220-1102 Security Practice Question
A user receives a phone call from someone claiming to be from the IT help desk. The caller says there is a security problem with the user's account and asks the user to provide their password to resolve the issue. Which type of social engineering attack does this describe?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse the medium of the attack (phone call) with the general term 'phishing,' but the CompTIA exam distinguishes vishing as a separate social engineering variant specifically tied to voice communication.
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
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Vishing
This is vishing (voice phishing) because the attack is carried out over a phone call, where the attacker impersonates IT help desk personnel to socially engineer the victim into revealing their password. Unlike phishing (email) or smishing (SMS), vishing specifically uses voice communication to bypass technical controls and exploit human trust.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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Phishing
Why it's wrong here
Phishing is a broad social engineering category that typically uses email or malicious web links, often with spoofed sender addresses or infected attachments, to harvest credentials. This scenario is a real-time voice call, not an electronic message, so while the intent is similar, the delivery vector does not match the technical definition of phishing. In CompTIA terminology, the voice-based variant is specifically classified as vishing.
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Vishing
Why this is correct
Vishing, or voice phishing, is the correct classification because the attack occurs over a telephone call, often using VoIP with caller ID spoofing to impersonate a legitimate organization. The caller exploits the urgency and lack of visual cues in a voice conversation to directly request the user's password, which is a classic vishing tactic. Unlike broader phishing or pretexting, vishing is specifically defined by the real-time voice channel and the immediate social engineering of the victim.
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Smishing
Why it's wrong here
Smishing refers to phishing conducted via SMS or text messaging, using short links or instructions to reply with personal data. It is an asynchronous, text-based channel, whereas this scenario involves a live phone call with a human attacker. Because the user receives a voice call rather than a text message, smishing is not the appropriate term for this attack.
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Pretexting
Why it's wrong here
Pretexting involves creating a false scenario (pretext) to obtain information, often via phone, but it is a broader category. Vishing is a more specific term for a phone call designed to trick the victim into providing information directly.
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Password Managers and Best Practices
Key term
Security
Security in IT is the practice of protecting systems, networks, and data from unauthorized access, damage, or theft.
Key term
Social engineering
Social engineering is the psychological manipulation of people into divulging confidential information or performing actions that compromise security.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 220-1102 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA 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 220-1102 exam.