Quick Answer
The correct answer is vishing, a voice phishing attack that exploits social engineering over phone calls. This scenario is a textbook example because the attacker impersonates IT support—a trusted authority—to manipulate the victim into performing a sensitive action like a password reset, which bypasses technical security controls by targeting human trust. On the Cisco CyberOps Associate 200-201 exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish vishing from other social engineering variants like phishing (email) or smishing (SMS), often appearing in incident response scenarios where the communication medium is the key clue. A common trap is confusing vishing with pretexting, but remember: vishing always involves a direct voice call, while pretexting is a broader fabrication of identity that can occur through any channel. To lock it in, think “V for Voice, V for Vishing”—if the attack comes through a phone call, it’s vishing every time.
This 200-201 practice question tests your understanding of security concepts. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A help desk receives a phone call from someone claiming to be from IT and requesting a password reset. What type of attack is this?
Social engineering
Why wrong: Social engineering is a broader category; the specific attack here is vishing.
Phishing
Why wrong: Phishing is usually via email or messages, not phone calls.
Malware
Why wrong: Malware involves malicious software, not phone calls.
Vishing
Vishing is voice phishing conducted over phone calls.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Vishing
Vishing (voice phishing) is a social engineering attack conducted over voice communication, such as a phone call, where the attacker impersonates a legitimate entity (e.g., IT support) to trick the victim into revealing sensitive information or performing an action like a password reset. This matches the scenario exactly: a phone call from someone claiming to be from IT requesting a password reset.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
Social engineering
Why it's wrong here
Social engineering is a broader category; the specific attack here is vishing.
Phishing
Why it's wrong here
Phishing is usually via email or messages, not phone calls.
Malware
Why it's wrong here
Malware involves malicious software, not phone calls.
Vishing
Why this is correct
Vishing is voice phishing conducted over phone calls.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Cisco often tests the distinction between the general category (social engineering) and the specific attack vector (vishing, phishing, smishing), so the trap here is that candidates see 'social engineering' and select it without recognizing that the question asks for the specific type of attack based on the communication method (phone call).
Detailed technical explanation
Vishing exploits the human element by using caller ID spoofing (e.g., manipulating the SIP header or using a VoIP service to display a fake number) to appear as an internal IT extension. Attackers often combine vishing with pretexting, creating a fabricated scenario (e.g., 'urgent security update') to lower the victim's guard. In real-world attacks, this can bypass multi-factor authentication if the victim provides the one-time code over the phone.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
What to study next
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FAQ
Security Concepts — This question tests Security Concepts — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Vishing — Vishing (voice phishing) is a social engineering attack conducted over voice communication, such as a phone call, where the attacker impersonates a legitimate entity (e.g., IT support) to trick the victim into revealing sensitive information or performing an action like a password reset. This matches the scenario exactly: a phone call from someone claiming to be from IT requesting a password reset.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 25, 2026
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.
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