Ethical Hacking Essentials Practice Test

Which method involves tricking individuals by manipulating their trust to gain sensitive information?

1. Malware

2. Social engineering

3. Phishing

4. Hacking

The correct answer is: Social engineering

The method that involves tricking individuals by manipulating their trust to gain sensitive information is social engineering. This technique relies on psychological manipulation rather than technical hacking skills to persuade individuals to provide confidential information or take certain actions that compromise their security. By establishing a relationship of trust, attackers can exploit human emotions such as fear, curiosity, or urgency. This makes the victim more likely to divulge sensitive data or perform actions that they normally wouldn’t consider, such as providing passwords or clicking on malicious links. In contrast, other options like malware involve software designed to disrupt, damage, or gain unauthorized access to systems but do not specifically engage in trust manipulation. Phishing is a subtype of social engineering that typically uses deceptive emails to trick victims into revealing personal information, focusing more on the digital aspect rather than the broader spectrum of social engineering, which can occur in various scenarios such as phone calls or face-to-face interactions. Hacking is a broader term that encompasses various techniques to gain unauthorized access to systems and data, which may not necessarily involve manipulation of individual trust.