Pretexting is a social engineering attack that involves creating a believable scenario or pretext to manipulate a target into providing sensitive information. The attacker may impersonate a coworker, customer support representative, or authority figure, and establish a scenario that convinces the t…Pretexting is a social engineering attack that involves creating a believable scenario or pretext to manipulate a target into providing sensitive information. The attacker may impersonate a coworker, customer support representative, or authority figure, and establish a scenario that convinces the target that the attacker has a legitimate reason to request the information. Attackers often use various tactics, such as demonstrating knowledge of the target's personal or professional life and employing persuasion or flattery, to establish trust and gain compliance. To prevent pretexting, employees should be trained to validate requests for sensitive information through secure channels before providing any data.
Guide to Understanding and Answering Questions on Pretexting
Pretexting is an essential concept part of the CompTIA Security+ certification examination and understanding it is of paramount importance.
What is it? Pretexting is a form of social engineering attack where the attacker creates a false scenario (pretext) to trick the victim into divulging sensitive information. Typically, the attacker pretends to need certain information from the victim to confirm their identity.
How it works? Pretexting often involves research to create a believable pretense. The attacker may pretend to be a coworker, police, bank officials, or other persons with right-to-know authority. The success of this attack relies heavily on the attacker's ability to establish trust with the victim.
Answering Exam Questions on Pretexting When answering exam questions around pretexting, it's crucial to focus on its key characteristics, such as the construction of a false narrative and exploitation of trust. It's also vital to recognize how it differs from other types of social engineering attacks.
Exam Tips: Answering Questions on Pretexting 1. Understand the concept: Clear understanding of pretexting will enable you to identify and describe instances of this social engineering attack. 2. Recognize examples: Be familiar with real-world examples of pretexting to better understand how these attacks happen. 3. Distinguish between techniques: Be able to differentiate pretexting from other social engineering attacks like phishing and baiting. 4. Think like an attacker: Understanding the attacker's perspective can help you identify strategies used in these attacks. 5. Know the defense: Understanding the preventive measures to counteract pretexting will demonstrate full comprehension of the topic.
A company receives a phone call from an individual claiming to be a journalist writing an article about the company. The caller requests sensitive company data for their coverage. What should the company do?
Question 2
In a recent phishing attack, an employee received a call from an attacker stating their account had been compromised and immediate action was required. Which pretexting technique does this represent?
Question 3
An attacker pretending to be a mail delivery personnel arrives at the front desk. Based on this scenario, which pretexting strategy is the attacker most likely using?
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