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200-201 Practice Question: Which TWO are common indicators of a phishing…
Which TWO are common indicators of a phishing email? (Select two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the distinction between generic phishing (mass, untargeted) and spear phishing (targeted, personalized), so candidates mistakenly select 'Personal salutation' as a common indicator when it actually indicates a more advanced attack, not a typical phishing email.
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
✓
Urgent call to action
Phishing emails often create a false sense of urgency to pressure recipients into acting without verifying the source. An urgent call to action, such as 'Your account will be suspended in 24 hours,' is a classic social engineering tactic that exploits fear or time pressure to bypass rational scrutiny.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Urgent call to action
Why this is correct
Phishing creates urgency to trick victims into acting quickly.
- ✗
Personal salutation
Why it's wrong here
Personalized greetings may indicate spear phishing, but not a common bulk phishing indicator.
- ✓
Generic greeting
Why this is correct
Phishing often uses generic salutations like 'Dear User'.
- ✗
Proper spelling and grammar
Why it's wrong here
Phishing emails often contain errors, but proper grammar is not a reliable indicator.
- ✗
Matching sender domain
Why it's wrong here
Matching domain suggests legitimacy; spoofed domains are a sign of phishing.
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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.