- A
Spear phishing
Why wrong: Spear phishing is a targeted email attack that tricks the recipient into clicking a malicious link or opening an attachment. This question involves a phone call, not email.
- B
Vishing
Vishing (voice phishing) is a social engineering attack conducted over the phone. The attacker impersonates a trusted entity to trick the victim into revealing sensitive information such as passwords and MFA codes.
- C
Pretexting
Why wrong: Pretexting is the act of creating a fabricated scenario (pretext) to obtain information, and it can be used across different communication channels. While the attacker does use a pretext in this scenario, 'vishing' is the more specific term when the attack occurs via phone. In the context of CompTIA Security+, vishing is the best answer because it directly identifies the medium (voice).
- D
Tailgating
Why wrong: Tailgating is a physical security attack where an unauthorized person follows an authorized person into a restricted area without proper credentials. This scenario involves a phone call, not physical access.
SY0-701 Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Mitigations Practice Question
This SY0-701 practice question tests your understanding of threats, vulnerabilities, and mitigations. 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.
A user receives a phone call from someone who claims to be a member of the company's IT support team. The caller states that the user's account has been compromised and requests the user's username, password, and the current multi-factor authentication (MFA) code to 'verify identity and secure the account.' Which type of social engineering attack is being attempted?
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
Vishing
B is correct because vishing (voice phishing) is a social engineering attack conducted over the phone, where the attacker impersonates a trusted entity (IT support) to trick the victim into revealing sensitive information such as credentials and MFA codes. The request for the current MFA code is a key indicator, as it would allow the attacker to bypass multi-factor authentication in real time.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Spear phishing
Why it's wrong here
Spear phishing is a targeted email attack that tricks the recipient into clicking a malicious link or opening an attachment. This question involves a phone call, not email.
- ✓
Vishing
Why this is correct
Vishing (voice phishing) is a social engineering attack conducted over the phone. The attacker impersonates a trusted entity to trick the victim into revealing sensitive information such as passwords and MFA codes.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Pretexting
Why it's wrong here
Pretexting is the act of creating a fabricated scenario (pretext) to obtain information, and it can be used across different communication channels. While the attacker does use a pretext in this scenario, 'vishing' is the more specific term when the attack occurs via phone. In the context of CompTIA Security+, vishing is the best answer because it directly identifies the medium (voice).
- ✗
Tailgating
Why it's wrong here
Tailgating is a physical security attack where an unauthorized person follows an authorized person into a restricted area without proper credentials. This scenario involves a phone call, not physical access.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is confusing vishing with pretexting, as both involve deception, but vishing specifically uses voice (phone) as the attack vector, while pretexting is a broader category that can occur through any communication channel.
Trap categories for this question
Scenario analysis trap
Pretexting is the act of creating a fabricated scenario (pretext) to obtain information, and it can be used across different communication channels. While the attacker does use a pretext in this scenario, 'vishing' is the more specific term when the attack occurs via phone. In the context of CompTIA Security+, vishing is the best answer because it directly identifies the medium (voice).
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Vishing exploits the trust associated with voice communication, often using caller ID spoofing to display a legitimate company number. The attacker's request for the current MFA code is particularly dangerous because time-based one-time passwords (TOTP) or push notification codes are valid for only a short window, and if the attacker uses it immediately, they can authenticate as the user before the code expires. Real-world vishing campaigns frequently target help desk credentials to gain initial access for lateral movement within a network.
KKey Concepts to Remember
- Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
- Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
- Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
- Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
An employee at a financial services firm receives an email that appears to come from the IT helpdesk, asking them to reset their password via a link. The link leads to a convincing fake portal that harvests credentials. Security teams use phishing simulations and security-awareness training to reduce this attack vector. Questions like this test whether you can identify social engineering techniques and appropriate controls.
What to study next
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this SY0-701 question test?
Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Mitigations — This question tests Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Mitigations — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Vishing — B is correct because vishing (voice phishing) is a social engineering attack conducted over the phone, where the attacker impersonates a trusted entity (IT support) to trick the victim into revealing sensitive information such as credentials and MFA codes. The request for the current MFA code is a key indicator, as it would allow the attacker to bypass multi-factor authentication in real time.
What should I do if I get this SY0-701 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
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Last reviewed: Jun 11, 2026
This SY0-701 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 SY0-701 exam.
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