CompTIA Network+ Exam N10-007: Answer - Types of Network Attacks

Types of Network Attacks

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Question

A few weeks after starting a new position, Joe, a junior network administrator, receives a call from an internal number asking for his username and password to update some records.

Joe realizes this may be a type of attack on the network, since he has full access to network resources.

Which of the following attacks is described?

A.

Logic bomb B.

Social engineering C.

Trojan horse D.

Insider threat.

B.

Explanations

A few weeks after starting a new position, Joe, a junior network administrator, receives a call from an internal number asking for his username and password to update some records.

Joe realizes this may be a type of attack on the network, since he has full access to network resources.

Which of the following attacks is described?

A.

Logic bomb

B.

Social engineering

C.

Trojan horse

D.

Insider threat.

B.

The attack described in the scenario is most likely a social engineering attack, which is the act of manipulating people into divulging confidential information or performing some action that is not in their best interest. Social engineering attacks are a common tactic used by attackers to bypass technical security measures, such as firewalls and antivirus software.

In this scenario, the attacker is pretending to be someone from within the organization (internal number) and is asking for Joe's username and password to update some records. This is a classic example of a social engineering attack, known as phishing. The attacker is trying to trick Joe into divulging his credentials, which can be used to gain unauthorized access to the network resources.

The other options listed in the question are not applicable to the scenario. A logic bomb is a type of malware that is designed to execute a malicious code at a specific time or event. A Trojan horse is a type of malware that disguises itself as a legitimate software to gain access to a computer system. An insider threat is a security risk that comes from within the organization, such as an employee who intentionally or unintentionally causes harm to the organization's security.

In conclusion, the scenario described in the question is an example of a social engineering attack, specifically a phishing attack. It is important for organizations to train their employees to recognize and avoid such attacks, as they can have serious consequences for the organization's security and operations.