Ethical Hacking Essentials Practice Test

What behavior did Rocky showcase in his social engineering attack?

1. Honesty

2. Intimidation

3. Manipulation

4. Compassion

The correct answer is: Intimidation

The correct answer revolves around the concept of manipulation in social engineering attacks, which is crucial to understanding how such attacks are executed. In social engineering, an attacker often uses various psychological tactics to influence their targets into divulging information or performing actions that could compromise security. Rocky's behavior embodies manipulation, which is characterized by persuading or deceiving individuals to gain their trust or information. This behavior can take many forms, such as impersonating someone in authority, using flattery, or creating a false sense of urgency, all designed to exploit the target's emotions and instincts. While intimidation may indeed be a tactic used in some contexts, manipulation encompasses a broader range of techniques, including both subtle psychological influence and overt coercion. Thus, when considering the nature of social engineering as a whole, manipulation aligns more accurately with the techniques employed in these attacks.