ISC2 CC Network Security Practice Question
An attacker intercepts communication between two parties by sending forged ARP messages. This is an example of which type of attack?
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
✓
Man-in-the-middle
ARP poisoning allows man-in-the-middle attacks by associating attacker's MAC with the victim's IP.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Sniffing
Why it's wrong here
Sniffing is passive capture; ARP poisoning is active.
- ✗
Spoofing
Why it's wrong here
Spoofing is forging identity, but ARP poisoning is a technique for MITM.
- ✗
DoS
Why it's wrong here
DoS overwhelms resources, not interception.
- ✓
Man-in-the-middle
Why this is correct
ARP poisoning enables interception of communications.
Quick reference
Access Control Model Comparison
| Model | Acronym | Who Controls Access? | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discretionary Access Control | DAC | Resource owner | Small teams, file shares |
| Mandatory Access Control | MAC | System / security labels | Classified govt / military |
| Role-Based Access Control | RBAC | Administrator (via roles) | Enterprise environments |
| Attribute-Based Access Control | ABAC | Policy engine (user + resource attributes) | Fine-grained, dynamic policies |
| Rule-Based Access Control | RuBAC | System rules / ACLs | Firewall rules, network ACLs |
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Physical Access Controls
Key term
ARP poisoning
ARP poisoning is a network attack where an attacker sends fake Address Resolution Protocol messages to link their MAC address with a legitimate IP address, enabling them to intercept, modify, or stop data on a local network.
Key term
MAC
MAC (Media Access Control) is a unique hardware identifier assigned to network interfaces for communication on a local network segment.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This CC practice question is part of Courseiva's free ISC2 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 CC exam.