What testing method did you use?

You are tasked to perform a penetration test. While you are performing information gathering, you find an employee list in Google. You find the receptionist’s email, and you send her an email changing the source email to her boss’s email (boss@company). In this email, you ask for a pdf with information. She reads your email and sends back a pdf with links. You exchange the pdf links with your malicious links (these links contain malware) and send back the modified pdf, saying that the links don’t work. She reads your email, opens the links, and her machine gets infected. You now have access to the company network.

What testing method did you use?
A . Social engineering
B. Piggybacking
C. Tailgating
D. Eavesdropping

View Answer

Answer: A

Explanation:

Social engineering is the term used for a broad range of malicious activities accomplished through human interactions. It uses psychological manipulation to trick users into making security mistakes or giving away sensitive information.

Social engineering attacks typically involve some form of psychological manipulation, fooling otherwise unsuspecting users or employees into handing over confidential or sensitive data. Commonly, social engineering involves email or other communication that invokes urgency, fear, or similar emotions in the victim, leading the victim to promptly reveal sensitive information, click a malicious link, or open a malicious file. Because social engineering involves a human element, preventing these attacks can be tricky for enterprises.