattern and volume of traffic between involved parties.
By analyzing the flow of messages, an attacker may gather important information like the parties' communication habits, busy times, and possible critical information exchanges, which might be exploited for malicious purposes.
Traffic analysis attacks are of particular concern in the realm of network security and cyber warfare, where they can reveal operational patterns and sensitive information without the need to decrypt the actual messages. Defending against these attacks often involves employing strategies like consistent traffic flow, encryption, or even sending fake packets to obscure real traffic patterns.