220-1102 Practice Question: A technician is helping a customer configure a…

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

• ✗

  Shoulder surfing

  Why it's wrong here

  Shoulder surfing is a social engineering technique where an attacker directly observes a victim's screen or keyboard input to steal sensitive information like passwords or PINs. This method requires physical proximity to the target, allowing the attacker to visually "look over their shoulder." It does not involve remote access, pop-up alerts, or phone calls, making it irrelevant to a scenario describing a digital scam that prompts user interaction from a distance.

• ✗

  Phishing

  Why it's wrong here

  Phishing is a social engineering attack where an attacker attempts to trick individuals into revealing sensitive information, often through deceptive emails, text messages (smishing), or websites that mimic legitimate entities. While it aims to solicit information or actions, the primary vector is typically a fraudulent communication designed to appear authentic. A pop-up alert directly prompting a phone call, rather than directing to a fake website or requesting direct input, deviates from the typical phishing methodology.

• ✓

  Tech support scam

  Why this is correct

  A tech support scam is a form of social engineering where fraudsters impersonate legitimate technical support personnel or companies. They typically use unsolicited pop-up alerts, often displaying alarming security warnings or error messages, to panic users into calling a fake support number. Once contact is established, the scammers then manipulate the victim into granting remote access to their computer or paying for unnecessary "fixes," directly matching the described scenario of a pop-up prompting a phone call.

• ✗

  Dumpster diving

  Why it's wrong here

  Dumpster diving is a physical reconnaissance technique where attackers search through discarded materials, such as trash bins or recycling containers, to find sensitive information. This can include documents containing account numbers, passwords, personal details, or even hardware components. As it relies entirely on the physical retrieval of discarded items, it is completely unrelated to a digital scam involving pop-up alerts, phone calls, or remote access attempts.

Go deeper

Related to this question