- A
Phishing
Phishing uses deceptive emails to obtain sensitive information.
- B
Tailgating
Why wrong: Tailgating involves physically following someone into a restricted area.
- C
USB drop attack
Why wrong: USB drop attacks involve leaving infected USB drives for victims to find.
- D
Piggybacking
Why wrong: Piggybacking is similar to tailgating but implies consent.
Question 584 of 1,000
ISC2 CC Security Operations Practice Question
This CC practice question tests your understanding of security operations. 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.
An employee receives an email from an unknown sender claiming to be from the IT department, asking for their password to perform an urgent system update. What type of social engineering attack is this?
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
✓
Phishing
Phishing is a social engineering attack where attackers impersonate legitimate entities to trick victims into revealing sensitive information.
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 this is correct
Phishing uses deceptive emails to obtain sensitive information.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
- ✗
Tailgating
Why it's wrong here
Tailgating involves physically following someone into a restricted area.
- ✗
USB drop attack
Why it's wrong here
USB drop attacks involve leaving infected USB drives for victims to find.
- ✗
Piggybacking
Why it's wrong here
Piggybacking is similar to tailgating but implies consent.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Many certification questions include familiar terms but test a specific constraint. Read the exact wording before choosing an answer that is generally true but wrong for this case.
Trap categories for this question
Similar concept trap
Piggybacking is similar to tailgating but implies consent.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
This question should be treated as a scenario, not a definition check. Identify the problem, the constraint and the best action. Then compare each option against those facts.
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.
- Use explanations to understand the rule behind the answer.
TExam Day Tips
- Underline the problem statement mentally.
- 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.
Identify which CC exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
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Security Operations — study guide chapter
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FAQ
Questions learners often ask
What does this CC question test?
Security Operations — This question tests Security Operations — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Phishing — Phishing is a social engineering attack where attackers impersonate legitimate entities to trick victims into revealing sensitive information.
What should I do if I get this CC question wrong?
Identify which CC exam domain this question belongs to, then review the specific concept being tested. Practise related questions in that domain and focus on understanding why each wrong answer is tempting — not just why the correct answer is right.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
About these practice questions
Courseiva creates original exam-style practice questions with explanations and wrong-answer analysis. It does not publish real exam questions, exam dumps, or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
Last reviewed: Jul 4, 2026
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.
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