Cisco Cyber Security Practice Exam

When a user is tricked into providing sensitive information by an email that appears legitimate, what type of attack is this?

1. Data breach

2. Impersonation

3. SQL Injection

4. Denial of Service

The correct answer is: Impersonation

The scenario described involves a user being deceived into revealing sensitive information through what seems to be a legitimate email, which aligns with the characteristics of an impersonation attack, specifically phishing. In such attacks, the attacker creates a false sense of trust by masquerading as a legitimate entity—like a bank or company—often using emails that look authentic. Users are typically prompted to enter their confidential information, such as passwords or credit card numbers, into a spoofed website designed to mimic the real one. The success of this type of attack relies heavily on social engineering tactics that exploit the user's trust and perception. Other options do not fit this scenario. A data breach refers to an unauthorized access event where information is stolen, rather than tricking individuals into giving it away. SQL Injection is a code injection technique used to attack databases and is not applicable here since it doesn’t involve user interactions in an email context. Denial of Service attacks are aimed at disrupting service availability and do not involve the manipulation of individual users for sensitive information. Therefore, the correct answer correctly identifies the nature of the attack as impersonation.