SSCP Network and Communications Security Practice Question
An attacker sends a forged ARP reply associating the attacker's MAC address with the IP address of the default gateway. What type of 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
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ARP spoofing
ARP spoofing involves sending gratuitous ARP replies to associate the attacker's MAC with another IP address, enabling man-in-the-middle attacks at Layer 2.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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ARP spoofing
Why this is correct
This is the classic ARP spoofing attack, where the attacker sends fake ARP messages to intercept traffic.
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MAC flooding
Why it's wrong here
MAC flooding overwhelms a switch's MAC table, not ARP spoofing.
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DHCP starvation
Why it's wrong here
DHCP starvation exhausts the DHCP IP pool, not ARP manipulation.
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DNS poisoning
Why it's wrong here
DNS poisoning corrupts DNS resolver caches, not ARP tables.
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 |
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This SSCP 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 SSCP exam.