220-1102 Practice Question: A user receives a phone call from someone…

Answer choices

Why each option matters

Good practice is not just finding the correct option. The wrong answers often show the exact trap the exam wants you to fall into.

Answer analysis

Why the other options are wrong

Understanding why incorrect options are tempting is as important as knowing the correct answer.

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  Phishing

  Phishing typically occurs via email or fraudulent websites, not over the phone.

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  Smishing

  Smishing uses SMS text messages, not phone calls.

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  Pretexting

  Pretexting involves creating a fabricated scenario (pretext) to obtain information, but vishing is the more specific term for phone-based attacks.

Technical deep dive

How to think about this question

Vishing, a portmanteau of 'voice' and 'phishing,' is a social engineering technique where attackers use telephone calls to manipulate individuals into divulging confidential information or performing actions that compromise security. In this scenario, the critical element is the phone call from the supposed IT help desk, which directly aligns with the definition of vishing. The attacker's goal was to obtain the user's domain password, a common objective in vishing attacks, by impersonating a trusted authority figure (IT support) and creating a sense of urgency or legitimacy (security audit). The success of the attack, leading to unauthorized access to sensitive data, underscores the effectiveness of vishing when users are not adequately trained to verify caller identities. This differs significantly from phishing, which primarily uses email or malicious websites to deliver its payload, and smishing, which exclusively leverages SMS text messages. While pretexting is a broader social engineering tactic involving the creation of a fabricated scenario to trick a victim, vishing is the more precise term when that fabricated scenario is delivered specifically over a voice communication channel. The 'pretext' in this case was the 'security audit' and the 'IT help desk' identity, but the *method of delivery* via phone call makes vishing the most accurate classification. Understanding these distinctions is crucial for identifying and mitigating various social engineering threats.

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