A human resources manager receives an urgent phone call from an individual claiming to be a senior network administrator from the corporate help desk. The caller states that an emergency security patch must be applied immediately to the manager's account to prevent a critical data leak, requiring the manager to read back a one-time passcode sent via SMS and approve an incoming multi-factor authentication (MFA) push notification. After the manager complies, an unauthorized user registers a new authentication device and accesses sensitive personnel records. Which of the following social engineering threat types best describes the attack vector used in this scenario?
- PretextingCevap
- BShoulder surfing
- CWatering hole attack
- DDumpster diving
Cevap
Pretexting is the correct social engineering attack type described in the scenario.
Pretexting occurs when an attacker invents a scenario (the pretext) and assumes a fraudulent identity—such as a corporate help desk technician—to build trust and trick a targeted employee into granting unauthorized access or revealing sensitive verification codes.
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Anahtar Kavram
Social Engineering Principles and Pretexting Identification