200-201 Security Concepts Practice Question
An attacker sends a fraudulent email that appears to come from the company's IT department, requesting that the recipient click a link and enter their login credentials. Which type of social engineering attack is this?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between generic phishing and spear phishing, where the trap is that candidates confuse a broad phishing email with a targeted one, but the question lacks any indication of personalization or specific targeting, making 'Phishing' the correct choice over 'Spear phishing'.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Phishing
This is a phishing attack because the attacker uses a fraudulent email that impersonates a trusted entity (the IT department) to trick the recipient into clicking a malicious link and entering sensitive login credentials. Phishing is a broad category of social engineering that relies on deceptive electronic communications, typically email, to harvest credentials or deliver malware.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Vishing
Why it's wrong here
Vishing uses voice calls, not email.
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Phishing
Why this is correct
Phishing is a broad term for fraudulent emails asking for credentials.
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Pretexting
Why it's wrong here
Pretexting involves creating a fabricated scenario to obtain information, often via phone.
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Spear phishing
Why it's wrong here
Spear phishing targets a specific individual, but the scenario does not indicate targeting a specific person.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 200-201 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Cisco certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 200-201 exam.