3D scanning is the process of capturing an object’s shape in digital form, usually by measuring surfaces with cameras, lasers, or structured light and converting those measurements into a model. In photogrammetry, the scanner may build geometry from overlapping photos; in other systems, sensors directly measure depth or distance.
It matters in cyber security because accurate digital replicas support forensics, industrial inspection, access-control testing, and digital twin workflows. Attackers may also use 3D scanning to map facilities, objects, or devices for planning physical intrusion or replication. Defenders use it to document evidence, verify integrity, and spot tampering. The mirror-based setup in this article shows a simple principle: changing what the camera can see changes what the 3D pipeline can reconstruct.