- A
Spear phishing, because the caller used specific employee details to appear credible.
Why wrong: Targeted details do make the attempt more convincing, but spear phishing is usually associated with email or messaging rather than a live phone call.
- B
Vishing, because the attacker is using a voice call to pressure support staff into changing access.
Vishing is voice-based social engineering, and this scenario centers on a caller using urgency and credibility to trick the help desk into resetting access and weakening MFA controls.
- C
Pretexting, because the attacker is creating a false identity and believable story.
Why wrong: Pretexting is part of the technique, but it does not identify the delivery channel. The phone call makes vishing the more precise answer.
- D
Baiting, because the attacker offered a tempting opportunity tied to a customer demo.
Why wrong: Baiting typically uses a lure, such as free media or an infected download, not a live impersonation call to support personnel.
Quick Answer
The answer is vishing, because the attacker is using a phone call to socially engineer a help desk agent into bypassing security controls. This is correct because vishing—short for voice phishing—is a social engineering attack that exploits voice communication to manipulate victims into revealing sensitive information or performing unauthorized actions, such as resetting credentials and disabling MFA. On the Security+ SY0-701 exam, this scenario tests your ability to distinguish vishing from other social engineering types like phishing (email) or smishing (SMS); the key clue is the use of a phone call combined with urgency and pretexting. A common trap is confusing this with spear phishing, but remember that spear phishing targets a specific individual via email, not voice. To lock in the concept, think of the mnemonic “V for Voice, V for Vishing”—if the attack comes through a phone call, it’s vishing every time.
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 help desk agent receives a phone call from someone claiming to be a regional sales manager who says they are locked out before a customer demo. The caller knows a few employee names and asks the agent to reset the account and temporarily bypass MFA. What attack is most likely?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue:
"most likely"Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
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, because the attacker is using a voice call to pressure support staff into changing access.
Option B is correct because vishing (voice phishing) specifically involves using a phone call to socially engineer a target into performing an action, such as resetting credentials and bypassing MFA. The attacker pressures the help desk agent by creating urgency around a customer demo, which is a classic vishing tactic to bypass security controls.
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, because the caller used specific employee details to appear credible.
Why it's wrong here
Targeted details do make the attempt more convincing, but spear phishing is usually associated with email or messaging rather than a live phone call.
- ✓
Vishing, because the attacker is using a voice call to pressure support staff into changing access.
Why this is correct
Vishing is voice-based social engineering, and this scenario centers on a caller using urgency and credibility to trick the help desk into resetting access and weakening MFA controls.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Pretexting, because the attacker is creating a false identity and believable story.
Why it's wrong here
Pretexting is part of the technique, but it does not identify the delivery channel. The phone call makes vishing the more precise answer.
- ✗
Baiting, because the attacker offered a tempting opportunity tied to a customer demo.
Why it's wrong here
Baiting typically uses a lure, such as free media or an infected download, not a live impersonation call to support personnel.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates confuse pretexting (the false identity) with the delivery method (vishing), but the exam expects you to identify the specific attack vector—voice call—as the defining characteristic of vishing.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Vishing exploits the human tendency to trust voice communication over text, as voice lacks the phishing indicators (e.g., suspicious links) that email filters catch. Attackers often use caller ID spoofing to display a legitimate number, and they may leverage OSINT to gather employee names and roles, making the pretext more convincing. In real-world scenarios, help desk bypass of MFA is a common goal because it directly undermines the second factor of authentication, often protected by policies requiring out-of-band verification.
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
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
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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, because the attacker is using a voice call to pressure support staff into changing access. — Option B is correct because vishing (voice phishing) specifically involves using a phone call to socially engineer a target into performing an action, such as resetting credentials and bypassing MFA. The attacker pressures the help desk agent by creating urgency around a customer demo, which is a classic vishing tactic to bypass security controls.
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: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
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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