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.
Several employees receive a text message that says their payroll deposit failed and they must tap a link to verify account details. The link opens a fake login page. What type of attack is this?
Phishing
Why wrong: Phishing is the broader term, but this message specifically arrived by text message.
Smishing
Smishing is phishing delivered through SMS or other text messaging services.
Pretexting
Why wrong: Pretexting is a fabricated story used to manipulate someone, but the delivery method here is text.
Baiting
Why wrong: Baiting involves an attractive lure, such as free software or a found USB drive, not a payroll text.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
Smishing
Smishing is a form of phishing that uses SMS (Short Message Service) text messages as the attack vector. In this scenario, the attacker sends a fraudulent text message claiming a payroll deposit failure and includes a link to a fake login page, which is the classic mechanism of smishing. The attack relies on social engineering via SMS to trick the recipient into revealing sensitive credentials.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
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 the broader term, but this message specifically arrived by text message.
Smishing
Why this is correct
Smishing is phishing delivered through SMS or other text messaging services.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Pretexting
Why it's wrong here
Pretexting is a fabricated story used to manipulate someone, but the delivery method here is text.
Baiting
Why it's wrong here
Baiting involves an attractive lure, such as free software or a found USB drive, not a payroll text.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often confuse 'smishing' with general 'phishing' because they do not differentiate the delivery vector (SMS vs. email), but the SY0-701 exam expects you to identify the specific attack type based on the communication channel used.
Detailed technical explanation
Smishing attacks often use SMS gateways or compromised mobile numbers to bypass email security filters, and the fake login page may be hosted on a lookalike domain using homograph attacks (e.g., replacing 'o' with '0') to evade detection. The attacker may also employ URL shorteners (e.g., bit.ly) to obscure the malicious destination, and the page itself can capture credentials via a simple HTTP POST to a remote server. In real-world scenarios, attackers frequently target payroll or banking systems because of the high likelihood of user compliance due to financial urgency.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Mitigations — This question tests Threats, Vulnerabilities, and Mitigations — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: Smishing — Smishing is a form of phishing that uses SMS (Short Message Service) text messages as the attack vector. In this scenario, the attacker sends a fraudulent text message claiming a payroll deposit failure and includes a link to a fake login page, which is the classic mechanism of smishing. The attack relies on social engineering via SMS to trick the recipient into revealing sensitive credentials.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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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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