Several users received a message from the Chief Executive Of

Several users received a message from the chief executive of - CompTIA DataSys+ DS0-001

Question

Several users received a message from the Chief Executive Officer asking them for their bank account details. Which of the following types of attacks is taking place?

Answers

Malware
correct

Phishing
force
Denial of service

Explanation

Correct Answer: b. Phishing

The scenario describes a phishing attack, specifically a spear-phishing attempt, where attackers impersonate a trusted authority (in this case, the CEO) to deceive users into providing sensitive information, such as bank account details.

Phishing is a type of social engineering attack that exploits human trust rather than system vulnerabilities, making it especially dangerous in corporate environments where employees may respond quickly to executive requests.

Why the Other Options Are Incorrect:

A. Malware: Malware refers to malicious software such as viruses, worms, or ransomware that is installed on a system to cause harm or steal data. In this scenario, no software or file was mentioned—only a deceptive message was received—making malware the incorrect choice.
C. Brute-force: A brute-force attack involves systematically trying multiple password or encryption key combinations to gain unauthorized access to systems. Since this attack involves deception rather than password cracking or forced entry, brute-force does not apply.
D. Denial of service: Denial of service (DoS) attacks flood a system with traffic to make it unavailable to users. There is no indication of service disruption or network overload in the scenario, so DoS is not relevant here.

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