The answer is vishing. This is correct because a vishing attack uses voice communication—in this case, a phone call—to socially engineer a victim into revealing sensitive information, such as a one-time MFA code. Unlike phishing (email) or smishing (SMS), vishing exploits the trust and urgency of a live conversation to bypass technical controls; once the attacker obtains the code, they can authenticate as the victim. On the Security+ SY0-701 exam, this scenario tests your ability to distinguish between social engineering subtypes, with a common trap being to confuse it with phishing or smishing since the delivery method (voice) is the key differentiator. A useful memory tip: think of the “V” in vishing as standing for “voice” and “viscious” trickery—if a caller asks for your code, hang up and verify directly.
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 caller says they are from IT support and asks a user to read back the one-time MFA code that just arrived on their phone. What type of attack is this 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.
Why wrong: Phishing usually uses email or a fake website. This scenario is a live phone call, so the channel is different.
B
Smishing
Why wrong: Smishing uses SMS text messages to trick users. The attacker here is calling the user directly, not sending a text message.
C
Vishing
Vishing is voice phishing, where an attacker uses a phone call or VoIP call to manipulate a target. Asking for an MFA code by phone is a common and dangerous tactic because the attacker may be trying to complete a real login.
D
Baiting
Why wrong: Baiting relies on lures such as free media, gifts, or infected USB drives. The scenario is a deceptive phone call, not a physical lure.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Vishing
This is a vishing (voice phishing) attack because the attacker uses a phone call to socially engineer the victim into revealing a one-time MFA code. Unlike phishing (email) or smishing (SMS), vishing relies on voice communication to bypass technical controls and trick the user into providing the code, which the attacker can then use to authenticate as the victim.
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 usually uses email or a fake website. This scenario is a live phone call, so the channel is different.
✗
Smishing
Why it's wrong here
Smishing uses SMS text messages to trick users. The attacker here is calling the user directly, not sending a text message.
✓
Vishing
Why this is correct
Vishing is voice phishing, where an attacker uses a phone call or VoIP call to manipulate a target. Asking for an MFA code by phone is a common and dangerous tactic because the attacker may be trying to complete a real login.
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.
✗
Baiting
Why it's wrong here
Baiting relies on lures such as free media, gifts, or infected USB drives. The scenario is a deceptive phone call, not a physical lure.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates see 'MFA code' and 'phone' and incorrectly assume smishing (SMS-based phishing), but the attack vector is the voice call, not the text message, which defines it as vishing.
Trap categories for this question
Scenario analysis trap
Phishing usually uses email or a fake website. This scenario is a live phone call, so the channel is different.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
In a vishing MFA bypass, the attacker often initiates a session on a service (e.g., a VPN or cloud portal) that triggers a legitimate MFA push or SMS code to the victim's phone. By calling and impersonating IT support, they exploit the user's trust to obtain the time-based one-time password (TOTP) or push approval, which they then use to complete authentication. This technique circumvents MFA because the code is valid for a short window (typically 30 seconds per RFC 6238), making real-time social engineering critical.
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.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this SY0-701 question in full detail.
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 — This is a vishing (voice phishing) attack because the attacker uses a phone call to socially engineer the victim into revealing a one-time MFA code. Unlike phishing (email) or smishing (SMS), vishing relies on voice communication to bypass technical controls and trick the user into providing the code, which the attacker can then use to authenticate as the victim.
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.
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