FC0-U71 Security Practice Question
An attacker gains physical access to a building by following an employee through a secured door without using a badge. This is an example of which social engineering technique?
⚠ Common exam trap
FC0-U71 often tests the confusion between tailgating (following through a door) and pretexting (creating a false scenario), since both are social engineering techniques but differ in mechanism.
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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Tailgating
Tailgating (also called piggybacking) is the social engineering technique where an attacker follows an authorized employee through a secured door without using their own credentials. It exploits politeness or inattention rather than technical vulnerabilities, and it is a physical social engineering attack.
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 uses fraudulent emails or messages to trick victims into revealing credentials or clicking malicious links; it involves no physical proximity. It is tempting because phishing is the most commonly cited social engineering technique, but tailgating specifically describes following someone through a secured physical door.
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Baiting
Why it's wrong here
Baiting lures victims with a promise of something desirable, such as an infected USB drive left in a car park, to trigger curiosity. It is tempting because baiting also exploits human behaviour, but it requires a physical lure rather than simply walking through a door behind an authorised person.
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Pretexting
Why it's wrong here
Pretexting involves inventing a false scenario or identity, typically by phone or email, to manipulate a victim into divulging information. It is tempting because pretexting often accompanies physical intrusion, but the scenario describes unauthorised entry by following an employee, which is tailgating.
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Tailgating
Why this is correct
Tailgating occurs when an unauthorised person physically follows an authorised individual through a secured door, exploiting courtesy rather than defeating the badge reader. The stem's badge-less entry behind an employee matches this technique exactly, distinguishing it from phishing or pretexting.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official CompTIA exam blueprint
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