The correct answer is whaling. This is a specific form of phishing that targets high-level executives—either by impersonating them or by directly attacking them—to trick employees into authorizing sensitive actions like wire transfers or revealing confidential data. The spoofed email address with a slight typo and the urgent request for funds are classic indicators of a whaling attack, which relies on authority and pressure rather than broad, generic lures. On the CompTIA A+ Core 2 220-1202 exam, this question tests your ability to distinguish whaling from standard phishing or spear phishing; the key trap is that many students confuse it with general phishing, but whaling always involves C-suite or senior staff as either the target or the impersonated sender. A helpful memory tip: think of a whale as the biggest fish in the sea—whaling targets the biggest roles in an organization, like the CEO or CFO.
220-1102 Logical Security Concepts Practice Question
This 220-1202 practice question tests your understanding of logical 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.
An employee receives an email that appears to be from the CEO, asking them to urgently wire funds to a new vendor. The email address looks similar to the CEO's but has a slight typo. What type of social engineering attack is this?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Whaling
This is a classic whaling attack, a form of phishing that targets high-level executives or impersonates them to trick employees into performing actions like wire transfers. The spoofed email address and urgent request are typical indicators. Whaling is a specific type of social engineering focused on senior staff.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Phishing
Why it's wrong here
Phishing is a broad term; this scenario specifically targets a senior executive (the CEO), making it whaling.
✓
Whaling
Why this is correct
Whaling is a targeted phishing attack against high-profile individuals like the CEO, often involving impersonation.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
✗
Spear phishing
Why it's wrong here
Spear phishing is targeted at a specific individual, but whaling is the subset that targets executives specifically.
✗
Vishing
Why it's wrong here
Vishing uses voice calls, not email.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Trap categories for this question
Scenario analysis trap
Phishing is a broad term; this scenario specifically targets a senior executive (the CEO), making it whaling.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
→Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
→Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
→Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
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.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this 220-1202 question in full detail.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related 220-1202 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Logical Security Concepts — This question tests Logical Security Concepts — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Whaling — This is a classic whaling attack, a form of phishing that targets high-level executives or impersonates them to trick employees into performing actions like wire transfers. The spoofed email address and urgent request are typical indicators. Whaling is a specific type of social engineering focused on senior staff.
What should I do if I get this 220-1202 question wrong?
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related 220-1202 NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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Question Discussion
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