Ethical Hacking Essentials Practice Test

Which best describes the risk of malicious software installed in user devices?

1. Data theft

2. Functionality loss

3. Device bricking

4. Root access

The correct answer is: Data theft

The risk of malicious software, or malware, installed on user devices is primarily associated with data theft. This encompasses a broad range of activities where sensitive information such as personal details, financial data, or proprietary corporate information is accessed and exfiltrated by the malware without the user’s consent. Data theft can occur through various methods, including keylogging, where the malware records keystrokes to capture passwords and other confidential information, or through network sniffing, where data packets are monitored and intercepted. This risk highlights the critical need for users to implement security measures to protect their data from being compromised by malicious actors. While functionality loss, device bricking, and root access are also significant risks associated with malware, they are not the primary focus in terms of the overarching risk posed to user data. For instance, functionality loss refers to the malware’s ability to disrupt software performance, and device bricking results in a device becoming inoperable, neither of which directly implies the theft of data. Root access, on the other hand, pertains to the level of control the malware has over the user’s device, which could lead to data theft, but it serves more as a means to an end rather than the risk itself. Thus, data theft stands out