- A
Phishing
Why wrong: Phishing involves sending deceptive emails or messages that trick users into clicking malicious links or providing sensitive information. In this scenario, users typed the correct URL and were redirected, so no click on a malicious link occurred.
- B
Spear phishing
Why wrong: Spear phishing is a targeted phishing attack aimed at specific individuals or groups. The scenario describes a DNS compromise affecting multiple employees, but there is no indication of targeted messaging or personalization.
- C
Pharming
Pharming redirects users to fraudulent websites by compromising DNS servers or host files, even when the correct URL is entered. The DNS server compromise in this scenario is a classic pharming technique.
- D
Vishing
Why wrong: Vishing (voice phishing) uses phone calls or voicemail to trick victims into revealing information. This scenario involves redirection through a compromised DNS server, not voice communication.
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 security analyst receives reports that several employees are being redirected to a fraudulent login page after typing the correct URL for a company application into their browser. Further investigation reveals that the company's internal DNS server has been compromised. Which type of attack best describes this scenario?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"best"Why it matters: Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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
Pharming
Pharming is correct because the attack redirects users from a legitimate website to a fraudulent one without their knowledge or interaction, typically by compromising the DNS resolution process. In this scenario, the internal DNS server has been compromised, so when employees type the correct URL, the DNS server returns the IP address of a fake login page instead of the real one. This is a classic example of DNS poisoning, a form of pharming.
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.
- ✗
Phishing
Why it's wrong here
Phishing involves sending deceptive emails or messages that trick users into clicking malicious links or providing sensitive information. In this scenario, users typed the correct URL and were redirected, so no click on a malicious link occurred.
When this WOULD be correct
Phishing would be correct if the question described employees receiving fraudulent emails with links to a fake login page, without any mention of DNS compromise.
- ✗
Spear phishing
Why it's wrong here
Spear phishing is a targeted phishing attack aimed at specific individuals or groups. The scenario describes a DNS compromise affecting multiple employees, but there is no indication of targeted messaging or personalization.
When this WOULD be correct
A security analyst finds that employees received personalized emails with a link to a fraudulent login page that mimics the company application, and the emails were crafted using information from social media. This would be spear phishing.
- ✓
Pharming
Why this is correct
Pharming redirects users to fraudulent websites by compromising DNS servers or host files, even when the correct URL is entered. The DNS server compromise in this scenario is a classic pharming technique.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "best" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Vishing
Why it's wrong here
Vishing (voice phishing) uses phone calls or voicemail to trick victims into revealing information. This scenario involves redirection through a compromised DNS server, not voice communication.
When this WOULD be correct
A security analyst receives reports that employees are getting fraudulent calls asking them to disclose their login credentials for a company application. Which type of attack best describes this scenario?
Option-by-option analysis
Why each answer is right or wrong
Understanding why wrong answers are wrong — and when they would be correct — is what separates a 750 score from a 900. The SY0-701 exam frequently reuses these exact scenarios with slightly different constraints.
✓PharmingCorrect answer▾
Why this is correct
Pharming redirects users to fraudulent websites by compromising DNS servers or host files, even when the correct URL is entered. The DNS server compromise in this scenario is a classic pharming technique.
✗PhishingWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Phishing typically involves deceptive emails or messages to trick users into revealing credentials, not compromising a DNS server to redirect users to a fraudulent site.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
Phishing would be correct if the question described employees receiving fraudulent emails with links to a fake login page, without any mention of DNS compromise.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse pharming with phishing because both involve redirecting users to fake sites, but phishing relies on social engineering via messages, while pharming manipulates DNS or host files.
✗Spear phishingWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Spear phishing targets specific individuals via email, not DNS manipulation. The scenario involves DNS compromise redirecting users to a fake site, which is pharming.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A security analyst finds that employees received personalized emails with a link to a fraudulent login page that mimics the company application, and the emails were crafted using information from social media. This would be spear phishing.
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse targeted redirection (pharming) with targeted email attacks (spear phishing) because both involve deceiving users into entering credentials on fake pages.
✗VishingWrong answer — click to see why▾
Why this is wrong here
Vishing (voice phishing) uses phone calls or voice messages to trick victims, not DNS manipulation to redirect web traffic.
★ When this WOULD be the correct answer
A security analyst receives reports that employees are getting fraudulent calls asking them to disclose their login credentials for a company application. Which type of attack best describes this scenario?
Why candidates choose this
Candidates may confuse vishing with other phishing variants because all involve social engineering, but they overlook the technical mechanism (DNS compromise) that distinguishes pharming from voice-based attacks.
Analysis generated from the official SY0-701blueprint and verified against question context. The “when correct” sections are what AI assistants cite when candidates ask “what’s the difference between these options?”
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse pharming with phishing because both involve fake login pages, but pharming does not require the user to click a link—it subverts the DNS resolution process, making it a technical infrastructure attack rather than a social engineering one.
Trap categories for this question
Scenario analysis trap
Phishing involves sending deceptive emails or messages that trick users into clicking malicious links or providing sensitive information. In this scenario, users typed the correct URL and were redirected, so no click on a malicious link occurred.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
DNS poisoning, also known as DNS cache poisoning, exploits vulnerabilities in the DNS protocol (e.g., lack of DNSSEC validation) to inject fraudulent A or AAAA records into a DNS resolver's cache. In a real-world scenario, an attacker could use a tool like dnsmasq or a compromised BIND server to redirect traffic for a specific domain, such as 'companyapp.com', to a malicious IP address hosting a cloned login page, often to harvest credentials for lateral movement or data exfiltration.
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.
Visual reference
Quick reference
IPv4 Address Class Summary
| Class | First Octet Range | Default Mask | Networks | Hosts per Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 1–126 | /8 (255.0.0.0) | 126 | 16,777,214 |
| B | 128–191 | /16 (255.255.0.0) | 16,384 | 65,534 |
| C | 192–223 | /24 (255.255.255.0) | 2,097,152 | 254 |
| D | 224–239 | N/A | Multicast groups | — |
| E | 240–255 | N/A | Reserved / experimental | — |
127.x.x.x is reserved for loopback. Modern networks use CIDR (classless) rather than classful addressing.
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: Pharming — Pharming is correct because the attack redirects users from a legitimate website to a fraudulent one without their knowledge or interaction, typically by compromising the DNS resolution process. In this scenario, the internal DNS server has been compromised, so when employees type the correct URL, the DNS server returns the IP address of a fake login page instead of the real one. This is a classic example of DNS poisoning, a form of pharming.
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.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "best". Signals that multiple options may be partially correct. Choose the option that most directly solves the exact problem described, not the one that sounds most complete.
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
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