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Difficulty: MediumSocial Engineering and Threat Types

A systems analyst is reviewing recent security incident reports at a medium-sized enterprise. In the first incident, several employees in the marketing department received SMS text messages claiming their corporate email passwords had expired and prompting them to log into a malicious link. In the second incident, an unidentified individual wearing a fake delivery driver uniform entered the office building lobby and presented a falsified work order to convince the receptionist to grant access past the security desk. Which of the following social engineering threat types were demonstrated in these scenarios? (Select TWO.)

  1. SmishingAnswer
  2. PretextingAnswer
  3. C
    Pharming
  4. D
    Shoulder surfing
  5. E
    Tailgating

Answer

The threat types demonstrated are Smishing and Pretexting.
The scenario highlights two distinct social engineering vectors. The SMS messages directing users to credential-harvesting links represent smishing. The attacker using a fake delivery uniform and fake documentation to persuade the receptionist into allowing physical access represents pretexting.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the first incident involving SMS text messages.
Using SMS to deliver phishing links targeting credential theft is defined as Smishing.
Smishing specifically refers to phishing vector attacks conducted over Short Message Service (SMS).
2
Analyze the second incident involving the fake delivery driver uniform and falsified work order.
Inventing a false persona and scenario to gain physical entry is defined as Pretexting.
Pretexting focuses on establishing a plausible background story or role to manipulate victims into complying with requests.

Key Concept

Social engineering attack classification (digital vs. physical vectors)
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Topics

Social Engineering and Threat Types

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