Forum Participation Security Risks | CompTIA Security+ SY0-601 Exam Answers

Tactics Used by Attackers in Public Internet Forums

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Question

Company engineers regularly participate in a public Internet forum with other engineers throughout the industry.

Which of the following tactics would an attacker MOST likely use in this scenario?

A.

Watering-hole attack B.

Credential harvesting C.

Hybrid warfare D.

Pharming.

A.

Explanations

Company engineers regularly participate in a public Internet forum with other engineers throughout the industry.

Which of the following tactics would an attacker MOST likely use in this scenario?

A.

Watering-hole attack

B.

Credential harvesting

C.

Hybrid warfare

D.

Pharming.

A.

The attacker would most likely use a watering-hole attack in this scenario.

A watering-hole attack is a type of attack in which the attacker identifies a popular website or online community that the target frequently visits, such as a public Internet forum, and infects it with malware. When the target visits the infected site, the malware is downloaded onto their system and can be used to steal sensitive information, credentials, or gain unauthorized access to the target's system.

In this scenario, the company engineers regularly participate in a public Internet forum with other engineers throughout the industry. This makes the forum a prime target for attackers to infect with malware in hopes of infecting the engineers' systems. By infecting the forum with malware, the attacker can target multiple engineers at once, increasing their chances of success.

Credential harvesting, on the other hand, involves the attacker stealing the user's login credentials by using phishing attacks, keylogging software, or other means. Hybrid warfare refers to a combination of conventional and unconventional tactics in military warfare, and pharming involves redirecting a user's web traffic to a fake website in order to steal their information.

Therefore, the best choice in this scenario is A. Watering-hole attack.